Nathan's Fourth of July hot dog eating contest: Joey Chestnut wins 5th straight with Kobayashi out 
 
 David Handschuh/News Sonia Thomas, left and Joey Chestnut were winners at the Nathan's Hot Dog eating contest in Coney Island July 4th. 
 
 Joey "Jaws" Chestnut maintained pigout primacy Monday, winning his fifth straight mustard belt in Coney Island's hot dog eating contest. 
 
 But there could be an asterisk next to the title, since his renegade rival Takeru Kobayashi powered through what may be a new world record in an unsanctioned, simultaneous scarf-fest on a Manhattan rooftop. 
 
 Chestnut, the certified champ, choked down 62 dogs and water-soaked buns on the official Nathan's Famous stage - falling short of his 2009 world record of 68 dogs but ending with a healthy nine dog lead over her nearest competitor Patrick "Deep Dish" Bertoletti. 
 
 Kobayashi, who was ineligible to compete in the beloved Brooklyn contest because he won't sign an exclusive contract with Major League Eating, put away 69 dogs purchased earlier in the day from the South Street Seaport Nathan's. 
 
 "I'm feeling pretty damn good right now," Chestnut, 27, said after the 10-minute televised competition wrapped. "At the end, I kept messing up my rhythm…(but) I just kept pushing." 
 
 "Some things you'll have to pry from my cold dead fingers," he said holding his yellow belt. "I'll do anything I can to win." 
 
 He didn't bite at questions about his nemesis, saying only "If that's what he wants to do, that's what he wants to do." 
 
 Women's champ Sonya "The Black Widow" Thomas didn't mince her words. 
 
 "This was the big leagues," she said. "If Kobayashi wasn't involved, he was second string." 
 
 Kobayashi, 33, was arrested last year after crashing the event's stage. 
 
 "I think I showed them," he said after devouring his dogs two and three at a time. "I'm very happy about my win today but I feel like I'm not at my peak. I think I could go up to 90 or 85." 
 
 Steve Greenberg owns the rooftop bar that hosted the splinter event and said he paid Kobayashi an appearance fee. He showed his Nathan's receipt to prove the dogs were regulation. 
 
 "They (Nathan's) didn't know we were doing it…They would have filled the hotdogs with lead if they did," Greenberg, who owns the venue called 230 Fifth, told the News. 
 
 "I'm surprised how far he finished ahead of Chestnut," said rooftop watcher Chris Rauch, 29, from Hoboken. "It's great that he did it, but it wasn't in the competition so I don't think it should really count." 
 
 Organizers said Kobayashi gained 19 pounds from the chowdown. 
 
 Thomas, the petite female favorite, won with a jaw-dropping 40 dogs. 
 
 The 42-year-old fell one shy of her all-time record of 41 but ended with a 10 1/2-dog lead over her nearest competitor Juliet Lee. 
 
 "Whoa," she said when the contest ended. She raised her pink victory belt above her head and received a bouquet of pink roses. 
 
 ndillon@nydailynews.com 

 It was close for a few minutes, and then "Jaws" pulled away. 
 
 Joey Chestnut ate 62 hot dogs Monday to capture his fifth title in a row in Nathan's Famous Hot Dog Eating Contest. 
 
 "Winning tastes pretty good. I feel great," Chestnut said. "It was hot out here but that didn't really affect me." 
 
 After an event in Washington, D.C., in a day or so, the 27-year-old Chestnut will head back to his normal life as a construction engineer in San Jose, Calif. 
 
 "My girlfriend didn't even make the trip out here to Coney Island," Chestnut said. "She just told me to come back in one piece." 
 
 It's really not much of a contest anymore, as Chestnut has dominated the past five years. Patrick "Deep Dish" Bertoletti finished second with 53, while Tim Janus finished with 45. 
 
 With no Takeru Kobayashi -- dealing with a contract dispute -- and no real formidable foes, Chestnut will continue to win anytime he enters the contest, which celebrated its 96th year Monday. His total of 62 compares well to previous years -- 2010 (54), 2009 (world-record 68), 2008 (59) and 2007 (66) -- but he doesn't have anyone pushing him to a new mark. 
 
 "Listen, I'm getting paid to eat," said Chestnut, who won $10,000 for Monday's title. "It's not too bad of a life." 
 
 And barring injury or illness, Chestnut will be back next year. Before then, he might try some contests on his bucket list. 
 
 "I've never done oysters or hard-boiled eggs," Chestnut said. "I remember as a kid watching that movie -- 'Cool Hand Luke' -- with my grandfather. You remember that famous scene? That's what I want to try." 
 
 Chestnut was referring to the movie's famous scene in which Paul Newman ate 50 eggs on a bet. Piece of cake for Chestnut. 
 
 Also Monday, in the first-ever women's battle, Sonya "Black Widow" Thomas beat 2009 Rookie of the Year Juliet Lee and Stephanie Torres by eating 40 hot dogs, one short of her record. Lee and Torres each ate 29. Lee grabbed a six hot dog lead at the midpoint until Thomas stormed back. 
 
 "I can't measure how I'm feeling right now. I'm so happy," said Thomas, who also won $10,000. "I'm so full for hot dogs but I definitely can eat something later tonight."
– Joey Chestnut is still the top dog in the world of competitive hot dog devouring. This year’s Nathan’s Famous Hot Dog Eating Contest was close for only the first few minutes, before “Jaws” ran away with it, scarfing down 62 hot dogs, ESPN reports. Takeru Kobayashi was once again absent thanks to his contract dispute, and without him Chestnut had an easy time of it. The second place finisher, Patrick “Deep Dish” Bertoletti, ate only 53. “Winning tastes pretty good. I feel great,” said Chestnut, who has now won five years in a row but didn't beat his 2009 world record of 68 hot dogs. “It was hot out here, but that didn’t really affect me.” Chestnut will return to his day job as a San Jose construction worker $10,000 richer. “Listen I’m getting paid to eat,” he said. “It’s not too bad of a life.” Today also saw the first-ever women’s competition. Sonya “Black Widow” Thomas prevailed with 40 dogs, one shy of her record. The New York Daily News notes that Kobayashi did participate in a simultaneous, unsanctioned contest today: He ate 69 hot dogs, purchased this morning from the South Street Seaport Nathan's. (Click to read about the Kobayashi-related drama at last year's contest.)