News & Barn notes
Filoso Wins First NHC Qualifier of Live Racing Season
May 14, 2025
Monmouth Park held its first $300 NHC qualifier of the live racing season on Saturday, May 10 and Lou Filoso of Ocean, NJ finished in the top spot with a total of $2,949.40.
Filoso bested a field that included 155 entries. He turned his starting $150 bankroll into the winning total by betting races from Monmouth Park, Aqueduct and Gulfstream. Contest players could only bet win, place and/or show and needed to bet a minimum of $15 per race.
By finishing first, Filoso selected a $2,000 Pick Your Prize seat as his prize. Fourth-place finisher Peter Grau will also be headed to Pick Your Prize. Second and third-place finishers Nick Fazzolari and Fiore Esposito will be headed to Vegas for the 2026 National Horseplayers Championship.
In total, the Top 8 finishers from Saturday are:
| Finish | Name | Bankroll | Prize |
| 1st | Lou Filoso | $2,949.40 | $4,700+PYP Seat |
| 2nd | Nick Fazzolari | $2,857.45 | $2,350+NHC Seat |
| 3rd | Fiore Esposito | $2,232.60 | $1,762.50+NHC Seat |
| 4th | Peter Grau | $1,943.40 | $1,175+PYP Seat |
| 5th | Daniel Perry | $1,619.20 | $587.50 |
| 6th | Stelios Kandias | $1,327 | $392 |
| 7th | Eric Wing | $1,111.45 | $392 |
| 8th | Terry Flanagan | $1,009.50 | $392 |