Getting Ready For The Weekend With A Preview Of The Games

For most casual fans, horse racing begins and ends with the Triple Crown races. The first jewel is the Kentucky Derby, and the 145th running of this prestigious event at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky, takes place Saturday.

Post time is 6:50 p.m. ET and NBC will show the race (live and then in replay). The top three contenders are all trained by Bob Baffert, with Game Winner (9-2 odds), Improbable (5-1) and Roadster (5-1). The original favorite, Omaha Beach, was scratched.

The race covers 1 ¼ miles. The record is 1:59 2/5, set by Secretariat in 1973. Hence the nickname “the fastest two minutes in sports.”

The Preakness Stakes follows the Derby in two weeks, with the Belmont Stakes on Saturday, June 8.

The NBA playoffs continue to heat up and go on considerably longer than two minutes (more like 2 ½ months). The Golden State Warriors, with a 2-0 lead in the Western Conference semifinals, play the Rockets in Houston on Saturday night at 8:30 p.m. on ABC. The Milwaukee Bucks and Boston Celtics meet in Game 3 of their series on Friday night at 8 p.m. on ESPN. They’re tied at a game apiece.

On the ice, the Carolina Hurricanes can close out the New York Islanders at home on Friday night. They play at 7 p.m. on NBCSN. The Hurricanes previously eliminated the Washington Capitals, who were the defending Stanley Cup champions. Deposit your heiner in the recliner for this one, as the rabid fans in Raleigh, North Carolina make incredible noise in support of their team.

NASCAR takes its act to Dover, Delaware, for the Gander RV 400 on Sunday at 2 p.m. FS1 shows the race.

Golf fans can catch the third round of the Wells Fargo Championship on Saturday and the finale on Sunday, both at 3 p.m. on CBS.

 
 
Post By: Larry Weisman, a longtime sportswriter for USA TODAY, blogs for Twistity.com. Follow him on Twitter @MrLarryWeisman