The first opportunities to win a $500 seat to the onsite Laurel Champions Tournament on March 19 or a $1,500 entry into the onsite/offsite Florida Derby Challenge on April 2 take place this weekend at HorseTourneys.

Effective immediately, the purse for the featured cash tourney on the final Saturday of each month will be guaranteed at $50,000—up from $30,000.

It was a smooth double play turned by Mark “Santana” Tabakman on Friday and Saturday.

The first of four free NHC qualifiers in 2022, and the last of many play-ins to Saturday’s 1/ST Ultimate Betting Challenge are two headlines in what shapes up as an action-packed weekend at HorseTourneys and HorsePlayers.

It has been a banner 2022 thus far for Neal Thomas. During New Year’s weekend, he accounted for three grand prizes. Last weekend, on President’s Day, he won a Monmouth Pick Your Prize seat plus $9,576 in cash. This past week, he set his sights on the middle jewel of the 2022 Tourney Triple, the April 9-10 Players Championship.

The 2023 NHC is still 11 months away, but you wouldn’t necessarily know that from the turnouts at recent qualifiers. The norm of late has been for “two-seats-guaranteed” play-ins to wind up awarding three seats.

To my knowledge, Floridian Evan Trommer and Californian Wayne Atwell do not know each other. However, the two were coincidental “running buddies” last week, seldom leaving the other’s shadow. 

We all love Presidents—especially when we’re staring at their pictures in our wallets. You can add to your collection of such photos (as well as some of Ben Franklin) during the upcoming Presidents Day weekend replete with four days of featured-tourney cash games and qualifiers.

Steve Wolfson Sr. and Jr. share more than a first name and a love of thoroughbred racing. 

The son and grandson, respectively, of Louis Wolfson, owner of 1978 Triple Crown winner Affirmed, the two Steve Wolfsons are each NHC Hall of Famers—and after this past week, they will now both be contestants in the $350,000 Guaranteed Players Championship.

The latest NHC is in the books, and now it’s time to work on getting back there (or getting to the BCBC). For many contest players, one of the favorite ways to accomplish that mission is to participate in the Pick Your Prize Handicapping Challenge, slated for June 4 at Monmouth Park.