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.
Seven Standout Racehorses, Six Elite Trainers Among Racing Hall of Fame Finalists for 2026
Seven racehorses and six trainers account for the 13 finalists that will comprise the National Museum of Racing’s 2026 Hall of Fame ballot, as chosen by the Museum’s Hall of Fame Nominating Committee.
Remember When? A Triple-Digit Longshot Stunned Unbridled’s Song in 1996 Fountain of Youth
All signs pointed to Unbridled’s Song in the 1996 edition of the Fountain of Youth Stakes Feb. 24 at Gulfstream Park. The flashy gray or roan colt by Unbridled had closed out his 2-year-old season with a victory in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile and prepped for the 1 1/16-mile race with a sprint tune-up three weeks earlier at the Hallandale Beach, Fla. track.
Watching Constitution Hill at Cheltenham would have been as tense as tuning in to Netflix climber Alex Honnold… knowing one slip could be fatal, ending wonder horse’s jumps career is wise, writes DOMINIC KING
DOMINIC KING: News breaking 13 days before the Cheltenham Festival that its headline act will not be running would, usually, lead to dismay. This time, it must be greeted with relief.
