We can’t say it’s never too late to qualify for the Breeders’ Cup Betting Challenge—because by Friday morning, it will be. However, it’s never too late to have a big day—or weekend—that can potentially make your entire year worthwhile. That was the case last Saturday and Sunday for Jonathan Socolow.

Two weeks ago, we began running $179 “Happy Hour” Breeders’ Cup Betting Challenge Qualifiers on Thursdays at HorsePlayers. So far, there has been just one winner.

It would be hard to do much better in the HT Tour than Eric “B Connected” Boyd has done. Coming into this week, Boyd had recorded 8 victories on the year—a number made all the more impressive given that only a player’s top 10 scores count in the year-end standings.

Make it 9 victories.

A few years ago, we introduced the HT Tour. As part of the deal, in addition to mid-year and year-end prizes, we started offering bonuses to anyone who recorded multiple HT Tour victories on specific days of the week.

One lives in New York. One resides in California. Both are NHC Hall of Famers. Both won a lot last week here at HorseTourneys.

One of the more noteworthy featured tourneys of the week took place on Friday when Kirk Rockwell finished first in the day’s Keeneland Fall BCBC/NHC Challenge qualifier.

It can happen on almost any given day around here, and last week it happened on Friday—when Terence Channon had an afternoon that could turn out to be a “yearmaker” for him, enjoying four rich triumphs.

The only thing better than securing an NHC spot is to win money while you’re doing it. That’s what Michael Guadagno did on Sunday.

We all know the feeling. You make your bet, then focus in on your horse in the starting gate—all the while knowing that your horse cannot possibly win, simply by virtue of the fact that you have bet on it.

When the week began, Eric “B Connected” Boyd was less than half a point behind leader Neal Thomas in the 2024 HT Tour standings. When the updated standings come out later today or tomorrow, there may well be a new leader.