Welcome to Noel Michaels’ Weekend Winners, the place to go for weekend best bets and spot plays from veteran handicapper and tournament-play pioneer Noel Michaels. Check back every week for a couple of highlighted selections designed to help you cash a few bets and make some money.
Where to Watch/Listen: Horse Racing Coverage Dec. 18-21
Two qualifying points prep races for the 2026 Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve highlight the upcoming pre-Christmas weekend on the racing calendar, both set for Saturday, Dec. 20.
Betting on a Beast in the Remington Springboard Mile
The Remington Springboard Mile Stakes is always a fun handicapping and betting challenge, taking me outside of my comfort zone of the usual circuits that I bet to Oklahoma for a qualifying race on the road to the 2026 Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve.
Richard Mandella: A Lifelong Horseman Who Crafted a Hall of Fame Career
As Richard Mandella reflected in 2017 on his magnificent training career, he said that he drew greater motivation from fear of failure than aspirations of greatness. “I never had any great dreams about what it actually became. Hall of Fame and all of that, it never entered my mind,” he said. “I just wanted to be some kind of success.”
