Four Inducted Into the NHC HOF; Nichols Wins 2025 Tour

Topping a field of more than 3,725 of the nation's best horseplayers over a 12-month period, Dave Nichols of Wayne, PA, captured the 2025 National Horseplayers Championship (NHC) Tour. Nichols earned $75,000 for winning the Tour and is eligible for a $5 million bonus if he captures the 27th NTRA National Horseplayers Championship (NHC), March 13-15 at Horseshoe Las Vegas. Nichols won online and ontrack contests during the 2025 Tour season while amassing 24,492 Tour points. "I'm extremely excited to win the NHC Tour. As a regular contest player, this was always my biggest goal, so I'm ecstatic to have ended up on top," said Nichols. "There is very little that separates the top players on the Tour, so I was very fortunate to wind up the winner. I'm sure the top 10 or 15 players on this year's Tour could point to one race or one contest where, if things had gone a little differently for them, they would have ended up as the Tour Champion. Jill Matzat was every bit as good as I was this year. It was bound to come down to a photo finish between us, and I was lucky enough to get my nose down at the wire." Jill Matzat of Boca Raton, FL, finished in second-place in the Tour standings with 24,432 points. She was followed by Louis Masry of Solana Beach, CA, who finished in third place with 23,784 points. Dylan Donnelly, who made the NHC Final Table in 2025, from Rancho Cucamonga, CA, was fourth, with 23,670 points. Paul Shurman of Dix Hills, NY, finished in fifth place with 23,415 points. Larry Pirollo of Largo, FL, finished in 64th place with 15,909 points and won the Jim Nace Award as the Tour's Rookie of the Year. "Last March, I saw Dave Portnoy promoting the NHC on X and it immediately caught my interest. I got a late start in April and had to quickly learn the tournament game, but I developed a system that began producing consistent results -- and here we are a year later as NHC Rookie of the Year," said Pirollo. "I grew up going to the track with my Dad (Larry), Uncles (Joe / John), and Grandfather, which eventually led me into horse ownership with great friends Joe, Eddie, and Kenny from New Jersey. With strong guidance this year from John Fisher and Kenny Orchard, this run has been incredibly special. I respect the grind from all the tournament competitors, and I'm truly grateful and excited for what's ahead at the main event." Nichols has qualified for the NHC itself 12 times, first qualifying in 2014. He will be in Las Vegas this year and next year, as well. He remains very thankful to everyone who has helped him get here. "A big thank you to those at the NTRA who spend every week updating the Tour leaderboard and fielding non-stop questions from the players. Michele Ravencraft and Holly Short are very patient rock stars who make the NHC what it is. The biggest thank you of all goes out to my wife, Jenn, who listens to me gripe about horse racing all the time, but had to deal with the extra anxiety of me being on the cusp of winning the NHC Tour over the last 4 months. I wouldn't have won without her support." The NHC Tour is a yearlong bonus series awarding $345,000 in cash prize money and 75 qualifying berths to the NTRA National Horseplayers Championship (NHC). Membership in the NHC Tour is mandatory in order for top finishers of sanctioned NHC qualifying events to be eligible to compete in the NHC Finals in Las Vegas. Membership in the NHC Tour is open to adults 21 years of age or older and requires a one-time, annual membership fee of $50. The NHC Tour membership must be in place prior to the start of any given qualifying tournament in order for one to qualify for the NHC Finals at that qualifying tournament. Over the past 25 years, more than 11,000 individuals have qualified to the NHC, which has awarded nearly $50,000,000 in cash and prizes. This year the NHC will host more than 600 individuals and will award nearly $4.5 million in cash and prizes. To sign up for the NHC Tour, go to www.ntra.com/membership. NTRA Announces National Horseplayers HOF Inductees The National Thoroughbred Racing Association (NTRA) announced today that Kevin Engelhard, Mike Ferrozzo, Chris Littlemore, and Ken Seeman have been voted by their peers for induction into the NTRA National Horseplayers Championship Hall of Fame. These decorated handicappers represent the 12th class of NHC Hall of Fame inductees and will be recognized during the NHC Champions Dinner on Sunday, March 15, following the conclusion of the 27th NTRA National Horseplayers Championship (NHC) at the Horseshoe Las Vegas. Inductees into the NHC Hall of Fame go through a nomination and voting process that involves nearly 1,000 NHC Tour Members. Initial nominees were selected by a panel consisting of former NHC Champions, NHC Tour Champions, previously elected Hall of Fame Members, NHC Players Committee Members, and NHC Tournament Directors. Criteria for Hall of Fame consideration includes: Individuals must have competed in NHC-sanctioned tournaments and played consistently well over an extended period; Gained the respect and admiration of their peers; and Contributed to the overall growth and success of the NHC and/or tournament play in general, with indelible positive and lasting results. This year's Hall of Fame members received the most votes from a ballot sent to nearly 1,000 NHC Tour Members who have been Tour members for at least 10 years and have qualified at least once for the NHC. Kevin Engelhard NHC Tour Member since 2008 NHC Appearances: 17 NHC Mentor Engelhard, of Franklin Park, NJ., is also a very accomplished horseplayer, with Top 40 finishes on the NHC Tour every year since 2014, and Top 10 finishes in 2016, 2020, 2023, and 2024. He's also had top finishes on Horseplayers.com, Aqueduct, Delaware Park, Laurel, Monmouth Park, and Woodbine. "I am truly grateful to be elected to the NTRA Hall of Fame. I want to thank the association for this honor and look forward to continuing my involvement in the NHC and the Thoroughbred racing community," Engelhard said. Engelhard also participates in the NHC Mentor program, which connects Tour members to many of the most formidable horseplayers who impart their wisdom on handicapping and contest play. Mike Ferrozzo NHC Tour Member since 2008 NHC Appearances: 18 2017 NHC Tour Champion Ferrozzo, of Eagen, MN., has a wide range of accomplishments as a horseplayer. In 2017, he won the NHC Tour, and made the NHC Final Table in 2015. In addition to these NHC achievements, he has had great tournament success, winning at Canterbury Park, Hawthorne, Belmont, and Surfside, among others. "I'm totally elated and honored, and want to thank everyone who supported me in the nomination and voting," said Ferrozzo. "It's not often that you get to be recognized with other lifetime achievers in a sport you're passionate about!" Ferrozzo also wanted to make sure to thank everyone who has helped him get to this point in his career. "There have been hundreds of people I've learned from over the years in and out of the NHC, so I'd like to thank everyone who's contributed to my handicapping knowledge and been a part of my horse racing experiences." Chris Littlemore NHC Tour Member since 2011 NHC Appearances: 11 2018 NHC Champion Littlemore, from Smith Falls, Ontario, has found great success being a horseplayer, with his biggest successes being at the National Horseplayers Championship itself. There, he was not only the champion in 2018, but he followed it up with a Final Table appearance in 2019, finishing 7th. "It feels amazing. When I went to the races for the first time in the early 80's, never in my wildest dreams did I think something like this would happen," said Littlemore. "Having had success at the NHC has enabled me to be able to travel across the United States to racetracks I thought I would never be able to get to, but always wanted to see." Along with travel, Littlemore made sure to acknowledge those who helped him get to this moment. "To be voted in the Hall of Fame by fellow horseplayers alongside past inductees is truly an honor." Ken Seeman NHC Tour Member since 2009 NHC Appearances: 17 Seeman, a longtime horseplaying veteran from Wantagh, NY, had this to say about being inducted: "Being voted into the NHC Hall of Fame by my peers is an amazing honor that is very special to me. I love the NHC and the community it creates and want to thank the NTRA for creating this wonderful event. I am grateful to have made so many close friends with shared experiences to last a lifetime." While qualified for 17 previous NHCs, Ken has qualified this year and in 2027, meaning he will have played in 19 consecutive years. He's placed in the top 25 six times, and the top 15 three times. Other than the NHC, Ken has won The BIG One Tournament on HorseTourneys, and finished 2nd in the Pegasus World Cup Betting Championship. "I'm proud of my accomplishment of having qualified for the NHC for 19 consecutive years, every year since I started playing contests. It's so exciting to compete each year against some of the best handicappers in the world." During his career, Seeman worked in sports television and notably started with the "Thoroughbred Action with Harvey Pack" Show. "Working with and learning from Harvey and producer Mitch Levites put me in the starting gate of my long career in sports television." Previous NHC Hall of Fame inductees are (in chronological order): Mike Mayo; Ron Rippey; Judy Wagner; Steven Crist; Paul Shurman; Steve Wolfson, Sr; Chris Larmey; Steve Wolfson, Jr; Bryan Wagner; Trey Stiles; Roger Cettina; Richard Goodall; Sally Goodall; Ray Arsenault; Stanley Bavlish; Michael Beychok; J. Randy Gallo; David Gutfreund; Paul Matties, Jr; Jose Arias; Dennis Decauwer; Jim Goodman; William (Bill) Shurman; Duke Matties; Jim Meeks; Brett Wiener; Jim Benes; Cheryl McIntyre; and Rich Nilsen.