or


[12/16/13 - 12:12 PM]
Horse Racing's Top Gamblers Place Their High-Stakes Bets When "Horseplayers" Premieres Tuesday, January 21
The series follows the lifestyles of a diverse cast of handicappers as they compete for a chance to face off in the annual National Handicapping Championship.

[via press release from Esquire Network]

HORSE RACING'S TOP GAMBLERS PLACE THEIR HIGH-STAKES BETS WHEN "HORSEPLAYERS" PREMIERES TUESDAY, JANUARY 21

LOS ANGELES - December 16, 2013 - In the high-stakes world of professional horse race handicapping, the only thing bigger than the bets are the characters placing them -- and the best in the business are members of the National Thoroughbred Racing Association (NTRA). Esquire Network's new series HORSEPLAYERS, premiering Tuesday, January 21 at 10p e/p, follows the lifestyles of a diverse cast of handicappers as they compete for a chance to face off in the annual National Handicapping Championship (NHC). One winner will walk away with the title of America's top handicapper and nearly $1 million.

The 10-part series follows expert handicappers as they travel the country in search of instant riches. From the storied racetrack at Churchill Downs to Saratoga to Santa Anita Park; the competitors put it all on the line at the top horseracing destinations in America. Along the way, they share often wildly-different methods, their unique lifestyles and personal insider secrets to picking the perfect pony, placing the right bet and having the guts that lead to glory in the horse racing history books.

Handicappers featured in HORSEPLAYERS include:

Team Rotondo - Best friends and former currency traders Peter Rotondo Sr. and Lee Davis, along with Peter Rotondo Jr., an executive at Breeder's Cup LTD., make up this unstoppable team.

Christian Hellmers - High-earning Hellmers brings his Southern California lifestyle to the track, with a signature headband, vegan diet and a betting style that's based as much on statistics as it is on karma and essential oils.

John Conte - Holding the 2009 National Champion title, Conte has some of the most solid credentials in the business, having qualified seven times in the NHC's 13-year history.

Michael Beychok - The 2012 National Handicapping Champion and the man to beat. A political consultant traveling from Baton Rouge, Beychok grew up betting horses with political heavyweight, James Carville.

Matt Bernier - New on the scene, this 23-year-old realtor by day was the youngest qualifier in last year's National Handicappers Championship.

Kevin Cox - A retired mounted police officer for the NYPD and former jockey agent, Cox is set to make his mark in this year's championship.

HORSEPLAYERS is produced by Go Go Luckey with Julie Auerbach, Henry Capanna, Tina Gazzerro and Dennis Principe serving as executive producers.





  [december 2013]  
S
M
T
W
T
F
S


· HORSEPLAYERS (ESQUIRE)





[07/21/25 - 04:00 PM]
Video: First Look at "Doc" Season 2 Premiering Sept. 23 on FOX!
The second season of Doc follows powerhouse physician Dr. Amy Larsen (Molly Parker) as she continues to rebuild her life after a car crash erased eight years of her memory.

[07/21/25 - 12:05 PM]
Video: ESPN, Disney+, and Skydance Sports Announce Premiere Date and Unveil New Trailer for "The Kingdom," Debuting August 14 on ESPN, ESPN+ and Disney+
The six-episode docuseries on the Kansas City Chiefs will explore the franchise's indelible and distinctive place in the NFL's landscape for more than six decades of history while offering an exclusive, revealing chronicle of the team's extraordinary 2024 season.

[07/21/25 - 10:30 AM]
Tatiana Maslany and Jake Johnson Star in "Maximum Pleasure Guaranteed," A New Dark Comedic Thriller from David J. Rosen Coming to Apple TV+
Blackmail, murder, and youth soccer.

[07/21/25 - 10:09 AM]
ESPN's Outstanding Nielsen Viewership for First Six Months of 2025: At the Halfway Mark, ESPN has Achieved Multiple Successes Across the Board
ESPN on its own is up 4% year-over-year across the entire day (24 hours of programming) and up 9% when isolating the primetime hours (8-11 p.m. ET).

[07/21/25 - 10:06 AM]
Apple's Emmy Award-Winning, Cultural Phenomenon "Ted Lasso" Kicks Off Production on Season Four in Kansas City
In addition to Jason Sudeikis, Emmy award-winner Hannah Waddingham, Juno Temple, Emmy award-winner Brett Goldstein, Brendan Hunt and Jeremy Swift are all set to return as their beloved characters and celebrated members of AFC Richmond.

[07/21/25 - 10:01 AM]
First Look and Date Announcement: "Futurama" Season 13
Season 13 lands on Hulu on September 15 at 5:00 PM PT/8:00 PM ET with all 10 episodes at once.

[07/21/25 - 10:00 AM]
Video: "The Great American Baking Show: Celebrity Summer" - Official Trailer - The Roku Channel
Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Yara Shahidi, June Diane Raphael and Andrew Rannells step into the sun-filled Baking Show tent, ready to whip up some sweet summer treats.

[07/21/25 - 10:00 AM]
Colton Underwood and Kaitlyn Bristowe Host Hulu's "Are You My First?" A New Dating Experiment Where Virgins Navigate Love, Lust and Losing It
"Are You My First?" premieres with all 10 episodes Monday, August 18, on Hulu in the U.S. and Disney+ internationally.

[07/21/25 - 09:02 AM]
Video: "Marvel's Iron Man and His Awesome Friends" Trailer and Guest Cast Revealed
The highly anticipated series is set to premiere Monday, August 11, on Disney Jr. (8:30 a.m. ET/PT) and later that day on Disney Channel.

[07/21/25 - 07:31 AM]
Video: "Jim Jefferies: Two Limb Policy" - Official Trailer - Netflix
Comedian Jim Jefferies unleashes his thoughts on tiny mustaches, straight-guy struggles and why acting doesn't count as a real job.

[07/21/25 - 07:12 AM]
Apple TV+ Announces Second Season of Beloved Stop-Motion Series "Shape Island"
Based on the internationally bestselling "Shapes" picture book trilogy by Mac Barnett and Jon Klassen, the second season is set to return with more imaginative adventures for kids and families.

[07/21/25 - 06:52 AM]
Disney+ and Swimply Launch Disney+ Dive-In Theater Experiences in Los Angeles
As part of the Disney+ Throwback campaign, select Swimply-hosted private pools across Los Angeles will be transformed into larger-than-life recreations of beloved films including Alien, Honey, I Shrunk the Kids, and Camp Rock.

[07/21/25 - 06:32 AM]
FOX Nation Teams Up with Hulk Hogan and Eric Bischoff As Exclusive Partner for "Real American Freestyle"
Through this new partnership, FOX Nation will broadcast the highly anticipated inaugural matchup event "RAF01" that will take place on Saturday, August 30 at the Wolstein Center in Cleveland, Ohio.

[07/20/25 - 06:01 PM]
Video: "Beyond the Bar" - Official Trailer - Netflix
A young, rookie lawyer with a strong sense of justice joins a top law firm - navigating the complex legal world under a cold, demanding mentor.

[07/20/25 - 04:01 PM]
Netflix Confirms Production of New Korean Series "Variety" Starring Son Ye-jin and Jo Yu-ri
Directed and written by Kim Yong-hoon, "Variety" is set to explore the fierce desires and ambitions of people within the glamorous world of K-pop.