Mike Ferrozzo became the 16th horse player to be named Canterbury Park Handicapper of the Year.
The annual award is determined through a system that assigns points for top performances in handicapping contests held at Canterbury throughout the year. In 2017, Ferrozzo beat Pamela Kight by a single point and four-time Handicapper of the Year Bruce Meyer by three points.
He earned the title plus $2,000 and a trophy. Ferrozzo’s photo will be placed near the leaderboard in the Race Book along with the previous 15 winners.
Ferrozzo is caught in a meat grinder of sorts in the 2017 National Horseplayer Championship Tour. He is currently leading the NHC Tour and while one might assume, since it is 2018, that the winner would have been determined, that would be incorrect. There was an online contest last Saturday that could award sufficient points to defeat Ferrozzo but a malfunction caused its cancellation and subsequent rescheduling to this coming Saturday.
First place in the tour pays $100,000. Second is $50,000. Stay tuned for results and hopefully a well-deserved title for the longtime Eagan horse player.
The 2018 Handicapper of the Year contest is now underway. Here are the current future odds to win the title:.
Bruce Meyer 3-1 — searching for ‘one for the thumb.’ The chalk.
Hassan Entry – 4-1 — The Hassan family, especially 2013 winner Ray and daughter Katherine, are always a threat.
Mike Ferrozzo 5-1 —- no doubt he can repeat if he focuses on the local title
Pamela Kight 10-1 – strong 2017 performance. The big win has been elusive.
Ron White 12-1 — he won the R2K contest years ago. Persistence will pay off.
Rick Dahl 20-1 — if he shows up on time he could accumulate the points needed to win.
Dave Handeland 30-1 – ‘young gun’ fell off the radar last year. Redemption?
Mark Freiberg 30-1 — Expect him to be on the leaderboard early.
Past HOY Winners not already listed 10-1
Field 10-1
Shaun Rau earned the first point of the new season by winning the Jan. 4-6 HPWS Super Satellite. These supers will be held each Thursday through Saturday through Feb. 3. The HPWS Satellite, which will send the winner to Vegas, takes place Feb. 10.
The annual Road to Kentucky Handicapping Contest starts this Saturday. More than $25,000 in cash prizes will be up for grabs. Each Saturday there are a total of five Handicapper of the Year points given to the top three players and points awarded for best overall scores throughout the series.
Here is the entire list of Canterbury Park Handicapper of the Year winners:
2017 – Mike Ferrozzo
2016 – Bruce Meyer
2015 – Lannette Sheldon
2014 – Bruce Meyer
2013 – Ray Hassan
2012 – Bruce Meyer
2011 – Bruce Meyer
2010 – Ron Hafner
2009 – Bill Ender
2008 – Kalib Martin
2007 – Steve Leeper
2006 – Jerod Dinkin
2005 – Richard Johnson
2004 – Harold Krahn Jr.
2003 – Dan Lynch
2002 – Jeff Ovshak
