Joe Lods, a 33-year-old English teacher from Rockville Centre, NY, claimed the $40,000 grand prize in the Belmont Summer Handicapping Challenge. He defeated 208 contestants from 15 different states and three different countries. Along with the second and third place finishers, Lods will be on the three-member Belmont Park team in the National Handicapping Championship, to be held this coming January at the Red Rock Casino, Resort, and Spa in Las Vegas.

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After the first day of the contest on Saturday, Lods was in ninth place with $453 dollars, $233 behind the leader. He was just biding his time for Belmont’s seventh race on Sunday. Lods’ best bet of the weekend, Lavita E Fortuna, romped by two lengths and paid $37.80 to win. He took over first place, survived a late scare in the form of a $95 winner, and held on for a narrow victory. The English teacher explained his strategy by quoting the famous industrialist J. Paul Getty.

“There are one hundred men seeking security to one able man who is willing to risk his fortune,” Lods said. “This weekend, my strategy was to be that one able man. I’d like to thank my very supportive wife, Cindy, and I won the contest for my sons, Anthony, and Charlie.”

The tournament format allows each contestant nine $20 win, place, or show mythical wagers and one $40 wager during both days of the weekend competition. Lods finished with a total of $1,299, squeaking out the win over Sam Brooks, who finished with $1,280. John Conte finished in third place with $1,216.

Brooks, a 58-year-old maintenance supervisor from Jarrettsville, MD, catapulted into second place by virtue of a $96 winner in the last race of the contest. His clutch performance resulted in a $10,000 paycheck for finishing as the runner-up.

“I was shooting to win and had to go for the gusto in the final race,” Brooks explained.

Conte, 68, held on for third place to take home a $5,000 payday. He lives in Oceanside, NY, and makes his living as a professional handicapper for Nassau and Suffolk OTB.

Top 3 finishers: Joe Lods, Sam Brooks, and John Conte

The New York Racing Association Inc. owns and operates three Thoroughbred racetracks: Aqueduct Racetrack, Belmont Park Racetrack, and Saratoga Race Course. Founded in 1955, and franchised to conduct Thoroughbred racing in New York through 2033, NYRA contributes more than $2 billion annually to the State’s urban, suburban, and rural economies. In 2007, nearly two million people attended the live races at NYRA tracks. The average daily handle wagered on NYRA races totals more than $10.9 million. Belmont Park Racetrack is the proud host of the Belmont Stakes, the third leg of horse racing’s storied Triple Crown.