The NTRA National Horseplayers Championship (NHC) is just around the corner with the 27th annual event scheduled for March 13-15 at Horseshoe Las Vegas. The NHC is a $4 million handicapping tournament open only to players who have qualified with a win or high finish in a feeder contest online or at various racetracks and racebooks throughout the year.

If you are a tournament player still in search for an NHC qualifying spot as of February 2026, you will be happy to know that there are still opportunities remaining to earn in a seat in the 2026 NHC finals in Las Vegas.

Trophy hardware at the NHC. (Noel Michaels)

A last-minute scramble for NHC qualifying berths is not a new phenomenon as urgency to get into the NHC field of approximately 800 entries grows at this time of the year. For this reason, there are several last-minute contests that cater directly to hopefuls who still find themselves on the outside looking in.

In addition to online contests still remaining at feeder sites HorseTourneys.com and HorsePlayers.com, some places will soon be offering “Last Chance” tournaments.

Let’s take a look at this year’s offerings for those still trying to earn qualifying spots into the NHC in Las Vegas. If you are already qualified for the 2026 NHC, some of these tournaments can also be played as a “first chance” opportunity to qualify for the next NHC finals. In other words, you can also become among the first people to qualify for the 2027 NHC.

Are you still trying to punch your ticket to an upcoming NHC? Read on for the rundown of prominent Last Chance qualifying tournaments still on the calendar. Best of luck, we hope to see you in Las Vegas!

Feb. 20-21

Tampa Bay Downs High Rollers Handicapping Contest

Tampa Bay Downs’ on-track High Rollers Handicapping Contest costs $1,000 to enter, which includes a $500 entry fee and $500 which goes to a player’s live contest bankroll. The top two overall finishers will earn NHC qualifying berths for either 2026 or 2027. Daily winners on Day 1 and Day 2 of the tournament also win NHC berths. The top players on the two-day leaderboard will earn their share of $32,000 in prize money (based on 100 entries). The contest format is $50 in bets (limited to win, place, or show) on a total of 10 races with five bets Friday and five bets Saturday. The players with the highest earnings are the winners and both daily and overall leaderboards will be in play on both days. The $1,000 buy-in is due by 11 a.m. on Feb. 20. Call 813-855-4401 ext. 1368 to enter by phone.

Feb. 21

Monmouth Park $300 Last Chance NHC Qualifier

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Monmouth Park is a leader in offering on-track NHC qualifying tournaments throughout the year, so it’s no surprise that Monmouth would host one of the most prominent Last Chance tournaments for the NHC right before the cutoff for the 2026 main event. Monmouth Park’s $300 Last Chance NHC Qualifier is an on-track contest with a $300 buy-in that includes a $150 entry fee and a $150 live contest bankroll (maximum two entries per person). The top two finishers qualify for either the 2026 or 2027 NHC based on 100 entries, but Monmouth could add an additional spot if they exceed 100. Players can bet win, place, and show only on the day’s race cards from Aqueduct, Gulfstream, and Tampa Bay Downs to accumulate the highest final total bankroll. Based on 100 entries, cash prizes of $7,500 would be awarded. The contest features walk-up cash registration only on the day of the event at Monmouth Park. Contact Brian Skirka at bskirka@monmouthpark.com for more information.

Feb. 21

Twinspires $1,000 Oaklawn NHC/KDBC Qualifier

Twinspires.com will host a one-day online contest on Feb. 21 with a $1,000 buy-in that includes a $500 entry fee and a $500 wagering bankroll. Players can make win, place, show, exacta, trifecta, and Daily Double bets on the day’s program from Oaklawn Park. The entrants that accumulate the highest bankrolls will be the winners. In addition to pari-mutuel earnings, the winners can also choose between qualifying spots for either the NHC or the Kentucky Derby Betting Challenge (KDBC). Based on 75 entries, Twinspires will offer seven qualifying spots.

Feb. 21 & 28

Horseplayers.com Tournaments open only to players that have not qualified

As the name implies, these tournaments hosted online at Horseplayers.com will be open only to NHC Tour players that have not already qualified for the 2026 finals. The Feb. 21 tournament will cost $210 to enter and the tournament on Feb. 28 will cost $500. Typical Horseplayers.com win-and-place tournament rules apply with multiple NHC qualifying spots being offered both days.

March 12

NHC Last Chance/First Chance Contest – Horseshoe Las Vegas

NHC 2024 champ Mike Gillum w/ "The Big Check" (Noel Michaels)

The granddaddy of all Last Chance/First Chance tournaments takes place on the eve of the NHC at the NHC venue at Horseshoe Las Vegas and is hosted by the NTRA. The event has gotten so big that if it were a standalone tournament, it still would be one of the biggest tournaments of the entire year both in terms of purse money and number of entries. The NHC Last Chance is still growing, too. The number of entries into this tournament annually increases by as much as 40% since drawing 532 entries in 2022. More than 1,000 entries are expected in March 2026.

The 2026 NHC Last Chance/First Chance Contest will cost $600 to enter (an increase from $500 in past years) and the on-site-only tournament will be a direct qualifier for the NHC that starts the next day. There is no better place to try to qualify for the NHC. Based on an estimation of 1,000-plus entries, the 2026 tournament will award a staggering number of roughly 45 NHC qualifying berths (exact number determined by the actual number of entries). The NTRA’s take-out for this tournament is 8%, after which 70% of the entry fees will go directly into the prize pool for the NHC main event. The remaining 30% of the entry fees are returned as cash prizes to the top finishers.

The NHC Last Chance/First Chance is one of the few remaining tournament events using the traditional $2 win-and-place mythical money format. Mirroring the format of the NHC finals, players make a specified number of mythical $2 WP bets on a selection of mandatory and optional Thursday simulcast races. Go to the NTRA’s tournament section at www.NTRA.com/NHC for all you need to know.