Monmouth Park held its $300 First Chance NHC qualifier on Saturday, April 5, and Lou Capezzuto of Monroe, NJ, finished in the top spot with a total of $1,498.

Capezzuto bested a field that included 108 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, Capezzuto takes home the first-place cash prize of $3,480 plus a seat into the 2026 National Horseplayers Championship. Saturday’s second-place finisher Eric Wing will be heading to Vegas as well.

In total, the Top 8 finishers from Saturday are: