One players who will be sorry to see the month of June come to an end tomorrow is Sean O’Malley. Two weeks ago, he treated HorseTourneys like his own, private “Pick Your Prize” tournament, capturing the richest cash game of the week, while also securing rich seats to the BCBC, NHC, Del Mar Summer Challenge and Kentucky Downs King of the Turf Challenge.

Last Friday, he was back for more.

O’Malley nailed down his second Vegas berth in as many weeks by finishing second in Friday’s $75 NHC qualifier at HorsePlayers—an event popular enough that three seats were awarded rather than the guaranteed two. Leading the way in this one was Don Beardsworth, who (by 20 cents) posted the day’s highest score. Beardsworth (5 wins, 1 place) broke slowly but did his best running from off the pace. (I always chuckle whenever today’s track announcers borrow that line, which I believe was first used by Tom Durkin. How do the announcers know that the horse is going to do any good running at all, let alone any “best” running? Maybe he’s just going to trail the field all the way around the track. Anyway…I digress.) Beardsworth swept the final five contest races, including a final-race hit with cap horse Louella Street ($83.40, $28.00) in the 8th at Monmouth. Louella Street was one of three winners on the day for runner up O’Malley, while another Louella Street fan—Mark Stovall (5W, 1P)—got up late to snatch the final available ticket to the big dance.

O’Malley copied and pasted his three-winner set of selections in Friday’s Haskell Challenge qualifier.

This time, the result for O’Malley was a $36.30 victory over fellow $1,000 seat earner Kenneth “Call Me Kenny” Peck (3 firsts, 1 second). Peck also picked bomb Louella Street in this contest—and in print in Daily Racing Form as well.

On Wednesday, G.T. Nixon (5 wins, 3 places) said “Peace Out” to his opponents.

He also said “Peace Out” when he asked himself who would win the 2nd race at Penn National. Peace Out returned $48.00 to win and $13.40 to place, propelling Nixon to landslide victories in Wednesday’s Spa & Surf Showdown and Haskell Challenge qualifiers.

Eric Beyea also gave Peace Out a chance.

That was Beyea’s best moment during a 6-win, 3-place afternoon/evening that brought him $2,519 in Wednesday’s $5,000 Guaranteed cash game, which ultimately was worth a total of $5,599.

Thursday’s cash-game star was 2024 Players Championship winner Matthew Bickey.

Bickey whiffed on the first seven contest heats, but he enjoyed 13-1 and 14-1 triumphs during the final three. Bickey emerged with the $3,577 top prize in Thursday’s $6,000 Gtd. Pick & Pray, which closed with a final purse of $7,949.

Unlike Bickey, Bob White (4 wins, 1 place) started fast on Thursday, nailing the first three contest races.

Later on, he scored with Selecto ($28.40, $13.00) in race 8 at Gulfstream. White received the $1,000 scholarship at the end of Thursday’s Haskell Challenge qualifier.

Edward Enborg also selected Selecto.

Enborg (3 firsts, 3 seconds) was the victor in Thursday’s qualifier to the $400,000 Gtd. Spa & Surf Showdown (the fourth leg of the 2025 HT Champions Series) here on August 23-24.

Friday’s Spa & Surf Showdown play-in went to Shirley Wolff.

Wolff connected on two winners, including Louella Street at the end, to secure one of the two available $2,500 berths. The other went to runner up Rob Henie (3 winners followed by 3 places). Henie got the job done despite not having cap horse Louella Street at the end. His best return came from On the Ledge ($27.20, $15.80) in the 6th at BAQ.

Brian Callaghan (3 firsts, 1 second) managed to come up with both On the Ledge and Louella Street, and for that, he was rewarded handsomely.

Callaghan collected $8,304 for taking Friday’s HT Tour event, our $15,000 Gtd. Pick & Pray, which closed with a final pot of $18,453.

Curtis Meyer didn’t need to climb out on any ledges after 12-1 On the Ledge prevailed in the 6th at BAQ.

Meyer (3 firsts, 1 place) earned the coveted $10,000 seat in Friday’s Low Ratio Breeders’ Cup Betting Challenge qualifier at HorsePlayers.

Tim Darnell (2 wins, 3 places) also scored with On the Ledge, and now he, too, will have action on Breeders’ Cup weekend.

Darnell picked up a $2,000 seat in Friday’s qualifier to the inaugural Breeders’ Cup Pick & Pray tourney—a $300,000 Guaranteed competition here on October 31-November 1.

On Saturday, we hosted our richest tourney of the week, our $25,000 Guaranteed cash game. When entries closed for this HT Tour event, there was $29,568 in the kitty.

A good chunk of that, $13,305 to be precise, went to Peter Rogers on the strength of 7 winners and 1 runner up. The priciest of those 7 winners was St. Olaf Rose ($31.80, $6.20) in the 6th at Gulfstream.

Tony Schiavone (3 wins, 5 places) and Raj Satyan (4W, 2P) both had St. Olaf Rose.

Schiavone and Satyan each earned $2,500 spots in Saturday’s qualifier to the Spa & Surf Showdown.

Speaking of the Spa & Surf Showdown, our 2020 champion in that event, Scott Fiedler, did all his Saturday scoring in the first three contest races…but it was enough.

Fiedler grabbed himself a $2,500 entry in Saturday’s qualifier to the September 6 Kentucky Downs King of the Turf Challenge.

St. Olaf Rose was one of two Saturday winners for Dylan Rossi.

To that victorious pair, Rossi added three runners up en route to victory in our weekly, guaranteed qualifier to the Del Mar Summer Challenge. Rossi gets a $6,000 entry into the on-track test plus an extra $500, which he may use for travel…or anything else he chooses.

Eric Gielata (3 wins, 1 places) opened his Saturday with 9-1 and 14-1 (St. Olaf Rose) winners right out of the box.

Gielata came away with the $1,000 entry at the conclusion of Saturday’s Haskell Challenge qualifier.

Like Gielata, Richard Pearson (4 wins, 4 places) and Joseph Kelley (3W, 3P) also swept the Saturday “early double”.

Pearson and Kelley punched their respective tickets to Vegas in Saturday’s overlaid $210 NHC qualifier at HorsePlayers.

The other Saturday featured tourney at HorsePlayers was a $179 Breeders’ Cup Betting Challenge qualifier.

John Gaspar exited with the $10,000 seat in this one. Gaspar’s best return among 5 winners and 2 runners up came with Screaming Uncle ($20.00, $9.40) in the first contest race, the 5th at BAQ.

On Sunday, the day’s biggest winner was Peter Osella.

Osella counted Mine Seeker ($34.20, $11.20) in the 6th at Monmouth among his 4 winners and 1 runner up. Osella topped the leaderboard in Sunday’s HT Tour battle, our $20,000 Guaranteed tourney, which finished up with a purse $22,968. Osella’s winner’s share came to $10,335.

Osella will have the opportunity to win considerably more than $10,335 in the August 23-24 Spa & Surf Showdown.

Using the same pics as in the cash feature, Osella bested all except Ted “Forbidden” Apple in this Showdown play-in. Like Osella, Apple profited with Mine Seeker.

Sunday’s two highest scorers were in action in our $165 NHC Pick & Pray.

Vincent Achilarre (5 wins, 3 places, $144.40 scoring total) and Derek Isenberg (6W, 3P, $141.60) landed the well-deserved berths after posting their gaudy scoring tallies. Mine Seeker was the star of each player’s stable.

Another Mine Seeker supporter was Greg “Cookin’ with” Gass.

Gass fueled his scorecard with 5 winners on the road to victory in Sunday’s Haskell Challenge qualifier.

Michael Simon had Mine Seeker plus 3 other winners and 1 runner up.

Simon reeled in the $10,000 entry in Sunday’s Breeders’ Cup Betting Challenge Low Ratio qualifier at HorsePlayers.

The other Sunday feature at HorsePlayers was another Low Ratio play-in—this one to the NHC.

Jim “Never” Settle didn’t hit Mine Seeker, but he had Not Too Late ($18.20, $5.40) in race 8 at Monmouth. Settle finished the day with 3 firsts and 2 seconds to earn the Vegas package.

There’s a lot to look forward to next weekend. Saratoga rejoins the mix…and we’ll be hosting our first qualifier to the Keeneland BCBC/NHC Challenge. Of course, Friday is Independence Day, so that day’s featured schedule will consist of 12 races as opposed to the usual 10.

More importantly, all of us at HorseTourneys wish you and your families a happy and safe Fourth of July. See you back here with more recaps on Monday.