#The Grey Wizard

Rich Strike, seen posing the morning after his Kentucky Derby win, returns in Saturday's Grade I Clark Stakes with a chance to stake a claim for year-end honors. Photo courtesy of Churchill Downs Nov. 25 (UPI) -- It's getting to be crunch time for horses who seek year-end honors, and this weekend's Clark Stakes at Churchill Downs provides one of…

There are less than seven days to go until this year's Melbourne Cup, which will be run in the early hours of Tuesday morning at Flemington. But plans for next year's race that stops the nation started coming together at Tattersalls on Wednesday as day three of the Autumn Horses in Training Sale was topped by Fancy Man at 675000gns. The classy…

By mere coincidence, both the New York Racing Association and Churchill Downs kicked off their fall meets on Thursday. Also by mere coincidence, the first race at both was won by an Irish jockey. Declan Cannon brought in Laurence McGrath's Hornbeam for trainer Andrew McKeever at Churchill. He rallied the Juddmonte castoff, a 3-year-old gelding, to…

Nations Pride and Classic Causeway will face off once again in Saturday's Caesars Jockey Club Derby (G3) at Aqueduct closing out the Caesars Turf Triple. Classic Causeway got away easy in the Belmont Derby, but Nations Pride evened the score by winning the G1 Saratoga Derby. While the Jockey Club Derby's longer, mile-and-a-half distance could…

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. Noel's selections have been featured just about everywhere horse…