Bruce Meyer proved best in the year-long Canterbury Park Handicapper of the Year competition winning his seventh title. Meyer, for his efforts, received the $2,000 first prize along with a trophy and the prestige of being Canterbury’s most successful handicapping contest player in 2022.
The Handicapper of the Year contest has been held each year since 2002. Points are awarded and accumulated by players for their performance in various handicapping contests held weekly throughout the year. Many contests have entry fees and some, like the 16-week Road to Kentucky contest which begins Jan. 21, are free to enter. Meyer finished with 15.5 points. Second-place Shaun Rau had 10.
“Playing these contests every week keeps you in the game and is a great way to leverage your cash wagers and opinions into contest success,” Meyer, who won his first title in 2011, said.
Point levels vary by contest and are based on the entry fee and the number of players involved. Many of the contests serve as feeders to another contest that offers larger prizes such as entry to the National Horseplayers Championship held annually in Las Vegas.
“I think playing at Canterbury is a better path to qualifying for the big events than the online contests,” said Meyer who has qualified four times for the NHC.
The 2023 Handicapper of the Year season begins this week with the start of the Spring Tune-Up Super Satellites. Road to Kentucky begins soon as does the Bet On Yourself Contest. Expect to see Meyer’s name in the mix in all of them.
2023 Handicapper of the Year Futures
Meyer is the 5/2 favorite to capture another HOY title. Rau, 2020 winner and runner-up in ’21 and ’22, is second choice at 7/2. The quickly-aging Young Guns contingent includes man-about-town and purveyor of Dave’s Faves tip sheet Dave Handeland at 50-1. Handeland will be competing in the $3 million NHC in March. “I score points in bunches,” Handeland said. “And then don’t score points for months.”
Bruce ‘The Oracle’ Meyer 5/2
Shaun Rau 7/2
Ron Hafner 6-1
Terry Severson 6-1
Ray Davis 10-1
Trevor Juhl 15-1
Fred Williams 20-1
Rick Dahl 30-1
Super Stats Dave Handeland 50-1
