At least he didn’t wait until the very last second this time!

Two years ago, Larry Bergen had to win the February 4 “Last Chance” NHC qualifier in order to make it to Vegas. This year, Bergen took care of business “early” by winning the first contest of the new year.

Monmouth Park held a $300 NHC qualifier on Saturday, January 4, and Larry Bergen of Fairless Hills, PA, finished in the top spot with a total of $1,400.75.

Bergen bested a field that included 122 entries. He turned his starting $150 bankroll into the winning total by betting races from Aqueduct, Gulfstream and Tampa Bay.  Contest players could only bet win, place and/or show and needed to bet a minimum of $15 per race.

By finishing first, Bergen takes home the first-place cash prize of $5,400 plus a seat into the 2025 National Horseplayers Championship.  Second-place finisher John Vail will be joining Bergen on his NHC trip.

In total, the Top 5 finishers from Saturday are: