The Kentucky Derby: An event steeped in history and tradition
Plus: 14-y/o cricket star makes history…
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🏇 HORSE RACING
It’s almost Derby Day
Time to don a fancy hat and start horsing around: The Kentucky Derby takes place in Louisville, KY, on Saturday.
The event, similar to the Masters, is one steeped in history and tradition.
- The first Run for the Roses occurred in 1875—150 years ago—making it the longest continuously held sporting event in US history.
- The race’s venue, Churchill Downs, was founded by Col. Meriwether Lewis Clark Jr., the grandson of William Clark—who along with Meriwether Lewis explored the western portion of the US in what’s known as the Lewis and Clark expedition.
Fast-forward: Storylines to watch this year
Baffert is back. Renowned trainer Bob Baffert, who is tied for the most wins in Derby history (6), will return to “the most exciting two minutes in sports” following a three-year suspension due to one of his horses failing a drug test. His contenders this year: Rodriguez and Citizen Bull.
Nepo babies in the spotlight. This year’s race is the first since 1952 that features the offspring of two Triple Crown winners— it’s also only the third time this has occurred in history. American Pharoah, who captured the 2015 Triple Crown, has two sons in the 2025 field: Publisher and Luxor Café, while Justify (2018 winner) has one son in the field: American Promise.
Will the betting favorite write his winning story? Journalism leads the field with 3-1 odds, followed by Sovereignty (5-1), Sandman (6-1), and Burnham Square (12-1). Fun fact: The favorite has won the Derby ~35% of the time since 1908 (40 times).
Big picture: 150,000+ people are expected to attend this year’s Derby decked out in seersucker and fancy dresses. The event’s purse is $5M, with the winner receiving slightly over $3M.
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⏱️ Catch Up Quick
Headlines de la semaine
🏏 A 14-year-old rising cricket star made history in India. On Monday, Vaibhav Suryavanshi became the youngest man to hit a century in cricket’s Indian Premier League (IPL), with his 14 years and 32 days demolishing the previous record of 19 years, 253 days. Suryavanshi achieved the feat in his third appearance in the IPL, one of the world’s most-watched sports leagues. And while young, he’s been known for a while: the young star first made headlines last November when, at the age of 13, he became the youngest player to earn an IPL contract following a bidding war for his services, with the winning club, the Rajasthan Royals, eventually laying out ~$130k.
🏀 The NBA is considering a new “4 Nations” All-Star Game format. Following the resounding success of the NHL’s 4 Nations Face-Off, NBA commissioner Adam Silver revealed this week that discussions are being held with NBC to hold an “international competition” as next year’s All-Star Game. ~25% of current NBA players were born outside of the US, including stars like Nikola Jokić, Luka Dončić, and Giannis Antetokounmpo. On a separate note: NBA First Round playoff action is still ongoing; see the full bracket.
⚾ The Rockies narrowly avoided the worst 30-game start in MLB history. Colorado eked out a 2-1 win over the Atlanta Braves yesterday to snap an eight-game losing streak and improve to 5-25 on the season. The Rockies are now tied for the second-worst start in MLB history after 30 games, and are on pace to lose 135 games overall—14 more than last year’s Chicago White Sox, who had the worst regular-season record in the modern era. Even still–Colorado is averaging ~25k fans/game at home, which ranks 18th among MLB teams.
💰 MAMBA MONEY MAGIC
Rookie Kobe jersey sells for record $7M
A jersey photo-matched to seven games in Kobe Bryant's 1996-97 rookie season with the Los Angeles Lakers—including his preseason debut, his regular-season debut, and his NBA media day—sold for $7M at Sotheby's last week
- The price marks a new record for any Black Mamba sports collectible, surpassing the ~$5.8M paid for a game-worn, signed jersey from the 2007-08 season in which Bryant won his lone MVP award.
For context: Kobe’s rookie kit—last sold for ~$115k in 2012—is now the fourth-most-expensive game-worn sports jersey of all time, behind the $24.1M Babe Ruth "called shot" jersey, Michael Jordan's $10.1M Last Dance jersey, and Diego Maradona's $9.3M "Hand of God" Argentina jersey from the 1986 FIFA World Cup.
There’s always money in the sports memorabilia stand
The sports memorabilia market is like a child trying to get some X Games-like air at the playground—on the upswing. Analysts say the industry has emerged in recent years as a blue-chip investment class alongside art, with returns consistently outpacing the S&P 500 and big-ticket items fetching higher-and-higher prices.
Looking ahead…The sports memorabilia market is projected to increase from ~$33.6B in 2024 to $271.2B by 2032, according to research firm Market Decipher—an up-and-to-the-right growth curve that would make even the most cynical Silicon Valley investor salivate.
🔥🏟️ In partnership with Extra Points
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From million-dollar NIL contracts to conference realignments, the Extra Points newsletter breaks down everything beyond the scoreboard.
💬 Word on the Street
Overheard
“It presents selectively edited clips and stills from just a few minutes of the interview to suggest a false narrative – that Jordon was attempting to control the conversation – which is simply not true."
UNC head coach Bill Belichick is throwing the red flag on CBS and challenging the network’s treatment of him and his new girlfriend, Jordon Hudson, during a recent interview.
In a statement released yesterday through North Carolina, Belichick accused CBS of “selective[ly] editing” his interview to show Hudson, 24, interjecting and saying her 73-year-old boyfriend wouldn’t answer a question about how they met.
- According to Bill, CBS had agreed to only focus on his upcoming book for the interview.
- But instead, the interviewer repeatedly brought up “unrelated topics” and eventually forced Jordon—“with whom I share both a personal and professional relationship”—to step in.
About that professional relationship…The Athletic reported this week that Hudson was “instrumental” in stopping an HBO Hard Knocks series focused on the UNC Tar Heels, while also identifying herself as the chief operating officer of “Belichick Productions”—which doesn’t appear to have any official business records.
📰 News
What else is happening
- 🏈 Eli Manning is reportedly assembling an investment group to bid for a piece of the New York Giants.
- 🏒 NHL playoffs: The Carolina Hurricanes, Washington Capitals, and Florida Panthers all advanced to Round 2 this week; see the full bracket here.
- 📈 PWHL expansion: Seattle was announced as the eighth franchise in the 2023-founded women's hockey league.
- 🏎️ F1’s Miami Grand Prix takes place this weekend.
- 🏆 San Antonio G Stephon Castle was named NBA Rookie of the Year, joining Victor Wembanyama as the second straight Spur to win the award.
- 💰 Falcons DC Jeff Ulbrich will pay a $100k fine for his son’s involvement in a prank call to Shedeur Sanders during the NFL Draft; the league also fined the Falcons $250k. | Shedeur Sanders owns the third-best-selling rookie jersey following the NFL draft; the new Browns QB is the only non-first-rounder in the top 10.
🌐 Web Gems
Cool things to click
💣 Bronx bombers: The Yankees have led off a game with three straight home runs twice this season, something no MLB team has ever done before.
🧤 Whoa: A behind-the-back catch that needs to be seen to be believed.
🦣 Mammoth mistake? The Utah Hockey Club may just have accidentally revealed its new mascot.
🏟️ Explore: Coors Field horror stories: 30 years of MLB at altitude.
📖 Read: About the self-alley oop—a rare play that saves Ja, Donovan Mitchell, and other NBA stars and traces back to 1957.
🤔 Trivia
Four-legged kings
How many horses in history have won a Triple Crown? (Coming first in the Kentucky Derby, Preakness Stakes, and Belmont Stakes in the same year.) Bonus points for each you can name.
Hint: Lucky number
k
e
e
p
s
c
r
o
l
l
i
n
g
🤔 Answer
13: Sir Barton (1919), Gallant Fox (1930), Omaha (1935), War Admiral (1937), Whirlaway (1941), Count Fleet (1943), Assault (1946), Citation (1948), Secretariat (1973), Seattle Slew (1977), Affirmed (1978), American Pharoah (2015), and Justify (2018).