Monmouth Park held a $400 NHC/PYP qualifier on Saturday, May 30, and Chris Russo of Staten Island, NY finished in the top spot with a total of $2,611.52.

Russo bested a field that included 136 entries. Russo turned his starting $200 bankroll into the winning total by betting races from Monmouth Park and Churchill Downs.  Contest players could only bet win, place and/or show and needed to bet a minimum of $20 per race.

By finishing first, Russo takes home the first-place cash prize of $5,000 along with a seat in the June 13 $2,000 Pick Your Prize Handicapping Challenge. Second-place finisher Kathryn Collins and third-place finisher Ken Stewart will be heading to Las Vegas for the 2027 National Horseplayers Championship. Fourth, fifth and sixth-place finishers John Shin, Mark Hagenbuch and Ryan Knottek also won a seat to Pick Your Prize along with a seat to the $300 NHC qualifier on June 14.

In total, the Top 6 finishers from Saturday are: