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. Read More ..read more

Attending the Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve this year for the milestone 150th edition of the race? Congratulations! You’re one of the lucky few (thousands), but for those of us not attending this year’s running at Churchill Downs — this writer included — there is still plenty at stake and many avenues to pursue. Read More ..read more

The Kentucky Oaks began as a companion to the Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve, much as the English Oaks at Epsom serves as the female version of the prestigious Derby. Read More ..read more

BloodHorse news editor Byron King presents his Derby Dozen with a look at his leading contenders for the Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve on May 4. Read More ..read more

To be human is to know both love and loss. Experiencing the highs and lows of life is both a universal and individual pursuit, inhabiting common ground between strangers and also being a singular journey that each of us must discover our own way through. Finding our way through loss, when we may feel least like ourselves, requires us to seek and hold on to the things that lighten a heavy heart. Read More ..read more

Each week, members of the national media vote on the nation's top contenders on the Triple Crown trail in the National Thoroughbred Racing Association (NTRA) Top Thoroughbred Poll. Week 12 of the 2024 Top 3-Year-Old Thoroughbred Poll conducted by the NTRA covers racing performances through April 14, 2024. The 3-year-old poll represents horses competing up to and through the Triple Crown. Rankings are based on a 10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-1 voting system. First place votes are in parentheses. Read More ..read more

The first time Marisa Isbell rode Jonny Be Bueno at Redwings Horse Sanctuary in Paso Robles, Calif., she could feel that he was a special horse. Even from the walk, she could tell that he was attempting to communicate with her and understand her with every leg aid that she applied. Jonny seemed eager to converse with Marisa through the only way they could: body language. He was an incredibly sensitive horse, so he always responded right away, eager to figure out what Marisa asked. Read More ..read more

After months of action on the Road to the Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve, all the prep races have been contested and the field is more or less set for the 150th running of the Derby May 4 at Churchill Downs. Read More ..read more

The 150th Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve is now less than three weeks away, and all qualifying prep races have concluded. Read More ..read more

The $350,000, Grade 2 VisitLEX Elkhorn Stakes Saturday at Keeneland drew a strong field, with five of the entrants boasting stakes wins in similar races. The Elkhorn is run at the marathon distance of 1 ½ miles on Keeneland’s turf course. Read More ..read more