Look for a Big Night from Luka as Mavs Try to Close Out Thunder at Home

In today’s newsletter…

- Leading Off: It’s Preakness day
- NBA: Look for Luka to take over
- MLB: Darvish has a good matchup
- Soccer: Sesko to complete audition
- News: More on Scheffler’s arrest

A potential Triple Crown is back on the table after trainer Kenny McPeek decided to race Mystik Dan at the Preakness and favorite Muth was scratched earlier this week after spiking a fever. Mystik Dan, with jockey Brian Hernandez Jr., is now the 5/2 favorite to win at Pimlico.

Bob Baffert’s Imagination and Brad Cox’s Catching Freedom, who finished 4th in the Kentucky Derby, both start the morning at 6/1. Baffert, who was barred from Churchill Downs but is going for his ninth Preakness win, had higher hopes for Muth, but said Imagination “is filling into his frame. He is bred to go the [1 3/16-mile] distance. He is a beautifully balanced horse.”

Tuscan Gold, trained by two-time Preakness winner Chad Brown and ridden by 2019 Preakness-winning jockey Tyler Gaffalione, is 8/1. The only other horse in the eight-entry field to have raced at the Kentucky Derby is D. Wayne Lukas’s Just Steel, who is 15/1 after finishing 17th at Churchill Downs. Lukas’s other horse, Seize the Grey, has three wins and three thirds in nine starts, and also comes into the day at 15/1. Rounding out the field is Mugato starting from post position 1 at 20/1, and Uncle Heavy, who has three wins in five starts and is also at 20/1

In today’s newsletter, Jason is looking for the Mavs to close out their series against the Thunder at home and avoid a Game 7 behind big nights from Luka and Kyrie. In MLB, Craig sees a couple good opportunities for the Yankees and Giancarlo Stanton. And in soccer, Sam is tracking Bolton to secure their spot in the English Football League Championship next season.