HANA Harness is pleased to announce its plans to hold the 2014 HANA Harness Grand Circuit 'Shoot Out' Handicapping Challenge.

The contest will once again use Grand Circuit races, although some stakes have been eliminated from the contest schedule to make it more manageable. A proposed list of races included in the contest can be found here.

The contest tentatively begins with the George Morton Levy Memorial and Blue Chip Finals on April 26 at Yonkers Raceway and concludes with the Cleveland Classic at Northfield Park on December 12.

The contest rules have been modified from last year’s contest. In the 'shoot out' format of the contest, each contestant will be given $250 to wager on the day's stakes races. While the handicapper must wager on at least one of the stakes races that day, they may spread the $250 over more than one contest race if they wish. The fact the handicapper is not required to wager on each race is what gives the contest the 'shoot out' format; handicappers will be seeking to wager on the race(s) they feel they will be able to get value in. Wagers will be restricted to Win, Exacta, Trifecta, and Superfecta wagers.

Once again, sponsorships are being offered to those involved in racing, whether they be racetracks, horsemen groups, or vendors. Funds raised from these sponsorships will once again be donated to standardbred rescue group(s) in the sponsor's respective country (In the first two years of this contest, over $7,000 has been donated to such groups).

For further information regarding sponsorship opportunities, please contact HANA Harness at [email protected].

(HANA)