Betting Picks

The last time the Pittsburgh Penguins came into the playoffs as two-time defending Stanley Cup champions was in the spring of 1993. They did so with an NHL-best 119 points during the regular season, and rode a league-record 17-game winning streak into the postseason. But the Penguins were eliminated in the second round by the New York Islanders. Which only goes to prove that the playoffs are anybody's game.

A small but high-profile field of seven will go to the gate at Santa Anita Park on Saturday for the running of the (G1) Santa Anita Derby. As a qualifying race for the 2018 Kentucky Derby, the field will be led by Bolt d'Oro, who has already clinched a spot in the Derby starting gate and who will be trying to confirm his standing as Derby favorite.

A field of 14 will go to the gate on Saturday in the (G1) Blue Grass Stakes, all with one last chance to pick up enough qualifying points to make the gate for the 2018 Kentucky Derby. Run at 1 1/8 miles on the dirt at Keeneland Race Course, the race offers 100 qualifying points to the winner and a total purse of $1 million.

One of three major qualifying races for the 2018 Kentucky Derby to be run on Saturday, the (G2) Wood Memorial Stakes at Aqueduct Race Track in New York offers 100 points to the winner. Only one entry has clinched a Derby spot so far, with two more sitting in the bubble. They'll race 1 1/8 miles on the dirt for a total purse of $750,000.

Trainer Todd Pletcher won the 2017 Kentucky Derby with Always Dreaming, and it looks like he has a serious shot at getting the repeat with Audible. The colt is on a four-race win streak, and should be one of the Derby favorites when the gates open at Churchill Downs on the first Saturday of May.

With four weeks to go until race day, a handful of horses have already claimed their starting spot in the 2018 Kentucky Derby, and as the final prep races are run in the next two weeks, the field will fill out. While handicappers generally focus on the performance of the horses when trying to pick a winner, it's useful to know which jockeys and trainers have had recent Derby success.

The 2018 Kentucky Derby is just one month away, we're into the most important qualifying races of the season. Two weeks ago the (G1) Louisiana Derby was the first qualifying race to award 100 points to the winner, and last weekend the (G1) Florida Derby was the second. There are four major preps left, and here's a look at what major races have produced the most Kentucky Derby winners.

The moment is forever etched in golf history as perhaps the most sentimental victory ever recorded in a major. When Jack Nicklaus won the 1986 Masters at the age of 46 for his record sixth Masters triumph and 18th and final major victory, it was one for the ages. Tiger Woods isn't 46, he's 42. But he hasn't won a major tournament since his 2008 U.S. Open title.

Twenty colts will be called to the post for the May 5 Kentucky Derby, but only one horse can win. Trying to figure out who that will be is the handicapper's challenge and the more information available, the better. So here's a look at top contender Noble Indy and what factors in his favor and what works against him to come out on top.