Kentucky
Kentucky Derby preview: Picks for Saturday as well as the sport’s future – WTOP News
While the 152nd running of the Kentucky Derby kicks off horse racing’s Triple Crown on Saturday, next month’s Preakness will be special for multiple reasons.
While the 152nd running of the Kentucky Derby kicks off horse racing’s Triple Crown on Saturday, this month’s Preakness Stakes will be special for multiple reasons.
First, the race will be held at Laurel Park due to Pimlico Race Course renovations. Second, this might be the last time the Preakness will be held on the third Saturday of May.
Sports Business Journal reported April 13 that the race could be moved back one week to allow for horses to recover fully from their Derby run, something that kept Sovereignty out of the Preakness last May and thus eliminating any Triple Crown talk before it even had a chance to begin.
The current format of three races in five weeks has been in place for over half a century.
“Basically etched in stone in 1969, and that was in an era when horses would run every two weeks with no issue,” said Barry Abrams, host of “The Far Turn” on the EQUUS TV Network. “But that’s not how it’s done any more. More time between races is absolutely what every trainer wants, and two weeks from the Derby to the Preakness is an anachronism. And the next media rights-holder is going to put an end to that.”
NBC has broadcast the race since 2002 and its contract ends this year. The network (which also airs the Derby) is still in the mix, as is FOX (which broadcasts the Belmont Stakes). But don’t discount ABC/ESPN, the network that aired the Preakness from 1977 to 2001.
The date isn’t the only wind of change surrounding the Preakness. Churchill Downs Incorporated said it has entered into an agreement to acquire the intellectual property for the Preakness Stakes and Black-Eyed Susan Stakes. Churchill Downs Incorporated previously purchased Calder Race Course in Miami and Arlington International Racecourse in Illinois before shuttering both tracks.
Abrams told WTOP not to expect anything in the near future, but he wouldn’t be surprised if 20 years from now the Preakness is moved to a track Churchill Downs owns in, say, Richmond, Virginia.
But let’s refocus on this year’s races.
Renegade is the favorite this year at 5-1 odds (as of Thursday morning), but they’ll be starting from the No. 1 post position — a spot that hasn’t yielded a Derby winner since Ferdinand in 1986.
“It’s obviously not good. When you have a field of 20, which is the only race in North America that has a field that large, when you go from the rail, you really run the risk of being boxed in by the field up against the fence,” Abrams said. “If anybody can figure out a way to work a trip out for him it’s Irad Ortiz Jr., but he’s got to balance between using enough energy to make sure he doesn’t get swarmed but saving enough energy for the end of the race.”
Legendary trainer Bob Baffert has seen six of his horses take the Derby, including Triple Crown winners American Pharaoh in 2015 and Justify in 2018. This year he has two, and Potente has drawn significant attention at around 26-1 odds.
“I think this horse has a real chance to win. His numbers have gotten better every time, he’s won after being up near the early lead and he’s won while being not near the early lead,” Abrams said. “The problem is because he’s going from the 14 in so much traffic, he just may not get the right trip. He may get bounced around.”
Also getting Barry’s eye are the horses starting from the No. 8 and 9 posts, So Happy (6-1) and The Puma (7-1).
“The Puma has danced a lot of dances and is very consistent,” Abrams said. “He won the Tampa Bay Derby and was competitive in his other starts in Florida against really good horses like Commandment.”
Meanwhile, So Happy gives hope to those who subscribe to the “bounce” pattern of a thoroughbred.
“This horse won the Santa Anita Derby going away, while the race before that, he didn’t run well. And two starts before, he did,” Abrams said. “Has he gotten that bounce out of the way and therefore is sitting on a big race?”
Regardless of which horse finishes first, the winning pick remains a straw boater hat, madras jacket, white pants and blue Sperry shoes for men, and a fascinator for the women — plus plenty of sunscreen.
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BOWLING GREEN, Ky. (WBKO) – Cub Express Auto Wash will officially open its newest Kentucky location next week.
Located at 2270 Scottsville Rd. in Bowling Green, a ribbon cutting ceremony will be held on Tuesday, July 7, at 11 a.m. It will kick off five days of free car washes for the community.
The Five Days of Free will run from Tuesday, July 7, through Saturday, July 11. Each guest will receive the Ultimate wash, Cub Express’s top-tier wash experience. at no charge.
The public is invited to attend the ribbon cutting on-site at 11:00 a.m. to celebrate the opening alongside the Cub Express team.
Claim Your Free Ultimate Wash
Copyright 2026 WBKO. All rights reserved.
Mark Pope had a real surprise on his 2025-26 roster as true freshman center Malachi Moreno exceeded expectations, stepping into a starting role. Big Blue Nation didn’t expect Moreno to see the floor much once Jayden Quaintance was back on the floor, but JQ never got healthy, and Moreno took over for Brandon Garrison immediately. The freshman seven-footer averaged 7.8 points, 6.3 rebounds, 1.8 assists, and 1.5 blocks per game.
This season, many expect a massive leap for Moreno as he could take over as one of the more dominant centers in the SEC. While his name was in the NBA Draft, the stock rose quickly for Moreno, and this gives fans and the staff a ton of confidence that he is going to break out this season.
Another person who believes Moreno is going to break out this season is Jon Rothstein. He made a list of his five top breakout candidates in SEC basketball this season, and Moreno was on this list, joined by Florida’s Isaiah Brown, Alabama’s London Jemison, Tennessee’s Dewayne Brown, and lastly Patton Pinkins from Ole Miss.
I believe Moreno is going to boost his stats from year one to year two in an absolutely massive way. I predict Moreno to score in the ballpark of 13 points per game this season. I expect him to pull down about 9 boards per game. His assists will take a big leap with him running the show, and I am predicting 3.5 dimes per game. Lastly, the shot blocking will be important for Moreno, and I believe he will average about 2.2 blocks per game.
If Moreno is able to put up numbers close to that this year as a sophomore, he is going to, without question, turn himself into a first-round draft pick, which Coach Pope predicted. The big thing for Moreno will be getting more physical down low. At times last season, teams would have a big who played a little bit more physical than Moreno, and he didn’t do well.
If Moreno can get mean down low, he is going to put up some eye-popping numbers this season in Lexington. I believe Moreno will finish this college basketball season as a top ten center in all of college basketball. It is going to be an absolute delight to watch Moreno run the show on offense this season for Pope and the Wildcats.
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The University of Kentucky has added three more international swimmers to its 2026 women’s recruiting class: Valeria Tarin of Mexico, Gabrielle Idle-Beavers of England and Yasmin Silva of Peru.
Tarin currently trains with Desert Dragons in Chihuahua, where she excels at the shorter distances of free, back and fly. She competed at the 2025 World Junior Championships (LCM), racing the 50 free (26.80), 50 back (31.12) and 100 back (1:07.62). A four-time junior national champion, Tarin has also qualified for the Pan Pacific Junior Championships and was a top three finisher in multiple events at the Mexican National Championships.
Tarin posted a series of strong performances at the 2026 Arena Elite Championships (LCM) in April, logging lifetime bests in three events. She won the 100 back (1:05.33 – PB) and 50 fly (28.77 – SB) and placed 3rd in the 50 free (26.37 – PB), 6th in the 100 free (57.85 – PB) and 10th in the 50 back (30.97 – SB).
Best Times LCM (SCY Conversion)
- 50 free – 26.37 (23.03)
- 100 free – 57.85 (50.67)
- 100 back – 1:05.33 (57.77)
- 50 fly – 28.30 (24.86)
Idle-Beavers will head to Kentucky from England, where she represents Mount Kelly Swimming and primarily specializes in breast and IM. She most recently competed at the AP Race International Meet (LCM) in April, which saw her contest the 50 breast (31.84) and 100 breast (1:08.69 – PB).
At the 2026 Sheffield Premier Open Meet (LCM) in March, Idle-Beavers clocked a handful of personal best performances. She raced the 50 free (26.49 – PB), 100 free (58.05), 50 back (30.89 – PB), 50 breast (31.60 – PB), 100 breast (1:09.67) and 200 IM (2:22.21). Earlier in the season, she set a personal best time of 2:20.72 in the 200 IM at the Arena Lisbon International Meeting.
Best Times LCM (SCY Conversion)
- 50 breast – 31.60 (27.56)
- 100 breast – 1:08.69 (1:00.08)
- 200 IM – 2:20.72 (2:03.89)
Another 2025 World Junior Championships qualifier, Silva represents the Peruvian Swimming Federation and swims for Streamline Club in Trujillo, primarily specializing in fly and IM. She recently competed in the 2026 Mare Nostrum Swim Tour (LCM), which was highlighted by a lifetime best performance in the 200 fly (2:11.86) at the stop in Canet-en-Roussillon.
At the 2025 National Senior Championship (LCM) in December, Silva posted a series of strong performances. She won the 100 fly (1:03.26), 200 fly (2:20.15) and 400 IM (5:09.51 – SB) and took 2nd in the 400 free (4:38.04 – PB) and 200 back (2:30.50), 3rd in the 50 fly (28.73) and 200 IM (2:30.79), 4th in the 800 free (9:35.58 – PB) and 1500 free (18:21.92 – PB) and 5th in the 100 back (1:10.92). She also set a best time of 1:02.79 in the 100 free as the leadoff on the 400 free relay.
Best Times LCM (SCY Conversion)
- 100 fly – 1:01.47 (54.11)
- 200 fly – 2:11.86 (1:56.27)
- 200 IM – 2:26.47 (2:09.07)
- 400 IM – 5:03.97 (4:28.08)
A Division I program, Kentucky competes in the Southeastern Conference, with the women’s team finishing 12th at the 2026 SEC Championships in February. Three athletes went on to compete at the NCAA Division I Women’s Championships, but they did not score any points in the team standings.
The three international recruits will bring added depth to the Wildcats across the board, and are currently poised to be some of the team’s top competitors in their top events based on their projected converted times.
Tarin, Idle-Beavers and Silva will join Allie Joyce, Quinn Schureck and Karrington Hansen in Kentucky’s class of 2030.
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