The Churchill Downs spring-summer meet is upon us, with the opening card set for Saturday night, April 29. When that “Downs After Dark” card kicks off, Churchill Downs will immediately become one of horse racing’s top simulcast signals of the season. Churchill’s live racing will be conducted mainly on a four-day-a-week schedule, Thursdays through Sundays, through July 3.
Time flies when you’re having fun. The Road to the Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve is complete and the Grade 1, 1 ¼-mile race itself is less than two weeks away, which means it’s time for handicappers to buckle down and start planning which horses they intend to bet.
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.
The $350,000, Grade 2 Elkhorn Stakes Saturday at Keeneland brings together a field of 10 horses which for the most part specialize in turf “marathons” of a mile and a half or thereabouts.
