Monmouth Park held a $300 NHC/PYP qualifier on Saturday, May 9, and Stelios Kandias of Ridge, NY finished in the top spot with a total of $844.72.

Kandias bested a field that included 126 entries. Kandias turned his starting $150 bankroll into the winning total by betting races from Monmouth Park, Belmont and Churchill.  Contest players could only bet win, place and/or show and needed to bet a minimum of $15 per race.

By finishing first, Kandias takes home the first-place cash prize of $3,700. Second-place finisher Kenny Peck and Kandias will be heading to Las Vegas for the 2027 National Horseplayers Championship. Third and fourth-place finishers Mike Rajoppi and Brian Fairlie won a seat to the June 13 $2,000 Pick Your Prize Handicapping Challenge along with a seat to the $300 NHC qualifier on June 14.

In total, the Top 5 finishers from Saturday are: