by Dan Leary, USTA director of marketing and communications

Columbus, OH — Las Vegas native and renowned handicapper Sally Goodall won the inaugural event on Friday night (Jan. 18) and Brenda Hogan of Jeffersonville, Ind., the second contest of 10 on Saturday (Jan. 19) in the first-ever USTA World Harness Handicapping Championship Free, Online Qualifying Series. Both contests had the maximum 1,000 players entered.

With their victories, both women have earned a free berth ($1,000 value) to the $100,000 World Harness Handicapping Championship, which will be held at the Meadowlands on Saturday (April 13).

Horsephotos.com photo

Sally Goodall, winner of the inaugural USTA Free, Online Qualifier to the WHHC, with her husband Richard at the 2010 National Handicapping Championship in Las Vegas.

Goodall, recognized as one of the nation’s top Thoroughbred handicappers through her multiple appearances at the National Handicapping Championship, competes regularly with husband Richard, who won the 2007 Handicapper of the Year Eclipse Award and the $500,000 first prize in that contest’s ninth edition.

By selecting five winners and one second-place finisher in 12 races at the Meadowlands on Friday night, Goodall earned a mythical $140.30 to defeat runner-up Tim Downs ($123.00) by $17.30. Her biggest winner of the night was Hostess Lisa in the eighth race, paying $42 to win and $19.40 to place.

On Saturday, Hogan came charging down the stretch, earning $105.60 of her total $136.80 final bankroll in the last two races, by selecting Together Again ($42.00, $22.00) in the 12th race followed by Get A Little Crazy ($32.40, $9.20) in the finale at Balmoral Park. She outdistanced second-place finisher Frank Dittmar ($124.00) by $12.80 to earn a trip to the final.

Free entries, limited to 1,000 per contest, for the next two contests for Maywood Park on Friday (Jan. 25) and Cal Expo on Saturday (Jan. 26), opened at 9 a.m. on Monday (Jan. 21) at www.horsetourneys.com.

A link to Free TrackMaster Platinum Past Performances on their site will be available for each weekend’s contest two days before each event at www.horsetourneys.com.

Following are the top 10 finishers in the first two USTA online qualifiers for the WHHC:

Qualifier 1–Meadowlands, Friday, Jan. 18
No.-Name-Earnings
1. Sally Goodall-$140.30
2. Tim Downs-$123.00
3. Barry Horenstein-$112.50
4. Linda Iannone-$109.60
5. Albert Coulombe-$108.70
6. Alan Marcus-$103.30
7. Jim Schiro-$97.20
8. Greg Knepper-$94.60
9. Rock Tocheri-$93.00
10. Louie Sorella-$92.40

Qualifier 2–Balmoral Park, Saturday, Jan. 19
No.-Name-Earnings
1. Brenda Hogan-$136.80
2. Frank Dittman-$124.00
3. William Frazier-$123.60
4. Frank Riggitano-$117.80
5. John Martins-$115.00
6. Peter Deys-$114.40
7. Michael Santiago-$111.60
8. David Goldschmidt-$111.20
9. Kent Butler-$109.80
10. Shawn Turner-$109.80

The USTA World Harness Handicapping Championship Free, Online Qualifying Series consists of 10 tournaments that will be conducted during January and February over five consecutive weekends and will involve handicapping races at 10 different USTA member racetracks.

Following is the schedule/results with featured racetracks for the USTA Free, Online WHHC Qualifying Series:

Date-Track-Winner
Fri. Jan. 18-Meadowlands-Sally Goodall
Sat. Jan. 19-Balmoral Park-Brenda Hogan
Fri. Jan. 25-Maywood Park
Sat. Jan. 26-Cal Expo
Fri. Feb. 1-The Meadows
Sat. Feb. 2-Yonkers Raceway
Fri. Feb. 8-Northfield Park
Sat. Feb. 9-Pompano Park
Fri. Feb. 15-Northville Downs
Sat. Feb 16-Buffalo Raceway