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)





[07/23/25 - 01:52 PM]
ESPN "Sunday Night Baseball Presented by Capital One" Schedule Update: Chicago Cubs Visit St. Louis Cardinals as Historic Rivalry Continues August 10
"Sunday Night Baseball" on ESPN is averaging 1.71 million viewers in 2025, making it the most-watched season of the franchise in eight years, since 2017, according to Nielsen.

[07/23/25 - 12:01 PM]
Brandy Norwood Joins Lifetime Holiday Family with Real Life Daughter Sy'Rai in "Christmas Everyday"
Norwood portrays Francine "Fancy" Ballantine, a devoted fashion designer juggling family obligations and career ambitions.

[07/23/25 - 11:33 AM]
Video: Trailer and Key Art Debut - "Ralph Barbosa: Planet Bosa"
The special premieres Friday, August 8 on Hulu.

[07/23/25 - 11:15 AM]
Apple's Sports Comedy "Stick" Tees Off for Season Two with Owen Wilson
"I think we all had a great time making it," said star and executive producer Owen Wilson. "It's really nice to see the show connecting with people and to know that we get a chance to continue the story!"

[07/23/25 - 11:02 AM]
Video: "Hard Knocks: Training Camp with the Buffalo Bills" - Official Trailer - HBO Max
Join NFL MVP Josh Allen and the Buffalo Bills for the new season, premiering August 5 on HBO Max.

[07/23/25 - 10:46 AM]
Paramount Global and Park County Extend Overall Deal
The deal with "South Park" co-creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone is for five years, including 50 new episodes, all 26 previous season episodes and extending "South Park" on Comedy Central and Paramount+ around the world.

[07/23/25 - 10:06 AM]
Bravo's "Top Chef" Heads to the Carolinas for Season 23
Season 23 will be centered in the emerging and diverse culinary hub of Charlotte, North Carolina, with several episodes in Greenville, South Carolina.

[07/23/25 - 10:00 AM]
The CW Network Strikes Multi-Year Agreement with Professional Bull Riders to Broadcast Saturday and Sunday Teams League Events
PBR on The CW kicks off on Saturday, August 9 (6:30-8:00pm ET) and Sunday, August 10 (2:00-4:30pm ET) live from Sunrise, Florida.

[07/23/25 - 09:06 AM]
Apple Original Films Announces New Documentary Feature "Stiller & Meara: Nothing Is Lost"
From Emmy and DGA Award-winning director, producer and son Ben Stiller, the film features the inspiring story of comedy icons Jerry Stiller and Anne Meara, and is set to premiere in select theaters October 17, and stream on Apple TV+ October 24.

[07/23/25 - 09:05 AM]
All-New Season of "Expedition X" Premieres Wednesday, August 20 at 9PM ET/PT on Discovery
In the two-part season premiere airing over two consecutive weeks, Josh Gates and Heather Amaro venture into the haunted ruins of Spike Island, once Ireland's most infamous, brutal prison.

[07/23/25 - 08:04 AM]
Hulu Original Series "Only Murders in the Building" Season Five Premieres Tuesday, September 9
Your favorite crime-solving trio is back for another killer case!

[07/23/25 - 06:46 AM]
Bring on More Torture: Netflix Renews "Wednesday" for Season 3 Ahead of Season 2 Debut
"Wednesday" originally premiered on Netflix on November 23, 2022 and currently holds the record for Netflix's most-popular English language show of all time with 252.1M views in 91 days.

[07/23/25 - 06:01 AM]
Apple TV+ Unveils First Look at "The Savant," Starring and Executive Produced by Jessica Chastain
The suspenseful, high-stakes series will make its global debut on Apple TV+ with the first two episodes on Friday, September 26 followed by new episodes every Friday through November 7.

[07/22/25 - 04:01 PM]
Production of YA Zombie Series "All of Us Are Dead" Season 2 Is Now Underway
Based on the legendary webtoon by Joo Dong-geun, the first season was an international success, amassing over 560M viewing hours within 28 days of its premiere.

[07/22/25 - 03:03 PM]
ABC News' "Nightline" Ranks No. 1 in Adults 18-49, Leading CBS' "After Midnight" and NBC's "Late Night with Seth Meyers" in the Demo for the 6th Consecutive Week
"Nightline" posted week-to-week increases in Adults 25-54 and Adults 18-49, hitting a 4-week high in the key Adult news demo.