Mystik Dan won the 150th Kentucky Derby in a dramatic three-horse photo finish, edging out Sierra Leone and Forever Young for the upset victory. It was the 10th Derby to be decided by a nose, the closest margin in horse racing. Sent off at 18-1 odds, Mystik Dan and jockey Brian Hernandez Jr. rode the rail down the stretch with a short lead. Sierra Leone and Forever Young from Japan gave chase and pressured the leader to the wire in front of 156,710 at Churchill Downs on Saturday. Hernandez and trainer Kenny McPeek had teamed to win the Kentucky Oaks for fillies a day earlier with Thorpedo Anna. Mystik Dan ran 1 1/4 miles in 2:03.34 and paid $39.22 to win.
Taylor Pendrith has a one-shot lead going into the final round of the CJ Cup Byron Nelson. The Canadian is among several leaders seeking his first PGA Tour victory. Pendrith chipped in twice for consecutive eagles to kick-start his round of 8-under 63. It's the third time for back-to-back eagles on tour this season. Pendrith is at 19 under, one shot ahead of second-round leader Jake Knapp. First-round leader Matt Wallace is another shot back in a tie with Ben Kohles.
Greenville High School's boys' golf team has established itself as one of the state's powerhouses, and the Red Raiders have a rapidly-filling trophy case to show for it.
Kyle Larson's busy month of May is getting going at Kansas Speedway. He will be driving his No. 5 for Hendrick Motorsports in the NASCAR Cup Series race on Sunday. That comes after two nights driving his sprint car at nearby Lakeside Speedway. But the big weekend will be Memorial Day weekend, when he tries to pull off “the double” by finishing every lap of the Indianapolis 500 and Coca-Cola 600 on the same day. Tony Stewart remains the only drive to pull off the feat. Larson was second to Denny Hamlin in the spring race at Kansas last year. He also was second to Hamlin last week at Dover.
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LOUISVILLE, Ky. — There have been tight finishes to a Kentucky Derby before, but never one as close as the thoroughbred racing world witnessed Saturday.
Boys’ Soccer
The Southern Cross may be the toughest test in South Carolina high school golf for two reasons.
For ex-Derby winner Silver Charm, it's a life of leisure and Old Friends at Kentucky retirement farm
Michael Blowen can step outside his house anytime and visit retired racehorses at Old Friends, the thoroughbred retirement farm he founded in Kentucky two decades ago. The farm is dedicated to providing dignity and comfort to retired racehorses. Blowen's favorite resident is 30-year-old Silver Charm. The oldest living Derby winner resides at the 240-acre farm outside Georgetown, Kentucky. Visitors to the farm can take a guided, 90-minute walking tour while getting up-close looks at some of the farm’s most famous residents, including Silver Charm and I’ll Have Another, the 2012 Kentucky Derby and Preakness winner. Old Friends has about 250 thoroughbreds in its care at its farms in Kentucky and New York. The Kentucky Derby is Saturday.
Owner Mike Repole is 0 for 7 in the Kentucky Derby. Two of his top horses never made the starting gate. Last year, Forte was scratched the morning of the race with a foot injury and in 2011 Uncle Mo was scratched the day before because of illness. Now Repole is back with morning-line favorite Fierceness for Saturday's 150th Derby. The bay colt will have to overcome a bit of Derby history since no horse has ever won out of the No. 17 post. Sierra Leone is the early second choice for trainer Chad Brown. After the two of them, the Derby becomes wide-open with 20 horses running 1 1/4 miles at Churchill Downs. A record $5 million purse is up for grabs.
In the aftermath of the stunning defeat of Native Dancer by Dark Star in the 1953 Kentucky Derby by a scant head, many, of a superstitious nature, blamed the upset on the Dancer’s gray coloration.
A state championship-winning Aiken County team received recognition in Columbia Thursday. The South Carolina House of Representatives recognized the South Aiken High School Thoroughbreds volleyball team for winning the SCHSL AAAA state championship, S.C. Rep Bill Taylor said Thursday afternoon.
There was plenty of sting and heartbreak to go around during the postgame huddle following the South Aiken girls' soccer team's second-round Class AAAA playoff loss Thursday night.
NORTH AUGUSTA -- Many young athletes dream of playing their sports beyond high school, and for nine student-athletes at North Augusta that dream became a reality on Thursday afternoon.
Girls' Soccer
North Augusta softball keeps the ball rolling in the playoffs with a win over Indian Land on Thursday.
Last year was all about redemption for the Mead Hall golf team.
Brittney Griner says she thought about killing herself during first few weeks in Russian jail
Tiger Woods is headed to the U.S. Open after receiving the first of what likely will be many special exemptions. Woods has been eligible for every U.S. Open since he played in his first one in 1995 as the reigning U.S. Amateur champion. By the time he played his first Open as a pro, Woods already was the Masters champion. And 14 more major titles followed. Jack Nicklaus received eight U.S. Open exemptions. Arnold Palmer received five. Woods is a three-time U.S. Open champion as part of his 15 majors. The U.S. Open is June 13-16 at Pinehurst No. 2.
The USC Aiken eventing team is preparing to defend its title this weekend as home favorites at Stable View.
JOHNSTON -- The Strom Thurmond softball program has had sniffs of glory in recent years.
North Augusta boys' soccer ended Indian Land’s season with a 3-1 win in round two of the Class AAAA playoffs.
Softball
LOUISVILLE, Ky. — The last horse to finish first in the Kentucky Derby after leading the race from gate to wire was Medina Spirit, three years ago. And the year before, Authentic was never headed at any stage of the race.
JOHNSTON -- Strom Thurmond baseball coach Nathan Horton issued a challenge to his team coming into the Class AA playoffs.
Girls' Soccer
Fox Creek baseball made a statement on Tuesday with a 15-0 win over Eau Claire in the first round of the Class AA playoffs.
As the calendar pages turn from April to May, high school golfers want to be playing at their best with the biggest tournaments of the year approaching.
The South Aiken boys' tennis team knew a tough test awaited Monday afternoon.
Rory McIlroy says it was during a drunken lunch after the Ryder Cup that he asked Shane Lowry to be his teammate in the Zurich Classic of New Orleans. That was some six months ago and it worked out better than he could have imagined. It's not so much he and Lowry won the PGA Tour's only official team event. They rediscovered the joy of golf. McIlroy has been winning plenty. But he's also caught in the middle of the battle with LIV Golf that has torn apart the sport. McIlroy says reinjecting fun into golf can always help.
North Augusta baseball shut out Greenville on Monday to move forward in Class AAAA playoffs.
As expected, upon the closing of the entry box for the 150th renewal of the Kentucky Derby, an overflow field of 22 has been assembled.
For more than two decades, a familiar spot along the bricks near the home dugout at Roberto Hernandez Stadium was known to many as "Ms. Judy's place."
Denny Hamlin is off to one of the best starts of his two-decade career, with three wins for Joe Gibbs Racing. Hamlin and Christopher Bell have delivered four wins this season to JGR. William Byron has three wins and Kyle Larson and Chase Elliott each have one to give Hendrick Motorsports five checkered flags in 2024. Hamlin's win Sunday at Dover Motor Speedway gave him 54 in the Cup series and tied him with Lee Petty for the 12th on the career wins list. The 43-year-old Hamlin and Junior Johnson are the only drivers in the 50-win Cup Club without a championship. That's OK with Hamlin. He says “worse drivers” than him have won NASCAR championships.
Rory McIlroy and Shane Lowry won the Zurich Classic of New Orleans team event Sunday, beating Chad Ramey and Martin Trainer with a par on the first hole of a playoff. Trainer pushed a 6-foot par putt to the right of the cup to end it, with Lowry and McIlroy sharing a smiling embrace on the green. The 34-year-old McIlroy, playing in the event for the first time, won his 25th PGA Tour title and first of the season. Lowry claimed his third PGA Tour victory. The Irish tandem closed with a 4-under 68 in the alternate-shot final round to match Ramey and Trainer at 25-under 263. Ramey and Trainer tied the alternate-shot tournament record of 63.
Rory McIlroy and Shane Lowry won the Zurich Classic of New Orleans team event Sunday, beating Chad Ramey and Martin Trainer with a par on the first hole of a playoff. Trainer pushed a 6-foot par putt to the right of the cup to end it, with Lowry and McIlroy sharing a smiling embrace on the green. The 34-year-old McIlroy, playing in the event for the first time, won his 25th PGA Tour title and first of the season. Lowry claimed his third PGA Tour victory. The Irish tandem closed with a 4-under 68 in the alternate-shot final round to match Ramey and Trainer at 25-under 263. Ramey and Trainer tied the alternate-shot tournament record of 63.
Paul George and James Harden each scored 33 points while playing key fourth-quarter roles to help the Los Angeles Clippers hold on after blowing a 31-point lead and beat the Dallas Mavericks 116-111. The first-round series is even at 2-2. The Clippers won again without Kawhi Leonard. The star forward missed the series opener with right knee inflammation before playing in the two Dallas victories. Game 5 is Wednesday in LA. Kyrie Irving scored 40 points with a layup for a fourth-quarter lead that was Dallas' first since the first quarter. Luka Doncic had 29 points, 10 rebounds and 10.
Denny Hamlin held off a hard-charging Kyle Larson over the final, thrilling laps and wiggled through lapped traffic to win the NASCAR Cup race by about a quarter of a second Sunday at Dover Motor Speedway. Hamlin’s third win of the season tied William Byron for most this season in the series. Hamlin also picked up his 54th career Cup win, all with Joe Gibbs Racing. He’s tied with Lee Petty for 12th on the career Cup list. Larson was second. Martin Truex Jr., Kyle Busch and Chase Elliott completed the top five.
Denny Hamlin held off a hard-charging Kyle Larson over the final, thrilling laps and wiggled through lapped traffic to win the NASCAR Cup race by about a quarter of a second Sunday at Dover Motor Speedway. Hamlin’s third win of the season tied William Byron for most this season in the series. Hamlin also picked up his 54th career Cup win, all with Joe Gibbs Racing. He’s tied with Lee Petty for 12th on the career Cup list. Larson was second. Martin Truex Jr., Kyle Busch and Chase Elliott completed the top five.
Two-time defending champion Carlos Alcaraz has cruised past Thiago Seyboth Wild in the third round of the Madrid Open to earn another comfortable victory in his return from injury. Alcaraz won 6-3, 6-3 for his second straight victory in his first tournament after skipping Monte Carlo and Barcelona because of an arm injury. The second-seeded Alcaraz had made his debut at the tournament with a 6-2, 6-1 win over Alexander Shevchenko. Alcaraz is trying to become the first player to win three straight Madrid Open titles. He will next face Jan-Lennard Struff, his opponent in last year’s final in Madrid. In the women's tournament, second-ranked Aryna Sabalenka survived a tough test against 19-year-old American wild card Robin Montgomery.
Riley's RBI single in 10th lifts Braves to 4-3 win over Guardians and Atlanta takes 2 of 3 in series
Austin Riley knocked in Ronald Acuña Jr. with a 10th inning single and the Atlanta Braves rallied late to beat the Guardians 4-3 and win a three-game series between the top two teams in the majors. A.J. Minter (4-1) picked up the win by throwing a scoreless 10th inning. Emmanuel Clase (1-0) took the loss. The win was the 11th in the last 13 games by the Braves, who handed the Guardians their first loss in a road series in five tries.
Riley's RBI single in 10th lifts Braves to 4-3 win over Guardians and Atlanta takes 2 of 3 in series
Austin Riley knocked in Ronald Acuña Jr. with a 10th inning single and the Atlanta Braves rallied late to beat the Guardians 4-3 and win a three-game series between the top two teams in the majors. A.J. Minter (4-1) picked up the win by throwing a scoreless 10th inning. Emmanuel Clase (1-0) took the loss. The win was the 11th in the last 13 games by the Braves, who handed the Guardians their first loss in a road series in five tries.
Scott McLaughlin won his second straight race at Barber Motorsports Park, giving Team Penske a much-needed triumph just days after IndyCar erased Josef Newgarden’s victory and also disqualified McLaughlin from the season opener. McLaughlin and Penske’s fuel strategy worked to perfection, with teammate Will Power finishing second. McLaughlin’s fifth IndyCar win provided temporary solace after a troubling week for Team Penske, led by series owner Roger Penske. On Wednesday, Newgarden had his season-opening win stripped for manipulating the push-to-pass function system on his car. McLaughlin was disqualified after finishing third.
Caitlin Clark returned to the basketball court Sunday — focused entirely on learning a new system and winning games. This is what the former Iowa star enjoys most, playing the game she loves, the game that has turned her into a household name. But here at the Indian Fever training camp, she's just a rookie trying to find her way. People are not talking about scoring records, ticket sales or television ratings. Instead, she's trying to find a chemistry with her new teammates — a chemistry that could help the WNBA's next big star make the playoffs this season.
It’s shaping up to be quite the few weeks for German soccer. The country is preparing to stage the European Championship over June and July with Germany’s national team taking a nicely timed upturn in form. Germany might yet be celebrating having a European champion before that because Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund have made it to the Champions League semifinals beginning this week. Bayern is up against another European heavyweight in record 14-time champion Real Madrid. Dortmund faces Kylian Mbappe and Paris Saint-Germain. The last time Bayern and Dortmund both reached the Champions League semifinals was in 2013 and they went on to meet in the title match.
Three-time WNBA champion and two-time Olympic gold medalist Candace Parker has announced she’s retiring after 16 seasons. Parker wrote in a social media post on Sunday that she refuses to cheat the game and has decided to call it a career at 38 years old. Parker became the first player in WNBA history to be named Rookie of the Year and Most Valuable Player in the same season in 2008. She also is the only player in league history to win a championship with three different teams. She won gold medals in 2008 and 2012 and a second league MVP in 2013.
The quarterback pecking order for the 2025 NFL draft still seems fluid going into this upcoming college football season, with Georgia's Carson Beck, Colorado's Shedeur Sanders and Texas' Quinn Ewers getting the most preseason buzz. The overall talent pool looks remarkably deep. And, unlike this year's draft class, there should be plenty of defensive players selected in the first round. A year out, pencil in way-too-early Tennessee and the New York Giants to grab their future franchise quarterbacks early, three top-10 cornerbacks and slew of defensive tackles to go in the first 32 picks.
The quarterback pecking order for the 2025 NFL draft still seems fluid going into this upcoming college football season, with Georgia's Carson Beck, Colorado's Shedeur Sanders and Texas' Quinn Ewers getting the most preseason buzz. The overall talent pool looks remarkably deep. And, unlike this year's draft class, there should be plenty of defensive players selected in the first round. A year out, pencil in way-too-early Tennessee and the New York Giants to grab their future franchise quarterbacks early, three top-10 cornerbacks and slew of defensive tackles to go in the first 32 picks.
Fierceness was named the 5-2 morning line favorite for the upcoming 150th Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs and will look to make history in next Saturday’s milestone race as the first entrant to win in 45 attempts from the No. 17 post position. The Todd Pletcher-trained colt enters the 1 1/4-mile opening leg of the Triple Crown races on May 4 off a dominating 13 1/2-length win in last month’s Florida Derby at Gulfstream Park and has a third-place finish as a 3-year-old. Also, Brad Cox-trained filly Tarifa is the 7-2 morning line favorite for Friday’s Kentucky Oaks after drawing the No. 8 post.
The USC Aiken baseball team split a doubleheader with USC Beaufort on Saturday, winning 13-10 before falling by a 5-1 count in the nightcap.
DAHLONEGA, Ga. – The USC Aiken softball team recorded a 3-1 victory over Augusta before falling by a 7-3 count to Flagler in an elimination game at the Peach Belt Conference Tournament.
DOVER, Del. — Kyle Larson ran into his first speed bump in his busy May.
The NFL draft has a new attendance record after more than 700,000 fans flooded downtown Detroit for the three-day event. Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer broke the news at Campus Martius Park during the third and final day of the draft. While it will take years to know if this year’s picks delivered for their teams, there’s no doubt that Detroit made the most of an opportunity to host the football spectacle and show 50-plus million viewers the new-look city. Motown beat Music City’s three-day attendance record of 600,000 set in 2019, when fans filled Broadway in Nashville.
Boys' Tennis
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Rolls-Royce adding capacity at Graniteville plant to meet data center backup power demands
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Shakes and shouts: Greenville, Dorman's Ruth win titles on tense final day at Southern Cross
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Aiken's roses: Six horses trained here have captured the Kentucky Derby
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Business roundup: New Japanese restaurant opens, La Parisienne has new co-owner
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Third person arrested in Jamilla Smith missing person case in Aiken County
