Joseph “Kevin” Costello of Chicago is the only two-time winner of the NHC Tour. He was also a two-time winner here at HorseTourneys/HorsePlayers last week.

On Friday, Costello used Just a Philly ($20.80, $11.20) in the 8th at Gulfstream and Yogi Boy ($17.40, $6.60) in the 7th at Los Alamitos as the foundation of a 4-win, 2-place day that got him second place behind Edward Masry in the day’s $75, two-seat NHC qualifier at HorsePlayers.

Just a Philly was the day’s biggest price, and Masry had the day’s biggest score…but Masry didn’t have Just a Philly. He managed that by racking up 5 winners (including Yogi Boy) and 4 runners up out of just 10 races. Impressive!

Twenty-four hours later, it was Costello’s turn to accumulate the day’s highest tally.

It came in Saturday’s Keeneland Fall BCBC-NHC Challenge qualifier where Costello led the way on the strength of 4 wins and 2 places. The 6 collections included a pair of $46 horses—Ticking ($46.40, $19.20) in the 10th at Gulfstream and Stolen Treasure ($46.60, $17.40) in race 7 at Los Al. It was $39.08 back to second-place finisher David Lupo (3W, 3P), who also picked up a $3,500 Keeneland spot.

As well as Kevin Costello did last week, no one is hotter right now than Raj Satyan.

Last week, Satyan amassed four featured-tourney victories. On Thursday, his four winners included Fortuna Mia ($53.00, $15.50) in the 8th at BAQ and Can’t Fool Me ($41.68, $8.68) one race earlier at the Ozone Park oval. That brought Satyan a triumph worth $3,297 in Thursday’s $6,000 Gtd. Pick & Pray, which closed with a final purse of $7,327.

In Thursday’s other marquee game, the same selections delivered Satyan a winning margin of $39.92.

This victory was worth an NHC seat in Thursday’s $125 qualifier at HorsePlayers.

Satyan wasn’t done for the week. On Saturday, he captured our first qualifier to the September 20 Canterbury/Xpressbet NHC qualifier.

Satyan had just 1 winner (and 1 runner up) on Saturday, but the winner was a juicy one—22-1 Ticking at Gulfstream.

The featured-tourney week began with an interesting result on Wednesday.

Peter Kizenko and Daniel Zaretsky each smoked out the same two pricy winners—and nothing else. That meant a tiebreaker would be required to determine the outcome of Wednesday’s $5,000 guaranteed cash game, which had a prize pool of $5,460. It came down to show horses. Kizenko had one…Zaretsky had none…and so Kizenko pocketed the winner’s share of $2,730 while Zaretsky had to settle for $1,092.

Kizenko didn’t cut things so close in Saturday’s qualifier to the inaugural BC Pick & Pray Tourney, a $300,000 Guaranteed competition here on Breeders’ Cup weekend.

Kizenko scored with Ticking plus 3 other winners and 1 runner up to take this event by $15.80 over fellow $2,000 seat winner Thomas Kolschowsky, whose big horse among 2 wins and 3 places was Stolen Treasure in the next-to-last contest race at Los Alamitos.

Hopping back to Friday action, Peter Rogers put up 4 firsts and 2 seconds to take the day’s HT Tour battle, our $15,000 Gtd. Pick & Pray.

The best pick for Rogers was Just a Philly ($20.80, $11.20) in race 8 at Gulfstream. He pocketed the grand prize of $7,406 in a game that was ultimately worth a total of $16,458.

The same picks also brought Rogers a $500 Autumn Handicapping Challenge seat.

Joining Rogers in the field for the September 27 hybrid get-together at Laurel Park/Xpressbet will be second-place finisher Kevin Engelhard, whose top return among 3 wins and 2 places was a $19.74 place collection on Life and Light, the 26-1 runner up in race 9 at BAQ.

Our $73,395 runner up in August’s Spa & Surf Showdown has apparently now set his sights on the $250,000 Gtd. Pick & Pray Classic.

Curtis Adams won two $1,500 seats to the final leg of the 2025 HT Champions series by placing first and second in Friday’s three-seat qualifier. The final one went to Laura Arth. The top three scoresheets each contained Just a Philly.

Just a Philly was also just fine for Terence Channon (2 wins, 1 place).

Channon scooped up the $3,500 berth in Friday’s qualifier to the October 11 Keeneland Fall BCBC-NHC Challenge.

There were three winners of $2,000 entries in Friday’s play-in to the new BC Pick & Pray Tourney here on October 31-November 1.

Congratulations to Danny Kelly (2 wins, 3 places), David May (4W, 0P) and Curtis Brodzina (4W, 2P). Yep…they all had Just a Philly.

Just a Philly was also the highlight of Robert Little’s 6-win, 1-place day.

Little corralled the $10,000 seat in Friday’s Breeders’ Cup Betting Challenge Low Ratio qualifier at HorsePlayers. Matthew Kosco reported home in second place—which was good for a $5,000 partial BCBC entry.

Saturday was a 2-grand prize day for Robert Weir.

Weir (3 wins, 1 place) defeated all but 2016 NHC Tour champion Cheryl McIntyre (3W, 3P) in Saturday’s Autumn Handicapping Challenge qualifier. Longshot Ticking was common to their scorecards.

Thanks to an additional place collection, Weir improved his score slightly in Saturday’s $179 Breeders’ Cup Betting Challenge qualifier at HorsePlayers.

Weir also improved his winnings by a factor of 20 here, earning a $10,000 seat (as opposed to the $500 Laurel/Xpressbet berth). Howard Kravets finished just 38 cents behind Weir, and he received a $5,000 partial BCBC spot.

Ticking was also the high point of the handicapping day for Geoffrey Schutt.

Schutt (1 win, 1 place) came away with the $1,500 scholarship in Saturday’s play-in to the $250,000 Gtd. Pick & Pray Classic.

For Jayson “Radio City” Rockett (4 firsts, 2 seconds), the hero of the day was Stolen Treasure ($46.60, $17.40) in race 7 at Los Alamitos.

Rockett won $11,503 in our richest tourney of the week, Saturday’s $25,000 Gtd. Pick & Pray (an HT Tour event).

Stolen Treasure also helped deliver some cash to Brian “Lemonade” Stan (1 first, 2 seconds).

Stan withdrew $3,562 from the cash register at the conclusion of Saturday’s $5,088 Big Bucks Pick & Pray.

Jeannie King hit Stolen Treasure plus 4 other winners and 3 runners up.

King ruled the Saturday NHC qualifier at HorsePlayers that was restricted to those who had yet to nail down a 2026 seat.

Saturday’s NHC Low Ratio qualifier at HorsePlayers was open to all.

The winner was Nick “48 Hrs.” Noce, a fan of convertibles—and Stolen Treasure.

On Sunday, the five biggest win prices among the 12 featured-tourney races were $13.42, $17.00, $17.20, $18.40 and $19.60. With that range being so narrow, it meant there were countless pathways to success. It also contributed to the fact that the 13 Sunday grand prizes on offer went to 13 different people. 

One of them went to George Chute who posted 7 wins and 1 place in Sunday’s $20,000 Gtd. Pick & Pray. Chute pocketed $9,745 in an HT Tour event that closed with a final pot of $21,656. His best pick was Giant James ($18.40, $7.60) in the 9th at Monmouth.

The top score of the day ($103.58) was turned in by Lance Smith (5 wins, 1 place).

Smith and 2018 The BIG One champ Joe Pettit reeled in the $2,000 seats in Sunday’s qualifier to the BC Pick & Pray Tourney. The best return for both Smith and Pettit came with X Y Point ($17.00, $11.00) in the 8th at Gulfstream.

X Y Point was also the heaviest lifter for Basil DeVito (4 wins, 3 places) and Stephen McNatton (4W, 1P). 

DeVito and McNatton secured the Vegas packages in Sunday’s $165 NHC Pick & Pray at HorsePlayers.

The two players who scored in the 80s were the two who earned $500 places in the field of the September 27 Autumn Handicapping Challenge at Laurel/Xpressbet.

Congratulations to Jeff Higgins (3 wins, 4 places) and David Browning (6W, 1P). The highest yielder for Higgins was X Y Point. Browning’s best pick was Giant James.

Thomas Michael Abinanti selected 6 Sunday winners…the most lucrative of which (for scoring purposes) was Fondest Dream ($17.20, $7.20) in the 5th at Los Alamitos.

Abinanti and Wendy Long (2 wins, 5 places) came away with the $3,500 entries at the conclusion of Sunday’s Keeneland Fall BCBC-NHC Challenge. The star of Long’s stable was Swashbuckle ($19.60, $4.60) in race 9 at Gulfstream.

Vaughn Bair (4 wins, 2 places) also got his biggest boost of the day from Swashbuckle.

Bair picked up the $10,000 gift certificate in Sunday’s Breeders’ Cup Betting Challenge Low Ratio qualifier. A $5,000 partial BCBC entry went to second-place finisher Evan Trommer. 

Bob Schreiter (4 wins, 3 places) and Terry Jerge (3W, 3P) were the two to emerge from Sunday’s Pick & Pray Classic qualifier with $1,500 seats in their pocket.

Schreiter supported Swashbuckle. Jerge got his best result with X Y Point.

Kirk Tesar booked himself some action in this Saturday’s Canterbury/Xpressbet NHC qualifier.

Tesar counted Giant James among his 2 winners and 4 runners up.

Thanks to all of you for playing last week—or just reading about it, as the case may be. We’re glad that you enjoy spending time around here. Featured-tourney competition resumes on Wednesday and continues through Sunday. Hope to see you again then.