The 2026 summer meet at Del Mar yielded an impressive roster of 2-year-olds who loom as serious contenders for the 2025 Breeders’ Cup and 2026 Triple Crown.
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 2025 Saratoga Race Course summer meet wrapped up on Labor Day weekend. Throughout the meet, racing fans were treated to a bevy of exciting performances from lightly raced 2-year-olds with 2025 Breeders’ Cup and 2026 Triple Crown aspirations.
I’ve analyzed the results and ranked the top five juveniles of the meet:
Mid-September usually signals a turning point in the North American racing calendar, and that’s true this year as Churchill Downs and Belmont at the Big A (Aqueduct) both kick off early fall meets. The marquee races, however, will occur at Woodbine on Saturday, Sept.
It’s that time of the year again. The chase for the Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve officially begins Saturday with the $300,000 Iroquois Stakes at Churchill Downs, the first points race for the Triple Crown class of 2026.
