May 2024

The 2024 NHC Tour season has started off on fire. There are 119 current NHC 2025 qualifiers and 17 double qualifiers. Five past NHC Champions have already solidified their qualification to the NHC, Stanley Bavlish (Hall of Fame member), Mike Gillum, David Harrison, John O’Neil, and Judy Wagner (Hall of Fame member). Two-time NHC Tour Champion, Kevin Costello has already earned two NHC berths. And Cheryl McIntyre, 2016 NHC Tour Champion, won her seat in February at Horseshoe Indianapolis. Hall of Fame members, Brett Wiener and Bill Shurman are also both double qualified to NHC 2025. First-time qualifiers are Christina Bialek, Frank Brown, Joseph Calvo, Bryan Clifford, Michael Daniel, Al Goblick, William Kimok, Hayden Leibrock, Karol Mannarino, Tchavdar Milanov, Sylvain Paulhus, Cory Shorr, Harold Stewart, and Mike Sutton.

Vegas Bound Qualifiers!

Keeneland Spring Contest Yields 13 Seats to the 2025 NHC

Contest players descended on Keeneland the weekend of April 12^th and 13^th and thirteen lucky qualifiers punched their tickets to the NHC in what was a huge contest weekend. Friday’s Spring Challenge saw 200 entries, with Matt Gumm taking home the top prize of $3,200 and a BCBC seat. Howard Kravets, Gregory Lewis, and Peter Rogers came in second, third, and fourth respectively and all took home NHC seats. This was the second NHC seat Peter Rogers secured in a week, having earned his first spot at Monmouth Park just the weekend before.

Saturday followed with the legendary Grade One Gamble, a $3,500 contest that is hyped as one of the favorites of the calendar year. First place went to Darren Schweiger whose $4,000 exacta in the Stonestreet Lexington Stakes propelled his final bankroll to $42,360. He took home an NHC berth, a BCBC berth, and $68,000 in cash. Finishers 2-10 of the 282 entry field also took home NHC seats and they were Clay Sanders, Gregory Lewis (double qualified), Cory Shorr, Rich Pawlowski, Dan Hartmann, Howard Kravets (double qualified), Drew Keaton, Chuck Grubbs, and John Fisher.

For more on this and other Keeneland contests, visit keeneland.com.

The Lone Star Million Betting Challenge is Back

You won’t want to miss your chance to win your way to the 2025 NHC at Lone Star Park’s Memorial Day Weekend Mega Event. With 12 guaranteed NHC Seats (and an additional 7 NHC seats possible) over Memorial Day weekend. This Lone Star contest weekend series is one of the hottest ways to kick off the summer.

The weekend will begin with a Saturday and Sunday $750 Lone Star Million Betting Challenge feeder which will each award 2 NHC berths and 1-in-15 odds or better to win a $2500 live bankroll to the Monday Lone Star Betting Challenge where the odds to win a NHC seat are 1-in-10. In addition to a coveted NHC seat, the Lone Star Betting Challenge winner will take home an etched crystal trophy and the top two finishers will also take home an entry to Lone Star’s Summer Betting Challenge on June 29.

“I’ve been at Lone Star Park since 2006 and have been running our contests since 2009,” said Brandon Leigh, Director of Marketing & Player Development at Lone Star Park. “I think our Handicapping Tournaments are the best promotion we do at Lone Star Park.”

For more information on this contest visit lonestarpark.com.

The Survey Results Are In – The 25^th NHC WAS THE BEST YET

Thank you for all horseplayers who participating in our annual survey after the NHC. Our goal is to continue to make this the best handicapping event in the world, and your feedback is a big part of helping us achieve that. We look forward to taking your suggestions and making next year’s event an even better experience for you.