Welcome to Noel Michaels’ Weekend Winners, the place to go for weekend greatest bets and spot performs from veteran handicapper and tournament-play pioneer Noel Michaels. Verify again each week for a few highlighted picks designed that can assist you money a number of bets and make some cash. Noel’s picks have been featured nearly in every single place horse racing picks could be discovered, together with in print within the Day by day Racing Kind, The HorsePlayer Journal and American Turf Month-to-month, on-line at DRF.com, Twinspires.com and USRacing.com, from the paddock on-track at Arlington Worldwide Racecourse, and on the air on HRTV, TVG, NYC OTB Further, NYRA’s Speaking Horses, and on broadcast TV on WAVE-3 Louisville, ABC KOLO-8 in Reno, Nevada, and channel 72 Lengthy Island Cablevision.
Six Newbie Betting Instruments
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We’ve reached the ultimate weekend of 2025 and hopefully you’ve had an ideal yr. We’ve one final Saturday of racing and wagering left, so let’s make some more cash and exit with a bang. This column had success at Truthful Grounds final week so let’s return to the Large Simple as soon as once more for this weekend’s winners. Truthful Grounds will host a pair of turf stakes races on its Saturday card, in order that’s the place we’ll focus our consideration. Good luck this Saturday, and all the very best to you in 2026!
Saturday, Dec. 27
Truthful Grounds, Race 5, $100,000 Woodchopper Stakes, publish time 3:45 p.m. ET
The Woodchopper is a $100,000 stakes race for 3-year-olds that has drawn a area of seven set to race 1 1/16 miles on the grass. Primarily based on excellent morning-line odds of 8-1, I’m keen to present one remaining likelihood to #5 Flying Mohawk on this affordable spot regardless of his flop final time within the Grade 3 Commonwealth Turf Stakes at Churchill Downs. Maybe he wanted that race, which was his first outing again from a six-month layoff since final being seen within the Kentucky Derby Introduced by Woodford Reserve. The actual fact is that Flying Mohawk confirmed sufficient skill in different races earlier this yr together with a second within the Grade 2 Jeff Ruby Steaks, and a win on turf at this course and distance in a high-priced allowance non-obligatory claiming race again in January provides him hope for a optimistic turnaround. On paper, this race suffers from a severe lack of tempo and that presents tactical alternatives within the race for coach Michael Stidham who has two horses entered, #3 Juris Physician and #6 Montador. Whereas neither of these horses are true frontrunners, each could have sufficient tactical pace to be requested to carve out the fractions on this race, if vital, whereas the opposite stalks comfortably behind. It must be famous that Montador gained with that form of a visit two races in the past in a Churchill Downs allowance race, and Juris Physician gained his maiden race two races in the past in a paceless turf occasion at Laurel Park.
The Play: Wager on #5 Flying Mohawk (8-1) to win and play him in exacta and trifecta packing containers together with #3 Juris Physician (3-1) and #6 Montador (2-1).
Truthful Grounds, Race 9, $100,000 Pago Hop Stakes, publish time 5:45 p.m. ET
A strong area of 9 3-year-old fillies has been assembled for the $100,000 Pago Hop Stakes going 1 1/16 miles on the turf as Saturday’s featured race at Truthful Grounds. The horse within the race with probably the most upside is #9 Bracelet skilled by Brad Cox, who has run properly in each latest outings since being switched to the grass. Bracelet gained her turf debut at this distance at Keeneland off a seven-month layoff two races in the past after which Cox tried her within the Grade 2 Mrs. Revere Stakes at Churchill Downs final time when she was not embarrassed in a fourth-place end by a margin of just one ¼ lengths behind the likes of one of many high 3-year-old fillies within the division, Lush Lips. She comes into this race with good type, robust pace figures, and a helpful up-close stalking working type. She shall be very powerful to beat. In contrast to within the Woodchopper Stakes earlier within the card, there appears to be an overabundance of tempo entered on this race. That ought to current a chance for a longshot nearer like #3 Cheetah Girl to make a dent and rise up for a spot within the cash at a worth. There are some issues to love about Cheetah Girl on this race anyway. She gained an allowance race this summer time at Kentucky Downs and she or he exits a strong win at this course and distance in her final race. Lastly, don’t overlook #6 Unmerited Favor on this race with Jose Ortiz aboard. She completed fifth final time in an exceptionally powerful spot towards Fionn and Laurelin in Aqueduct’s Grade 3 Jockey Membership Oaks however had gained two turf races from off the tempo earlier than that at Kentucky Downs and Keeneland.
The Play: Wager on #9 Bracelet (3-1) to win and play her in exacta and trifecta packing containers together with #3 Cheetah Girl (8-1), and #6 Unmerited Favor (6-1).
