The Sportsletter - Run for the Roses 🌹

BY JEFF YODER

MAY 5, 2023 |  SUBSCRIBE  |  REFER  |  WEB VIEW

Happy Friday 🙌

It’s a loaded sports weekend on the way with the 149th Kentucky Derby and UFC 288 on Saturday night. Horse racing isn’t our usual spotlight sport, but the Derby is too big to ignore. I’ll be making some homemade mint juleps as the ponies go for a ride.

Letter Rip!

KY DERBY

The 149th Run for the Roses 🌹

Photo: Horsephotos / Getty Images

Post Order, Odds & History for the 149th Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs

Summer’s arrival means racing season is upon us! And it’s not just cars on a track. The Triple Crown opens Saturday with the most iconic horse race in sports. The 149th Kentucky Derby ascends upon Churchill Downs for the fastest two minutes in sports. As always, the Run for the Roses is billed as a gambler’s paradise — not really our thing — but we’ll oblige. Whether you’re putting money on the ponies or simply enjoying the thrill-fest that ensues at the racetrack, here’s what you need to know.

Post Order & Odds

1. Hit Show (30-1)

2. Verifying (15-1)

3. Two Phil’s (12-1)

4. Confidence Game (20-1)

5. Tapit Trice (5-1)

6. Kingsbarns (12-1)

7. Reincarnate (50-1)

8. Mage (15-1)

9. Skinner (20-1)

11. Disarm (30-1)

12. Jace’s Road (50-1)

13. Sun Thunder (50-1)

14. Angel of Empire (8-1)

15. Forte (3-1)

16. Raise Cain (50-1)

17. Derma Sotogake (11-1)

18. Rocket Can (30-1)

19. Lord Miles (30-1)

20. Continuar (50-1)

Editor’s Note: No. 10 Practical Move Scratched From KY Derby

The Favorites

Three horses enter the 149th Run for the Roses head-and-shoulders above the competition. Forte is the consensus favorite at 3-1 with Tapit Trice (5-1) Angel of Empire (8-1) as secondary favorites. Keep in mind: All three horses opened at 5-1 or 6-1 odds.

The History

Secretariat still owns the fastest derby time ever recorded at 1:59.4 seconds. No horse has touched his record in the past half-century. Only four horses since Secretariat (1973) have won the Triple Crown (Kentucky Derby, Preakness Stakes & Belmont Stakes).

Triple Crown Winners Since 1973

1977: Seattle Slew

1978: Affirmed

2015: American Pharaoh

2018: Justify

The Weather

The Kentucky Derby has been run on a wet and muddy track each of the past few years, producing slower times and an unfortunate experience for fans and horses alike. Tomorrow’s weather forecast in Louisville calls for 73 degrees with just a 24 percent chance of rain.

Bring out the straw hats and mint juleps. It’s time for the 149th Run for the Roses.

Additional Storylines

SI: 50 Years Later, Secretariat’s Triple Crown Run Still Seems Unbeatable

CBS Sports: Why Hats, Flashy Headwear Are Synonymous with the Run for the Roses

B/R: Cyclone Mischief Replaces Practical Move After Scratch in KY Derby

NBA PLAYOFFS

The Klay Game

Photo: Wally Skalij / Getty Images

Klay Thompson (30 Points, Eight 3s) Joins NBA's Top Playoff Performances in Warriors’ Blowout Against Lakers (127-100)

The champs aren’t going down without a fight. After dropping Game 1 at home, the Warriors fired back to blow out the Lakers in Game 2 by 27. Klay Thompson had the hot hand in Game 2, filling up 30 points on eight 3s (8-for-11) to lead the way with the Lakers keying on Steph Curry (20 points, 12 assists). Golden State crushed L.A. by 18 in the 2nd quarter and 19 in the 3rd quarter before going to cruise control. It was Anthony Davis who had the hot hand in Game 1, but he was held to just 11 points on Thursday. Whoever has the hot hand seems to take over any given night in these playoffs, so we’re looking at the best performances so far in Rounds 1 and 2.

Gm 2: Warriors def. Lakers (127-100) | Series Tied (1-1)

Best 2023 Playoff Performances (Remaining Teams)

Western Conference

Warriors: Stephen Curry — 50 pts (seven 3s) (Rd 1, Gm 7)

Warriors: Klay Thompson — 30 pts (eght 3s) (Rd 2, Gm 2)

Lakers: Anthony Davis — 30 pts, 23 rebs (Rd 2, Gm 1)

Nuggets: Nikola Jokic — 43 pts, 11 rebs, 6 asts (Rd 1, Gm 4)

Nuggets: Jamal Murray — 40 pts (six 3s), 5 asts (Rd 1, Gm 2)

Nuggets: Nikola Jokic — 39 pts, 16 rebs, 5 asts (Rd 2, Gm 2)

Suns: Devin Booker — 45 pts, 6 rebs, 3 asts (Rd 1, Gm 3)

Suns: Devin Booker — 47 pts, 8 rebs, 10 asts  (Rd 1, Gm 5)

Suns: Kevin Durant — 31 pts, 11 rebs, 6 asts (Rd 1, Gm 4)

Eastern Conference

76ers: James Harden — 45 pts (seven 3s) (Rd 2, Gm 1)

Celtics: Jayson Tatum — 39 pts, 11 rebs, 5 asts (Rd 2, Gm 1)

Celtics: Jaylen Brown — 35 pts, 7 rebs, 5 asts (Rd 1, Gm 5)

Heat: Jimmy Butler — 56 pts, 9 rebs (Rd 1, Gm 4)

Heat: Jimmy Butler — 42 pts, 8 rebs (Rd 1, Gm 5)

Knicks: Jalen Brunson — 30 pts, 5 rebs (Rd 2, Gm 2)

5 Eye-Popping Postseason Stats

Jaylen Brown’s 3-Point Shooting: 23-for-43, 3pt (53.5%)

LeBron James’s 3-Point Shooting: 9-for-49, 3pt (18.4%)

Nikola Jokic’s Averages: 27.7 ppg, 13.8 rpg, 7.8 apg

Jimmy Butler’s Scoring Frenzy: 35.5 ppg (leads all playoffs)

Anthony Davis’s Ups & Downs: 30-Plus Points (3x), 13 Points or Less (3x)

Additional Storylines

CBS Sports: Warriors Even Series With Lakers Behind Klay’s 30

B/R: Lakers Can’t Afford Anymore Off-Nights From Anthony Davis

SI: Bucks Fire Head Coach Mike Budenholzer After Playoff Collapse

SPORTSLETTER SPECIAL

The Biggest Playoff Flameouts

Image via Joe Stella / Media Mobilize

Regular Season Stars to Postseason Problems (By Marissa Kasch)

We all know the story. A team shatters records during the regular season and looks untouchable. Yet, somehow, their regular season prowess can’t translate to the postseason when they need it most. 

Just this year, we saw this familiar phenomenon with the Boston Bruins. The Bruins broke the record for most points during the regular season (135). Boston also broke the record for regular season wins with 65, surpassing the 1995-96 Detroit Red Wings (62-13-7) and the 2018-19 Tampa Bay Lightning (62-16-4). Neither the Red Wings nor the Lightning won the Stanley Cup in their respective record-setting seasons. In fact, neither team even made it to the Stanley Cup Finals. This season, the Bruins had a chance to change that narrative by finishing the job — but they fell short. Like the Lightning, the Bruins lost in the first round. 

2023 NBA & NHL Playoffs

Boston Bruins (No. 1 Overall Seed) — 1st-Round Exit

Milwaukee Bucks (No. 1 Overall Seed) — 1st-Round Exit

So what’s behind some of the biggest flameouts in sports?

Read Full Story (TheSportsletter.com)

🎥 THE HIGHLIGHTS

🏒 NHL Playoffs

Gm 2: Panthers def. Maple Leafs (3-2) | FLA Leads (2-0)

Gm 2: Stars def. Kraken (4-2) | Series Tied (1-1)

⚾️ MLB

Verlander Ks 5 in Mets Debut

National’s Alex Call Hits Solo Walk-Off HR

Red Sox Complete Series Sweep of Blue Jays

Rays (26-6) 1st Team Since ’84 20 Games Over .500 After 32

⚽️ EPL

Brighton Beat Man. United (1-0) in Stoppage-Time Stunner

⛳️ PGA

Tommy Fleetwood Leads Wells Fargo After Round 1

📰 THE HEADLINES

• Bucks Fire Head Coach Mike Budenholzer After Playoff Collapse (SI)

• Giants & DT Dexter Lawrence Agree to 4-Year, $90 Million Extension (B/R)

• Michigan’s Hunter Dickinson, Top Player in NCAAB Transfer Portal, Picks Kansas (CBS Sports)
• Alabama Fires Head Baseball Coach Brad Bohannon After Gambling Scandal (USA Today)
• ESPN’s P.K. Subban in Hot Water for Lizzo Joke After Leafs-Panthers Game (Yahoo! Sports)
• Patrick Beverly & Russell Westbrook Want Rings if Lakers Win Title (B/R)
• NFL Under Investigation for Harassment, Workplace Discrimination (SI)

🗓️ WEEKEND SCHEDULE

The Must-Watch List

It’s derby weekend! Let the mint juleps and flamboyant hats ascend on Churchill Downs. The fastest two minutes in sports is the marquee event on Saturday night, but it’s surrounded by playoffs, baseball, soccer and a UFC clash for the bantamweight title. Here’s what we’re watching this weekend.

The 149th Kentucky Derby

Churchill Downs (Saturday, 6:57 pm, NBC)

NBA Playoffs

Gm 3: Celtics at 76ers (Fri. 7:30 pm, ESPN)

Gm 3: Nuggets at Suns (Fri. 10:00 pm, ESPN)

Gm 3: Knicks at Heat (Sat. 3:30 pm, ABC)

Gm 3: Warriors at Lakers (Sat. 8:30 pm, ABC)

Gm 4: Celtics at 76ers (Sun. 3:30 pm, ESPN)

Gm 4: Nuggets at Suns (Sun. 8:00 pm, TNT)

NHL Playoffs

Gm 2: Devils at Hurricanes (Fri. 8:00 pm, TNT)

Gm 2: Oilers at Golden Knights (Sat. 7:00 pm, TNT)

Gm 3: Hurricanes at Devils (Sun. 3:30 pm, TBS)

Gm 3: Maple Leafs at Panthers (Sun. 6:30 pm, TBS)

Gm 3: Stars at Kraken (Sun. 9:30 pm, TBS)

MLB

Yankees-Rays Series

Dodgers-Padres Series

Astros-Mariners Series

Full MLB Weekend Schedule

Soccer

Copa del Rey Final: Real Madrid vs. Osasuna (Sat. 4:00 pm)

Premier League: Arsenal vs. Newcastle (Sun. 11:30 am)

MLS Weekend Schedule

NWSL Weekend Schedule

UFC 288 (Bantamweight Title)

H. Cejudo vs. A. Sterling (Sat. 10:00 pm, PPV)

PGA Tour

Wells Fargo Championship @ Quail Hollow (All Weekend)

*All Times ET

📊 READER POLL

Results

Yesterday, we asked: Which Canadian NHL team has the best chance to end the country’s 30-year Stanley Cup drought? It was close, but the Leafs get the edge.

Toronto Maple Leafs — 52%

Edmonton Oilers — 48%

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Writer & Editor: Jeff Yoder

Product Manager: Matthew Cahill

Lead Designer: Joe Stella

Assistant Writer: Marissa Kasch

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