Sports
Kentucky Derby 2026 Picks: Expert Predictions and Top Contenders
The challenge of picking the Kentucky Derby winner out of a field of 20 3-year-olds is imposing. Heading into the first Saturday in May at Churchill Downs this week, just figuring out which horse will be favored is tough enough.
Journalism emerged as the clear favorite in last year’s Kentucky Derby after winning the Santa Anita Derby and posting big speed figures in his last two prep races. Journalism, of course, wound up second to Sovereignty.
A handful of contenders could be the post-time favorite this Saturday. The morning-line choice, Arkansas Derby winner Renegade, drew the tricky inside post. The top three finishers in the Florida Derby — Commandment, The Puma and Chief Wallabee — finished within a length of each other. Further Ado romped in the Blue Grass Stakes, posting the field’s top speed figure.
Renegade was extremely impressive swooping the field and pulling away in the Arkansas Derby. He’s a deep closer, so the inside draw may not be as much of a disadvantage as usual. However, jockey Irad Ortiz Jr. will have to thread his way through the field to get into position to take the lead during the stretch run.
Commandment has won his last two races by slim margins, sneaking up the rail to beat Chief Wallabee in the Fountain of Youth, then closing from the outside to catch The Puma in the final stride of the Florida Derby.
The Puma got the jump on Commandment in that slow paced race, while Chief Wallabee awaited room along the inside, then swung out to finish just a half length behind. Clearly, there’s not much separating that trio.
Further Ado pulled away from a mediocre field during his Blue Grass romp but the speed figure for the race stands out. The mystery regarding Further Ado is whether he’s a ‘horse for the course’ — his two best races have come over the Keeneland track.
There are a few others to consider. So Happy won the San Anita Derby and while the California horses seem a cut below this year, his speed figure was competitive. The X factor is Danon Bourbon, a Kentucky bred who won all three of his races in Japan. Emerging Market captured the Louisiana Derby in just his second career start.
However, the winner is likely to come out of the first group of five. Which one? I’ll give a slight nod to Chief Wallabee.
Trainer Bill Mott and jockey Junior Alvarado should be familiar to race fans — they were in the winner’s circle with Sovereignty last year.
Chief Wallabee doesn’t have as much experience as Sovereignty coming into this year’s race. Sovereignty won a stakes race at Churchill Downs as a 2-year-old. His stablemate didn’t even debut until January.
Mott is making an unconventional move for the Derby, adding blinkers to Chief Wallabee to help with his focus. Blinkers tend to make horses run closer to the pace, which could be pretty fast on Saturday.
However, the horse has posted sharp works since the addition of blinkers. Mott had Sovereignty ready to peak in the Derby last year — why can’t the Hall of Famer pull off the same feat?
Renegade’s running style could make it difficult for him to win but I see him as the most likely entrant to run in the money. Further Ado could work out a nice stalking trip. I’m not sure he’ll hold off all the closers.
Emerging Market is being ignored mainly due to his lack of experience but he could be the most talented horse in the race. He’s one to strongly consider in exotic wagers.
Top five: 1. Chief Wallabee; 2. Renegade; 3. Further Ado; 4. Emerging Market; 5. Commandment.
Sports
Trade target Kevin Gausman pitches Jays past Cardinals
Aug 1, 2026; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Toronto Blue Jays pitcher Kevin Gausman (34) pitches to the St. Louis Cardinals during the first inning at Rogers Centre. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Sousa-Imagn Images In possibly his final start for Toronto, Kevin Gausman allowed one run in 5 2/3 innings as the Blue Jays defeated the visiting St. Louis Cardinals 5-1 on Saturday to clinch the three-game series.
Gausman (5-10), a pending free agent who may be dealt by the trade deadline on Monday, scattered nine hits, walked one and struck out four.
George Springer had two hits and two RBIs for the Blue Jays, who have won three in a row. Alejandro Kirk added a two-run single.
Alec Burleson, Jordan Walker and Blaze Jordan each had two hits for the Cardinals, who lost their third straight despite outhitting Toronto 11-9. St. Louis was 1-for-8 with runners in scoring position and stranded 11.
Gausman survived three singles in the third with the help of a double play grounder.
The Blue Jays scored once in third against Quinn Mathews (0-1), who was making his major league debut. Davis Schneider led off with a walk, took second on Vladimir Guerrero Jr.’s one-out single to right and scored on Springer’s two-out single past shortstop Masyn Winn.
Toronto took a 2-0 lead in the fourth. Ernie Clement singled to lead off and took third on a double by Myles Straw on a drive that popped out of the glove of diving center fielder Nathan Church approaching the warning track. With one out, Luis Urias lofted a sacrifice fly to center.
The Cardinals scored their only run in the sixth. Ivan Herrera doubled to left-center and scored on Winn’s one-out double to right-center. After Church grounded out, Gausman left to a long standing ovation and Braydon Fisher took over.
Mathews was replaced by Luis Gastelum after Daulton Varsho’s bunt single opened the sixth. Matthews allowed two runs, six hits and three walks with three strikeouts in five-plus innings.
Toronto stretched the lead to 5-1 in the seventh.
Gastelum plunked pinch hitter Andres Gimenez, Guerrero followed with an infield hit to shortstop and Springer sliced a double to the right field corner past a diving Walker. Peter Strzelecki came in and gave up Kirk’s two-run single to right.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Davis Riley moves into lead at Rocket Classic, Rasmus Hojgaard has record day
May 28, 2026; Fort Worth, Texas, USA; Davis Riley lines up a putt on the seventh green during the first round of the Charles Schwab Challenge golf tournament. Mandatory Credit: Raymond Carlin III-Imagn Images Davis Riley birdied the final two holes in a bogey-free round of 7-under-par 63 to move into the lead through the third round of the Rocket Classic on Saturday in Detroit.
Riley is at 15-under 195, meaning he’ll go into Sunday’s final round at Detroit Golf Club with a one-shot advantage on Michael Brennan.
Riley has two PGA Tour victories, with the most-recent one coming in the 2024 Charles Schwab Challenge. His only top-10 finish this year came in the season-opening tournament.
Riley has gone back-to-back rounds without a bogey since carding three bogeys during Thursday’s first round.
Brennan (64 on Saturday), also with one top-10 result this year, registered birdies on four of the first five holes Saturday. His only bogey came on the final hole, costing him the position as co-leader.
Denmark’s Rasmus Hojgaard shot 9-under-par 61 without a bogey to rise to a tie for third place at 12 under. His score tied the course record that also was matched a day earlier by second-round co-leader Cameron Young.
Young (68), Chris Kirk (66) and Rickie Fowler (67) also are at 12 under. Xander Schauffele (67), Michael Thorbjornsen (66), Michael Kim (67) and Norway’s Kristoffer Ventura (65) are clustered at 11 under.
Young missed a 9-foot birdie attempt on the last hole, but he stayed in contention.
Other co-leaders from the beginning of the day didn’t fare as well. Patrick Cantlay shot 70 and dipped into a tie for 11th place, while Patrick Fishburn (74) carded only one birdie and dropped all the way to a tie for 48th at 6 under.
Hojgaard burst into the lead in the morning by playing the first 16 holes in 9 under. He was in 62nd place entering the round, making the cut by one stroke. He had birdies on both par-5 layouts.
Ventura posted a pair of eagles. He drove the green on No. 8 and sank the putt and then putted in from off the green on the par-5 14th.
There will be adjusted tee times for Sunday’s final round based on a forecast that involves rain and storms. Golfers will be slotted into threesomes and going off on the first and 10th tees.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Drew Rasmussen strikes out 10, Rays shut out White Sox
Aug 1, 2026; St. Petersburg, Florida, USA; Tampa Bay Rays starting pitcher Drew Rasmussen (57) reacts after pitching against the Chicago White Sox in the fifth inning at Tropicana Field. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images Tampa Bay starter Drew Rasmussen dominated over six shutout innings, Nick Fortes singled in the only run, and the Rays opened August by blanking the Chicago White Sox 1-0 on Saturday afternoon in St. Petersburg, Fla.
In reaching double figures in victories for the third time in his career, Rasmussen (10-5) allowed just four singles. He walked one and reached double-digits in strikeouts for the second time with 10.
The right-hander and four relievers combined for 16 strikeouts. Bryan Baker notched his 31st save in 34 chances with a perfect ninth.
Yandy Diaz went 2-for-4 as the Rays managed just five singles in squaring the three-game series. Jonny DeLuca had a hit, scored and stole a base.
For the White Sox, Jordan Hicks pitched as the opener for the first time and fired a perfect inning before giving way to Noah Schultz, who was sharp but allowed one run.
Schultz (3-8) yielded three hits in five innings, struck out four and hit a batter.
Edgar Quero had two hits, but the White Sox produced only five singles and had just one at-bat with a runner in scoring position.
With Friday night’s fireworks of four homers in the first four innings behind the two first-place clubs, pitching took center stage early in the series’ middle game as Rasmussen, using mostly fastballs, fanned five of the first six batters he faced and retired the first eight batters before Quero singled in a 10-pitch at-bat.
White Sox pitching went 9-up, 9-down before Diaz led off the fourth with a single and was advanced to second on Chandler Simpson’s sacrifice bunt for the first scoring chance. Yet Schultz whiffed Junior Caminero and got a long flyout from Victor Mesa Jr.
The Rays took a 1-0 lead in the fifth after DeLuca singled, moved to second on his 12th stolen base and soon scored on a two-out single that Fortes fought off and looped over shortstop.
After Rasmussen departed, pinch hitter Randal Grichuk led off the seventh with a single off Cam Booser, but the lefty reliever responded with two strikeouts before Kevin Kelly came in and fanned Chase Meidroth with a changeup.
With two outs in the eighth, lefty Garrett Cleavinger whiffed Chicago slugger Munetaka Murakami to finish the frame.
Baker retired Miguel Vargas, Colson Montgomery and Grichuk to preserve the Rays’ fourth shutout in seven games.
–Field Level Media
Trade target Kevin Gausman pitches Jays past Cardinals
Davis Riley moves into lead at Rocket Classic, Rasmus Hojgaard has record day
