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.
Tag: Gambling
National Horseplayers Championship Preview: Best of the Best Convene This Week in Vegas
The NTRA’s National Horseplayers Championship [NHC] is ready to re-convene in Las Vegas for the 27th time with the finals set for Friday through Sunday, March 13-15. The NHC handicapping tournament is the culmination of a year-long series of contests that crowns the next Handicapper of the Year as honored at the 2026 Eclipse Awards.
ABR Sunday Selections: Full-Card Picks for March 8 at Oaklawn Park
Every Sunday Noel Michaels will provide free full-card picks for a one racecard in North America. A veteran handicapper and tournament-play pioneer, Michaels also writes a weekly “Weekend Winners” blog for America’s Best Racing with a focus on key stakes races at marquee tracks. This feature will be straight-forward: full-card picks for one Sunday slate of races of his choosing.
Get to Know Michele Ravencraft and Holly Short: The Engines That Drive the NHC
If you have ever participated in the National Horseplayers Championship (NHC) or the NHC Tour, two of the people you have undoubtedly, and unforgettably, come in contact with are Michele Ravencraft and Holly Short. Together, they are the top two operational administrators of the NTRA’s signature handicapping tournament responsible for annually awarding tournament players more than $3 million in purse money and the Eclipse Award for Handicapper of the Year.
