Brett Risi, 21, of
Herkimer, NY will represent Vernon Downs on April 25 in New Jersey
VERNON, NY (March 25, 2015) – When Brett Risi started
tagging along with his dad and older brother to the horse races at Vernon Downs
at age 12, he never thought it would lead to the opportunity of a lifetime.
After winning a qualifying tournament at Vernon Downs last
month, Risi, now 21, will compete against 100 of North America’s best
horseplayers for a $50,000 prize pool in the World Harness Handicapping
Championship (WHHC) in April at Meadowlands Racing & Entertainment in East
Rutherford, NJ.
“I am honored to have a chance to play against the best
handicappers in the country,” said Risi, who will be the second youngest person
ever to compete in the WHHC Final. “It makes me feel good about myself and I
hope more kids my age will come to be as interested in the game as I am.”
Now in its tenth year, the WHHC is harness racing’s premier
handicapping tournament and allows players from across the U.S. and Canada the
chance to qualify through both live and online events, in addition to buying a
seat for $800. In the WHHC Final, each player begins with a $300 bankroll and
contestants are required to wager at least $30 on ten designated contest races.
The player who amasses the largest bankroll is declared the winner.
Risi, a Herkimer, NY resident, is a college student and
works part-time. He is a self-described regular at Vernon Downs and says he has
won a few other smaller tournaments, but none that would provide a first-place
prize of $20,000.
“As I got older, I learned how to bet and really expanded my
knowledge of strategic wagering,” explained Risi. “By the time I was 19, I knew
I had figured out just about everything I could on how to bet.”
Risi says he already spends a lot of time handicapping the
races and will devote even more time to his craft if he wins next month.
Three other horseplayers from Vernon Downs and Tioga Downs
also won qualifying tournaments recently at the two Upstate New York racinos
and will compete at the WHHC Final: Phil Melancon from Clay, NY; Mark “Duke”
Smolinsky of Endicott, NY; and Kim Wahila of Vestal, NY.
For more information on the World Harness Handicapping
Championship, click here http://bit.ly/1DZmmIf.
