Summer wrapped up with the popular Kentucky Downs King of the Turf Handicapping Challenge for the third consecutive year. Phil Lam is the 2023 National Turf Handicapping Champion and took home the prestigious belt. He also won a NHC2024 entry and $10,530 in cash. Other players that won NHC seats throughout the course of the weekend were Anthony Mattera, John Kostin, Mikael Christen (double qualified), Mike Abinanti, William Shurman, Dave Gray, Ben Posen, & and Chris Savage.

The First State hosted a contest on September 9^th at Delaware Park. The ontrack $300 handicapping contest yielded two NHC2024 seats to Paul Buttafuoco & Bob Jeffrey. A few days later, on September 13^th Canterbury Park hosted its $2,000 NHC/BCBC Qualifier that yielded three berths to NHC2024 to Michael Caposio, Jim Tipps and Justin Mustari. Canterbury Park also hosted its 27^th Annual Dog Days of Summer Handicapping Contest the weekend of September 16-17. This longest running live-bankroll handicapping tournament yielded two NHC seats to Mike Yurczyk and Joe Gauthier. That same weekend the Woodbine Mile Contest featured a $1,000 entry fee and awarded seats to James Metzger and John Kaiser.

The PA Derby Xpressbet contest held on September 23^rd awarded two NHC seats to Chris Larmey and Richard Jerardi. That same day ontrack at Los Alamitos, Mark Streiff and Jean Huttepain won their way to NHC2024. Santa Anita Opening Weekend Challenge featured a $4,000 buy-in contest and awarded NHC seats to Nisan Gabbay and Joseph Rosen (double qualified).

The 2023 Hawthorne Race Course Summer Coast-to-Coast Showdown Contest concluded this month, after running from July 15 through September 4, with Nicholas Shirilla taking home the grand prize. Another summer special contest the Beat Byk annual event concluded with George Smith coming out on top – more to come on him and the Beat Byk Contest later.

Horseplayers.com awarded 26 seats in the month of September to: Dan Shugar, James Henry, Sarah Wiener, Michael Mainzer, Nick Noce, Brian Salamone, Tim Smith, Mike Steindler, David Browning, Mark Detro, Wayne Eigelbach, Yolanda Labordo, Kenneth Molicone, Gwyn Houston, Julie Kochensparger, Kevin Costello, David Wolff, Allen Carrick, Steve Decaspers, Bob Montgomery, Dan Brockman, Dennis Dougherty, Michael Foster, Joseph Rosen, Patrick Kennedy, and Joseph Paese.

Horsetourneys.com awarded eight seats in the month of September to: Jeff Higgins, Crystal Andaur, GT Nixon, Edward Reidy, Bernard Reilly, Rich Pawlowski, David Mullin, and Frank Paros.

Phil Lam

John Kostin

Justin Mustari

Mike Steindler

Mark Streiff

Joseph Paese

Mark Detro