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
-
Oklahoma and Texas will depart from the college sports conference at the end of the season. The Big 12...
-
Robert Kraft wants to re-sign Brady just long enough that he can retire as a Patriot. Earlier this week,...
-
The skilled third-baseman will be enshrined in Cooperstown. Scott Rolen is one of the most skilled and recognized third-basemen...
-
Brady’s 23rd football season has ended. On Monday, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the Dallas Cowboys went head-to-head for...
-
Smith has been fired after one season with the team. Over the weekend, the owners of the Houston Texans...
-
Pelé passed due to complications related to colon cancer. On Thursday night, the sporting world received unfortunate news: Pelé,...
-
His return heralded a victory over the Phoenix Suns. On Sunday, Houston Rockets coach Stephen Silas needed to take...
-
Mayfield will be available on waiver to other NFL teams. After an underwhelming performance in his current role as...
-
Mike White led the team to a decisive victory over the Bears over the weekend. On Saturday, the New...
-
The game has been moved out of New York due to an encroaching snowstorm. This weekend, the Buffalo Bills...
-
Negative pushback prompted the team to give the role to someone else. Recently, the Brooklyn Nets have been in...
-
The Bears got Claypool in exchange for a 2023 second-round pick. This week, the Pittsburgh Steelers cut a deal...