Archive for the 'Horse Racing' Category
Doc Rivers Head Coach 76ers, Preakness, Sam Darnold’s TD Scramble
BASKETBALL
The Philadelphia 76ers selected Doc Rivers as their new coach. He has 90 plus wins in his career joining only Phil Jackson, Pat Riley, Gregg Popovich, Larry Brown, Red Auerbach, and Jerry Sloan. Rivers has spent the last seven seasons with the Los Angeles Clippers but parted ways after the Clippers lost in the second round of the playoffs.
HORSE RACING
The Preakness (normally the second leg of the Triple Crown) will take place on Saturday as the final leg of the Series. Authentic, who beat Tiz the Law two weeks ago at the Kentucky Derby, is the favorite. Tiz the Law will not be running, but for the first time since 2014, a filly (Swiss Skydiver) will be competing.
FOOTBALL
Having two 0-3 teams play on Thursday night did not generate much excitement. The NY Jets/Denver Broncos matchup was mostly uneventful with the Broncos pulling ahead 37-28. The only really exciting play featured Jets quarterback Sam Darnold scrambling for a 46-yard touchdown.
Number one seed Novak Djokovic was widely expected to win the U.S. Open, but an unfortunate event this weekend disqualified him from the tournament. In his fourth-round match against Number 20th seed Pablo Carreño Busta, Djokovic unintentionally hit a lineswoman in the throat with a ball. He immediately rushed to the back of the court to check on her, but the rules of conduct in tennis are explicit, and he had to default the match.Kentucky Derby Saturday, Tiz The Law Favorite, Ja Morant Rookie Of Year, Nash Head Coach Nets
HORSE RACING
The 146th running of the Kentucky Derby is Saturday night at 7:01 pm ET. The winner of the Belmont Stakes in June, Tiz the Law, is the odds on favorite in the “Run for the Roses”. The Derby, also known as the most exciting two minutes in sports, is normally the third and final leg of the Triple Crown series, but during this pandemic, the schedule was rearranged. This year the Triple Crown series began with the Belmont Stakes followed by the Derby and ending with the Preakness Stakes on October 3rd. Tiz the Law drew the 17th starting post and, while no horse has ever won the Derby from that position, Tiz the Law is a fighter, like one of his owners my friend Roger Sofer, so I’m not expecting an unfortunate post position to hold him back. Good luck to Roger Sofer and Tiz the Law!
BASKETBALL
In the NBA, Ja Morant won Rookie of the Year. He collected 99 out of a possible 100 first-place votes. Kendrick Nunn took second place in the voting, and Zion Williamson came in third.
Former Hall of Fame guard Steve Nash was named the next head coach of the Brooklyn Nets. Nash played 18 seasons in the NBA and accrued multiple MVP titles.
Morikawa Wins PGA Championship, MAC Cancels Fall, Laureano & Plesac Violate Protocols, NHL Quarterfinals, Tiz The Law Wins Travers
GOLF
Twenty-three-year-old Collin Morikawa finished 13-under par to win the US PGA Championship. Having turned pro 14 months ago, the championship was only Morikawa’s second major and 28th tournament. Morikawa joins Tiger Woods, Rory McIlroy, and Jack Nicklaus as the only 23-year old winners of the PGA Championship.
FOOTBALL
The Mid-Atlantic Conference (MAC) officially canceled its 2020 college football season and all other fall sports. Many are now wondering when the other Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) conferences will follow suit.
BASEBALL
Major League Baseball specifically outlined in their COVID-19Â protocols that any players breaking social distancing guidelines in order to engage or fight with another player or team would be severely punished. It’s no surprise then that Oakland Athletics Ramon Laureano, who charged the Houston Astros’ dugout sparking a bench-clearing altercation, will face discipline. Astros hitting coach Alex Cintron, who was seen egging Laureano on, could face disciplinary action as well.
Cleveland Indians Zach Plesac violated protocol as well when he went out with friends in Chicago after the Indians beat the White Sox on Saturday. Plesac was sent back to Cleveland and will be quarantined for 72 hours and tested daily for COVID-19.
HOCKEY
The quarterfinals of the 2020 Stanley Cup Playoffs are set with 16 teams remaining.
HORSE RACING
Tiz the Law ran away from the competition in an exciting 5 1/2 length victory at Saratoga Race Course on Saturday. Manny Franco guided Tiz the Law through a perfect race and a career-best 109 Beyer Speed Figure. It’s now on to the Kentucky Derby September 5th for this special horse.
Travers Stakes, Deadline For NFL Opt-Out, 56 Players Positive, Clemson Ranks #1, Ohio State #2, Wine In NBA Bubble, NHL Weekend Games
HORSE RACING
The Travers Stakes takes place on Saturday. The $1 million race is one of the most prestigious in North America. Traditionally the Travers (known as the “Mid-Summer Derby”) is run a few months after the Triple Crown series where the elite 3-year olds have already experienced the grueling 1 1/4 distance of the Kentucky Derby. Now that the Derby has been postponed to September 5th, the horses will be testing their limits at the 1 1/4 distance for the first time. Eight horses will compete on Saturday, with Belmont Stakes winner Tiz the Law as the even-money favorite.
FOOTBALL
The deadline for NFL players to opt-out of the season if they are concerned about health risks due to COVID-19 has passed. Players who are high-risk and who opt-out will receive a $350,000 stipend, while those who are at a lesser risk and opt-out will receive a $150,000 salary advance. Players can opt-out later in the year as well if a family member becomes sick. For a list of the players who will not be part of the NFL 2020 season, click here.
In related news, the NFL Players Association announced 56 players have tested positive for COVID-19 since the opening of training camp.
It’s still unclear what will happen with college football this season, but that didn’t stop the excitement of seeing the release of the preseason coaches poll. Clemson took the top spot, followed by Ohio State, Alabama, Georgia, and then LSU rounding out the top 5.
BASKETBALL
In the NBA bubble, wine deliveries and wine consumption have skyrocketed. Players have either purchased wine refrigerators for their rooms or, in the case of Portland Trail Blazer CJ McCollum, have transformed their room into a wine fridge. McCollum keeps his room at 60 degrees when he’s inside and around mid-to-high 50’s when he leaves so as to properly store his 84 bottles of mostly pinot noir from Oregon.
HOCKEY
By Sunday night, the 16-team NHL playoff field will be set. For a list of the weekend games, click here.
Tiz the Law Wins Belmont, Horrific Racist Incident At Talladega
HORSE RACING
Tiz the Law ran away from the competition in a decisive win at the Belmont Stakes on Saturday. Tiz the Law, the fourth New York-bred horse to win the Belmont, was the heavy favorite having won four of his first five races. Roger Sofer, a part-owner of Tiz the Law, described the race saying, “It was great. Our (horse) just looked clear as can be. And once we got in the gate I was just hoping that we got out strong. … When we were sitting third or fourth I just kept saying, ‘I love where we are.’ ” Next up in this non-traditional Triple Crown series is the Kentucky Derby on September 5th and the Preakness Stakes on October 3rd.
NASCAR
Wallace, NASCAR’s only black driver, also issued a statement saying, “Today’s despicable act of racism and hatred leaves me incredibly saddened and serves as a painful reminder of how much further we have to go as a society. … As my mother told me today, ‘They are just trying to scare you.’ This will not break me, I will not give in nor will I back down. I will continue to proudly stand for what I believe in.”
NCAA Football Approved, MLB’s Latest Proposals, Belmont Stakes Saturday, NBA Honors Juneteenth
FOOTBALL
The NCAA approved a schedule to start the 2020 season on time. The six-week calendar will begin in mid-July, and teams will be required to practice for four weeks before playing their first game.
BASEBALL
MLB owners submitted another proposal attempting to start the season on July 19th or 20th and allowing for a 60-game season and a 16-game postseason. The players countered with their own proposal for a 70-game season with prorated salaries based on the number of games played (including $50 million in playoff bonuses). It’s important to note that in the 60-game scenario, the Washington Nationals (World Series champions last year) would not have made the playoffs last season.
HORSE RACING
The Triple Crown series begins on Saturday with the Belmont Stakes. The Belmont is typically the third leg of the Triple Crown (with the Kentucky Derby and the Preakness legs one and two), but with COVID-19 precautions, the Derby will be run on September 5th and the Preakness on October 3rd. The Belmont is the longest of the races, but for the horses not used to running such long distances at the start of the season, they will now run 1 1/8 miles instead of 1 1/2 miles. Tune in at 5:42 pm ET, broadcast on NBC.
BASKETBALL
For the first time in league history, the NBA has given employees paid time off for Juneteenth. The NBA said it wanted to give employees a chance to reflect on black history and racial injustice.
Bull Riding With Fans, Belmont Stakes On June 20th, Women’s Sports Network, NCAA Academic Progress Report
BULL RIDING
Bull riding will be the first pro sports event with live crowds. The tournament in Sioux Falls, S.D. will be held July 10th-12th.
HORSE RACING
The Belmont Stakes will be held on June 20th (without fans) and will be reconfigured as the first leg (normally it’s the third and final leg) of the Triple Crown series. The Kentucky Derby has been rescheduled for September 5th and the Preakness Stakes on October 3rd. The Belmont (at 1.5 miles) has always been the tough finale to a six-week stretch which begins with the Derby. The 2020 Belmont is now slated to be 1 1/8 miles for the first time in its 152-year history which won’t be as big of a test of endurance as it’s been in years past.
WOMEN’S SPORTS NETWORK
Athletes Unlimited is launching a new network of sports leagues to try and reinvent women’s sports. The company, founded by Jon Patricof (former President of NYCFC and Tribeca Enterprises) and Jonathan Soros (son of billionaire George Soros), plan to launch three women’s leagues over the next three years. They will start with softball, debuting in August, and then launch volleyball for a debut in February 2021. The idea is to make the athletes more popular than the teams. Teams won’t have a city affiliation, and players will change teams on a weekly basis (accumulating points by wins and individual performances).
NCAA
The NCAA’s Academic Progress Rate (APR) report measures the academic performance of a sports team over a span of four years and measures graduation rates. The recently released report of men’s Division- I sports listed golf, ice hockey, and lacrosse with the highest APR’s, while FBS (football bowl subdivision) football, basketball, and FCS (football championship subdivision) football ranked the lowest. In women’s D-1 sports, gymnastics, lacrosse, and swimming ranked highest, while softball, track and field, and basketball ranked the lowest.
Tokyo Olympics Rescheduled To July 2021, Tiz The Law Wins Florida Derby Qualifies For Kentucky Derby
OLYMPICS
HORSE RACING
Tiz the Law easily won the Florida Derby on Saturday getting enough points to qualify for a spot in the Kentucky Derby. The race at Gulfstream Park took place without any spectators or owners present. The Kentucky Derby would normally run in five weeks but has been rescheduled to September 5th. The practice continues, the racecourse is still open and from here you can still see this! The race was particularly meaningful for us as my good friend Roger Sofer is one of the 32 owners of the horse. Sofer was diagnosed with Leukemia just four days before the Florida Derby, and this will be his first time in 18 years in the horse racing business he’ll have a horse at Churchill Downs. Sofer told Fox26, “I came up with an F-bomb. FU cancer, I’m gonna beat you too. It was very emotional. Started crying. Then everybody started calling. It was a big lift for me (Saturday).†We love you Roger and know you’ll beat this and win the Run for the Roses!
Tom Brady Will Leave Patriots, Texans Trade Hopkins, Vikings Trade Diggs, MLB Delayed, Derby Postponed
FOOTBALL
Tom Brady announced on Twitter he will be leaving the Patriots. In a post named “Forever a Patriot”, the six-time Super Bowl champion announced he will become an unrestricted free for the first time in his career.
“To all my teammates, coaches, executives and staff, Coach Belichick, RKK and the Kraft family and the entire organization. I want to say thank you for the past twenty years of my life and the daily commitment to winning and creating a winning club built on great values. I am grateful for all that you have taught me- I have learned from everyone. You all have allowed me to maximize my potential and that is all a player can hope for, Everything we have accomplished brings me great joy and the lessons I have learned will carry on with me forever. I couldn’t be the man I am today without the relationships you have allowed me to build with you. I have benefited from all you have given me. I cherish every opportunity I had to be a part of our team, and I love you all for it. Our team has always set a great standard in pro sports and I know it will continue to do just that. Although my football journey will take place elsewhere, I appreciated everything that we have achieved and am grateful for our incredible TEAM accomplishments. I have been privileged to have had the opportunity to know each and every one of you, and to have the memories we’ve created together.â€
In other NFL trade news (and a head-scratcher for most analysts and fans), the Houston Texans announced they will trade one of the best receivers in the league, DeAndre Hopkins, to the Arizona Cardinals for running back David Johnson and a 2020 2nd-round pick and a 2021 4th-round pick.
The Minnesota Vikings announced they will trade Stefon Diggs to the Buffalo Bills for a 2020 1st-round, 5th round, and 6th round pick as well as a 2021 4th-round pick.
BASEBALL
Major League Baseball delayed the start of their regular season until at least mid-May due to the CDC’s recommendation to cancel or postpone all events involving more than 50 people over the next eight weeks.
HORSE RACING
The Kentucky Derby will be pushed back to September 5th.
