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Los Angeles Kings vs. San Jose Sharks Game 3: Live Score, Updates and Analysis

Brad Kurtzberg — Sat, 18 May 2013 19:44:55 -0400

The San Jose Sharks are in a must-win situation entering Saturday night's game at the Shark Tank. They trail their second-round series with the Los Angeles Kings 2-0 and suffered a devastating loss in Game 2, when they allowed two goals in the final two minutes of the game to lose 4-3.

San Jose is also without the services of Raffi Torres, who was suspended for the rest of the series by the league in a controversial decision. Without Torres, the Sharks have a big challenge matching the Kings' physicality.

The Sharks are returning home for Game 3 and hope a friendly and vociferous crowd will inspire their team as they try to get back into this series. They will also get forward Martin Havlat back in the lineup, which should boost their attack tonight.

Game 3 starts at 9 p.m. ET. Stay with Bleacher Report for live updates and analysis.

Preakness Results: Biggest Disappointments from Pimlico Race Course

Jesse Reed — Sat, 18 May 2013 19:33:42 -0400

Oxbow won the 138th annual Preakness Stakes in wire-to-wire fashion, but perhaps the biggest story on Saturday was the horses that didn't finish in the money.

Finishing in second place behind Oxbow was Itsmyluckyday, followed by Mylute.

The big name missing from the top three was certainly Orb—the Kentucky Derby winner and heavy betting favorite before the race.

Goldencents and Departing were also notably absent.

Here's a quick look at the final standings from Saturday's big race, courtesy of the official NBC broadcast:

Pos.	Horse	Jockey	Trainer	Post
1	Oxbow	Gary Stevens	D. Wayne Lukas	6
2	Itsmyluckyday	John Velazquez	Eddie Plesa Jr.	9
3	Mylute	Rosie Napravnik	Tom Amoss	5
4	Orb	Joel Rosario	Claude McGaughey	1
5	Goldencents	Kevin Krigger	Doug O'Neill	2
6	Departing	Brian Hernandez Jr.	Albert M. Stall Jr.	4
7	Will Take Charge	Mike Smith	D. Wayne Lukas	7
8	Govenor Charlie	Martin Garcia	Bob Baffert	8
9	Titletown Five	Julien Leparoux	D. Wayne Lukas	3

Now it's time to take a look at the biggest disappointments from Pimlico Race Course on Saturday.

Orb: Post No. 1

Orb got stuck up against the rail from the get-go on Saturday, and jockey Joel Rosario had trouble getting him out of that troublesome spot.

By the time the horses had cleared the second turn, however, Orb was on the outside and made a nice push to move into third place. That was a tentative arrangement, however, as Orb was then forced back inside.

By the time the field cleared the final turn, Orb was fully boxed in, and Rosario was unable to find an opening to the front of the pack.

Perhaps we shouldn't be surprised at this outcome. After all, the No. 1 post has been traditionally damning over the course of the past 40-plus years, per David Grening of the Daily Racing Form:

Still, given the level of hype surrounding this horse, a finish outside the money was the last thing anyone expected. Orb's 2013 Preakness failure puts to rest any notion of a potential Triple Crown in 2013.

Departing: Post No. 4

Departing had a couple of things working in his favor entering the race.

Not only was this a fresh horse (Departing didn't race at the Derby), but a favorable draw with the No. 4 post should have produced a better start than we saw on Saturday. Indeed, Departing got off to a flawless start, but by the time the field hit the first turn, this horse was in the middle of the pack.

Oxbow pushed the pace, and Departing's jockey Brian Hernandez Jr. was unable to get his horse back into the front.

Heading into the final stretch, however, Departing had prime position on the inside, but the horse ran out of steam in the final couple of furlongs.

Perhaps Chicago Now's Paul Mazur stated Departing's disappointing finish the best:

Goldencents: Post No. 5

After the first two legs of the Triple Crown, it has become clear that the hype surrounding Goldencents was nothing but hot air.

This horse won the Santa Anita Derby earlier in the year and was considered to be one of the favorites to win the Kentucky Derby. A 17th-place finish at Churchill Downs seemed to be easily explained, as the mud appeared to be the culprit.

Goldencents proved to be the opposite of a mudder, but a firm, mostly dry track at Pimlico should have been a perfect stage for this horse to prove his worth.

Instead, the fifth-place finish on Saturday proved that Goldencents isn't a premier racing horse.

Follow me on Twitter @JesseReed78

Preakness 2013 Winner: Breaking Down Oxbow's Racing Career

Tyler Brooke — Sat, 18 May 2013 19:22:20 -0400

There will be no Triple Crown winner in 2013, but Oxbow had a dominating race at the Preakness on Saturday.

Although Oxbow looked good at the Preakness, the rest of his career wasn’t exactly pretty.

It took Oxbow four races in the Maiden Special Weights before finally winning and going on to the bigger races. He jumped around jockeys before winning with Joseph Rocco Jr.

In his first race out of the MSWs, Oxbow came in fourth at the CashCall Futurity in Hollywood. It wasn’t the best finish, but things starting looking up in the next race.

Oxbow got his first career win at the Grade 3 LeComte at New Orleans back in January with Jon Kenton Court as his jockey. After this race, Oxbow seemed to have a shot to make an impact during the Triple Crown.

The next two races at the Grade 2 Risen Star and Rebel Stakes ended in a fourth place and second-place finish, respectively. Only two wins in the young colt’s first eight career races likely made D. Wayne Lukas a bit antsy.

After eight races, Oxbow was about to have a big change.

Heading into the Arkansas Derby, it was announced that the legendary Gary Stevens would become his jockey. Stevens has had an incredible career with plenty of major racing wins. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1997.

The duo came in fifth at the Arkansas Derby, which wasn’t what they were looking for. However, it was only their first race together, and finding a solid chemistry was going to take some time.

The Kentucky Derby was a chance for Oxbow to finally prove that he was an impressive horse. However, the muddy conditions weren’t ideal for him or Stevens. The two finished sixth, with Orb getting all of the attention.

That all changed on Saturday at the Preakness.

The conditions were fine, unlike the Derby a few weeks ago. Right out of the gate, Oxbow got off to a great start. He seemed to have control of the entire race and held the lead the whole time.

According to a tweet by Yahoo! Sports, Oxbow was the first wire-to-wire winner at the Preakness in 31 years.

Being trained by D. Wayne Lukas and ridden by Stevens gave Oxbow an advantage heading into this race. With two Hall of Famers surrounding this horse, it's clear why this horse was able to win.

Sure, the Triple Crown didn’t happen, but Oxbow and his owners certainly don’t mind.

Preakness 2013 Payout: Complete Details of Winning Purse and Overall Earnings

Rob Goldberg — Sat, 18 May 2013 19:19:58 -0400

Oxbow surprised many by winning the 138th Preakness Stakes. With this win, there is plenty of money changing hands.

The event comes with a $1 million guaranteed purse, which brings a lot of money to those that finish in the top five. Considering there were only nine entries in the race, most of the competitors came away with money.

In this year's event, veteran jockey Gary Stevens broke convention by getting out to an early lead and
winning with a wire-to-wire victory. He earned the win at Pimlico for the third time in his career.

This gives Oxbow and everyone involved a nice payday of $620,000. Here is a look at the final standings and total earnings for each horse.

Place	Horse	Trainer	Jockey	Earnings
1	Oxbow	D. Wayne Lukas	Gary Stevens	$620,000
2	Itsmyluckyday	Eddie Plesa Jr.	John Velazquez	$200,000
3	Mylute	Tom Amoss	Rosie Napravnik	$100,000
4	Orb	Shug McGaughey	Joel Rosario	$50,000
5	Goldencents	Doug O’Neill	Kevin Krigger	$30,000
6	Departing	Albert M. Stall Jr.	Brian Hernandez Jr.	-
7	Will Take Charge	D. Wayne Lukas	Mike Smith	-
8	Govenor Charlie	Bob Baffert	Martin Garcia	-
9	Titletown Five	Eddie Plesa Jr.	John Velazquez	-

This was an exciting race from start to finish as it featured a big-time favorite being toppled by a relatively unknown underdog. Oxbow finished sixth at the Kentucky Derby, but it certainly will receive much more attention after winning the Preakness.

Of course, you do not have to own a horse, race one or even train one in order to make money.

The Preakness brings out plenty of bettors from people around the nation and around the world. Those that bet on Orb were certainly disappointed as the favorite failed to live up to expectations. The Kentucky Derby winner entered at 3-5 odds, but he finished outside of the money at Pimlico.

On the other hand, Oxbow earned those who bet on him quite a bit of money. The horse was one of the bigger long shots in the event and ended up providing a payout of $32.80 on a $2 bet. This was actually the second highest odds of any horse in the race after Titletown Five.

It seems like it is sometimes a good idea to go against the grain.

Here is a look at the full betting payouts for each of the top-three finishers.

Pos.	Horse	Win	Place	Show
1	Oxbow	$32.80	$12.00	$6.80
2	Itsmyluckyday		$7.80	$5.00
3	Mylute			$5.20

Now the attention turns to the Belmont Stakes, which is the final leg of the Triple Crown. Although Saturday's results guarantee that no horse will win all three races, there should still be plenty to watch in the next race.

Orb will try to get some redemption after a disappointing fourth-place finish. Rosie Napravnik will continue breaking down barriers as a female jockey. Oxbow will look to win two out of the three biggest races on the calendar.

There will be a lot of prestige on the line in the final race, and once again plenty of money.

Why a Triple Crown Winner Has Been so Elusive

Michael Dempsey — Sat, 18 May 2013 19:16:42 -0400

Three decades and counting horse racing fans have waited. A dozen times since Affirmed won the last Triple Crown a horse has shown up at Belmont Park looking to win Triple Crown and they all exited New York without it.

The Triple Crown talk heated up after Orb’s impressive victory in the Kentucky Derby two weeks ago, sending him into the Preakness Stakes as the 3-5 betting favorite, but his bid for history was extinguished by a heady gate-to-wire ride by hall of fame jockey Gary Stevens aboard Oxbow.

Alas, we will have to wait at least another year.

Why after having three Triple Crown winners in six years in the 1970’s has there been a void for more than three decades?

The Durability and Pedigree of Thoroughbreds

The most common reason given for a lack of a Triple Crown winner is the theory that horses are not as durable as they were generations ago.

It is true that horses are bred more for speed than stamina, and they race less often than generations ago.

Dr. Dean Richardson, chief of large animal surgery at the University of Pennsylvania’s New Bolton Center does not agree that horses today are more fragile. “There is a widely held belief that horses are less sound today than they were 30 to 50 years ago because horses back then raced more frequently and more horses had longer visible careers.”

“The problem I have with that interpretation is that I believe trainers actually are more tuned in to their horses’ problems today and are less inclined to race a horse with a known musculoskeletal lesion that increases risk of further injury.”

But the fact remains horses do race less today than their predecessors. When Secretariat won the Kentucky Derby in 1973 it was his 13^th career start. It was start number 14 for Affirmed. The 1949 Triple Crown champion Citation won the Derby in his 17^th start.

Two Triple Crown winners, Sir Barton (1919) and Count Fleet (1943) both won the Withers Stakes in between their wins in the Preakness and Belmont Stakes. That would never happen today.

With horses bred more for speed, top class horses rarely run in races longer than 1 1/8 miles, yet the Triple Crown races are all longer, and contested in a five-week span. Most top horses only race once every five or six week s. Last year’s Horse of the year Wise Dan only raced six times all year.

No Incentive for Derby Runners to Come Back for Preakness

Another reason it is so tough to sweep all three races is that there is no incentive for the horses that finish behind the winner in the Derby to wheel back in two weeks for the Preakness. It makes the Preakness easier to win, but then there are more fresher horses waiting to pull off the upset in the Belmont Stakes.

This year Orb did not have to face the Derby runner-up, third- or fourth-place finishers, as they bypassed the Preakness.

That might explain why a dozen Derby winners were able to come back and win the Preakness, but none of them were able to seal the deal three weeks later in the Belmont Stakes.

We also do not see the rivalries develop as often as we did in previous decades like in 1989 when Sunday Silence and Easy Goer developed one of the greatest rivalries of all-time.

Or when Real Quiet and Victory Gallop ran one-two in all three Triple Crown races in 1998, producing the most excruciating near-miss in the history of the Triple Crown. The Bob Baffert trainee swept the first two jewels of the Triple Crown, with the Elliot Walden trained Victory Gallop finishing second in both races.

In the Belmont Stakes Real Quiet, who was purchased for just $37,000, opened up a clear lead in the stretch under jockey Kent Desormeaux, and the first Triple Crown winner in two decades looked like a near certainty.

Victory Gallop and jockey Gary Stevens had other ideas, rallying strongly late while Real Quiet started to shorten stride, and nailed the Derby and Preakness winner in the last jump. The margin of victory was a nose.

Except for the Derby winner, there is no real incentive for trainers to put their horses through a three-race grind in a five-week span. There are lucrative races later in the summer for three-year-olds such as the Haskell Invitational at Monmouth Park and the Travers at Saratoga. The can pick their spots and skip one of the Triple Crown races if they so choose.

It's Just a Different Game Now, Void of That Special Horse

If there is a Triple Crown winner in the near future, the gentleman that will likely describe the history is veteran race announcer Larry Collmus, who has a theory on why the Triple Crown has been so elusive.

“I think it's because racing has changed so much over the years,” NBC's Collmus told Bleacher Report. “Horses are making fewer starts and spacing them apart more than they used to, while the Triple Crown has remained exactly the same. Those three races in a five-week span are unlike anything the modern day horses have gone through before. That's what makes it so hard, and so special.”

“Winning the Triple Crown takes a special horse, a special ride and a special training job,” Bruno De Julio, one of the top Triple Crown workout specialists, horse owner and publisher of leading horse racing website Racing With Bruno, told Bleacher Report. “Like Yogi Berra used to say – ‘the game is 60 percent physical and 75 percent mental’ – well, winning the Triple Crown is 75 percent horse and 80 percent racing luck.”

Perhaps we have just not seen the second coming of Secretariat and Seattle Slew yet, a horse talented and lucky enough to sweep the three races.

Until we do, winning the Triple Crown will continue to be one of the most elusive feats in all of sports.

Unless otherwise noted, all quotes were obtained first-hand.

Preakness 2013 Video: Highlights, Analysis and Earnings for Every Horse

Maxwell Ogden — Sat, 18 May 2013 19:15:07 -0400

The 2013 Preakness Stakes is in the books, and Oxbow won the prestigious event in stunning fashion.

Oxbow, led by jockey Gary Stevens and trainer D. Wayne Lukas, started from the No. 6 post and got off to a strong start. Surprisingly, Oxbow did not falter down the stretch, leading the race from the start and holding that advantage throughout.

Even with Itsmyluckyday's best efforts, Oxbow managed to hold on.

It was a legendary victory for all parties involved.

With the win, Stevens won his third career Preakness Stakes event after conquering Pimlico Race Course in 1997 and 2001. This is the third time that Stevens has completed the career Triple Crown, as he's won the Kentucky Derby, Preakness Stakes and Belmont Stakes three times each.

Nine collective victories in horse racing's prestigious event improves Stevens' status as one of the greatest jockeys to ever ride.

As for Lukas, the legendary trainer now owns six victories at the Preakness Stakes. This is the first time he's won at Pimlico since 1999, though, which suggests that his status amongst the greats has improved, as well.

So how did it all play out at the Preakness Stakes?

Place	Horse	Jockey	Trainer	Earnings
1	Oxbow	Gary Stevens	D. Wayne Lukas	$620,000
2	Itsmyluckyday	John Velazquez	Eddie Plesa Jr.	$200,000
3	Mylute	Rosie Napravnik	Tom Amoss	$100,00
4	Orb	Joel Rosario	Claude R. McGaughey	$50,000
5	Goldencents	Kevin Krigger	Doug O'Neill	$30,000
6	Departing	Brian Hernandez, Jr.	Albert M. Stall Jr.	N/A
7	Will Take Charge	Mike Smith	D. Wayne Lukas	N/A
8	Govenor Charlie	Martin Garcia	Bob Baffert	N/A
9	Titletown Five	Julien Leparoux	Eddie Plesa Jr.	N/A

Earnings via America's Best Racing.

Perhaps no story is as captivating leaving this race as the fact that Orb fell short in his bid to win the second leg of the Triple Crown. As inspiring as his Kentucky Derby win may have been, this comes with disappointment and underlying expectancy.

No horse has won the Triple Crown since Affirmed in 1978.

The 35-year dry spell continues.

With Orb's defeat, however, comes Oxbow's leap into the ranks of the elite. With a decorated trainer and jockey working with him, Oxbow has proved to be a force to be reckoned with as we approach the 2013 Belmont Stakes.

For what it's worth, both Stevens and Lukas have won multiple races at Belmont Park.

One of the more disappointing finishes belonged to Govenor Charlie, who reunited jockey Martin Garcia with Bob Baffert. The duo won the 2010 Preakness Stakes with Lookin At Lucky but finished in eighth place this year.

The term underwhelming is an understatement.

Fortunately, there were pleasant surprises, such as Oxbow winning and Mylute coming in third. Jockey Rosie Napravnik failed to become the first female winner at the Preakness Stakes but still displayed her upside.

The 25-year-old has a bright future.

With that being said, it all comes back to Oxbow, who shocked the world to win big. Oxbow won in dominant fashion, overcoming the odds and reminding us why the legends will always reign supreme.

It was a marvelous achievement for a deserving group.

Belmont Stakes 2013: Early Predictions Post-Preakness

Jessica Paquette — Sat, 18 May 2013 19:09:14 -0400

With the dust barely settling from the Preakness Stakes and the disappointment sinking in that horse racing will once again go without a Triple Crown winner, the gaze now switches to the Belmont Stakes.

The Belmont Stakes on June 8 is truly the test of champions. At a grueling 1 1/2 miles, it is farther than any of these horses have ever run in a race and longer than most will ever compete in again. After Oxbow turned in an upset performance in the Preakness Stakes, the Triple Crown is no longer a possibility for Orb.

Here are some early predictions about what to expect three weeks from now in the Belmont Stakes.

Begin Slideshow

Preakness 2013 Purse: Complete Payout List for Each Owner, Horse and Jockey

Tim Keeney — Sat, 18 May 2013 19:04:06 -0400

D. Wayne Lukas and Co. can now afford all the grass and oats that Oxbow desires.

With a clinical, wire-to-wire run at Pimlico Race Course on Saturday afternoon, Oxbow became the winner of the 138th running of the Preakness Stakes and earned his camp a cool $620,000 of the $1 million purse.

Not only that, but anyone who took a chance on the talented horse and his 50-year-old jockey, Gary Stevens, walked away with some impressive earnings themselves—the thoroughbred entered Saturday with 15-1 odds.

Here's a look at the final results (courtesy of NBC telecast):

Preakness 2013 Earnings

Finish	Post	Horse	Jockey	Owner	Earnings
1	6	Oxbow	Gary Stevens	Bluegrass Hall LLC	$620,000
2	9	Itsmyluckyday	John Velazquez	Laurie Plesa - Trilogy Stables	$200,000
3	5	Mylute	Rosie Nepravnik	Gold Mark Farm, LLC - Whisper Hill Farm	$100,000
4	1	Orb	Joel Rosario	Stuart S. Janney III - Phipps Stable	$50,000
5	2	Goldencents	Kevin Krigger	Dave Kenney - W.C. Racing	$30,000
6	4	Departing	Brian Hernandez Jr.	Adele B. Dilschneider - Claiborne Farm	$0
7	7	Will Take Charge	Mike Smith	Willis D. Horton	$0
8	8	Govenor Charlie	Martin Garcia	Michael E. Pegram	$0
9	3	Titletown Five	Julien Leparoux	William Davis, Paul Hornung, Ed Martin	$0

Preakness 2013 Payouts

Pos.	Horse	Win	Place	Show
1	Oxbow	$32.80	$12.00	$6.80
2	Itsmyluckyday		$7.80	$5.00
3	Mylute			$5.20

Notable Results

Fourth: Orb ($50,000)

Well, the race for the Triple Crown will last another year.

Kentucky Derby winner Orb entered Pimlico as the odds-on favorite in the second jewel of the Triple Crown, but when it looked like he was going to make another push toward the front of the pack, he got caught inside and wasn't able to make his move.

Nevertheless, a fourth-place finish and $50,000 isn't such a bad consolation prize for jockey Joel Rosario, who entered the race first in 2013 earnings for jockeys.

If Orb races at Belmont, he will still be a favorite.

Third: Mylute ($100,000)

Rosie Nepravnik didn't quite achieve the history she was hoping to make with a victory, though a third-place finish is nothing to be disappointed about.

She entered as the fifth-most successful jockey of the year, and this finish should only further entrench her as one of the world's most talented riders.

Nepravnik and Mylute were closing quickly in the final stretch, and at the mile-and-a-half Belmont Stakes, they should be an extremely popular pick.

Follow @t_keen

Hernandez-Harrison vs. Soto: Live Round-by-Round Updates and Analysis

Alejandro 'A-TRAIN' Burgos — Sat, 18 May 2013 19:02:46 -0400

It's fight night! Dusty Hernandez-Harrison (14-0, 8 KO) faces his toughest professional challenge in veteran Eddie Soto (12-6, 4 KO) on Saturday from the University of the District of Columbia Sports Complex in Washington, D.C.

The entire Champion Class fight card—which also includes up-and-coming prospect Mike "Yes Indeed" Reed—will be streamed live via Go Fight Live.

Hernandez-Harrison is looking to establish himself in the welterweight division with an impressive win against Soto. With Grammy nominated hip-hop artist Wale accompanying Hernandez-Harrison during his ring walk, all eyes will be on the young teenage fighter.

After a successful 12-0 start to his boxing career, Soto is looking to get back into the win column after dropping his last six fights. The Pawtucket, R.I. fighter looked in great shape at the weigh-in on Friday and will need to be on his A-game to hand Hernandez-Harrison his first loss.

Stay with us for live commentary of tonight's action.

Preakness 2013 Replay: Video, Highlights and Recap

Richard Langford — Sat, 18 May 2013 18:58:33 -0400

Oxbow helped derail Orb's chase toward history as Gary Stevens jockeyed his horse to a nearly wire-to-wire upset win in the 138th Preakness Stakes at Pimlico Race Course on Saturday afternoon.

Oxbow, trained by D. Wayne Lukas, finished in one minute, 57.54 seconds and won by one-and-three-fourths lengths.

Two Kentucky Derby also-rans rounded out the money finishers. Itsmyluckyday, ridden by Hall of Fame jockey John Velazquez and trained by Eddie Plesa Jr., took second. Mylute, ridden by Rosie Napravnik and trained by Tom Amoss, took third.

Orb, who was trying to become the 13th winner of the first two legs of the Triple Crown since Affirmed swept all three races in 1978, just never mounted his finishing kick.

He did not appear to handle starting on the rail well in his fourth-place effort. He was looking to become just the second horse since 1961 to win the Preakness after starting in Post No. 1.

The Associated Press tweeted the results:

The race got off to a clean start with Oxbow and Goldencents setting the early pace. Oxbow never tired and finished strong.

Check out the final results below:

Pos.	Horse	Jockey	Trainer	Post	Payout
1	Oxbow	Gary Stevens	D. Wayne Lukas	6	$32.80, $12.00, $6.80
2	Itsmyluckyday	John Velazquez	Eddie Plesa Jr.	9	$7.80, $5.00
3	Mylute	Rosie Napravnik	Tom Amoss	5	$5.20
4	Orb	Joel Rosario	Shug McGaughey	1
5	Goldencents	Kevin Krigger	Doug O'Neill	2
6	Departing	Brian Hernandez Jr	Albert M. Stall, Jr	4
7	Will Take Charge	Mike Smith	D. Wayne Lukas	7
8	Govenor Charlie	Martin Garcia	Bob Baffert	8
9	Titletown Five	Julien Leparoux	D. Wayne Lukas	3

For Hall of Fame trainer Lukas, this was his sixth Preakness win. He now moves into second place all time on the Preakness victory list. The win moved him out of a tie with Bob Baffert and Thomas J. Healey. It leaves him behind only Robert Wyndham Walden, who won the Preakness seven times.

Lukas certainly stood a good chance at claiming the top spot in the Preakness, as he had 33 percent of the field. Will Take Charge and Titletown Five are also Lukas horses.

Orb was so impressive in workouts leading up to the Preakness that Lukas, via the Block News Alliance's Rick Bozich, was inspired to say, "Orb's work the other day would make you not want to enter."

This was Lukas' 14th win in a Triple Crown race.

Bruce Beck of WNBC-TV tweeted this fun fact:

Hall of Fame jockey Stevens got his horse off to a strong start and was able to take the lead without having to set a punishing pace.

Stevens sounded like he had a blast. ESPN Pittsburgh's David Todd passed along this quote from Stevens:

ESPN highlighted the impressive tally of accomplishments for Stevens:

Oxbow finished sixth in the Derby, and he tired after a fast opening pace. This time he benefited from the smaller field and a strong run.

Oxbow's win leaves the June 8 Belmont wide open. No matter what happens now, we will have to wait at least another year for a Triple Crown winner.

2013 Preakness Results: Winner, Payouts and Order of Finish

Matt Fitzgerald — Sat, 18 May 2013 18:51:56 -0400

Oxbow raced out to first place right out of the gates, and he held off a late charge down the stretch to win the 2013 Preakness Stakes. The colt won by one-and-three-quarters lengths on Saturday at Baltimore's Pimlico Race Course.

Itsmyluckyday and Mylute finished second and third, respectively.

Despite maximum effort from Oxbow's closest competitors near the finish, they could never quite catch him. He also thwarted prohibitive favorite Orb's chances at capturing the Triple Crown.

Below are the full race results:

Pos.	Horse	Jockey	Trainer	Post
1	Oxbow	Gary Stevens	D. Wayne Lukas	6
2	Itsmyluckyday	John Velazquez	Eddie Plesa Jr.	9
3	Mylute	Rosie Napravnik	Tom Amoss	5
4	Orb	Joel Rosario	Shug McGaughey	1
5	Goldencents	Kevin Krigger	Doug O’Neill	2
6	Departing	Brian Hernandez Jr	Albert M. Stall, Jr	4
7	Will Take Charge	Mike Smith	D. Wayne Lukas	7
8	Govenor Charlie	Martin Garcia	Bob Baffert	8
9	Titletown Five	Julien Leparoux	D. Wayne Lukas	3

The No. 6 starting post continued to be magical for Gary Stevens and Oxbow, as ESPN Stats & Info highlighted after the wire-to-wire triumph:

Leading the Preakness the entire time is an extremely rare and impressive achievement, as Yahoo! Sports points out:

Trainer D. Wayne Lukas won his sixth career Preakness, and he set an all-time record with his 14th Triple Crown victory. Lukas is known for entering long shots into races, and fittingly it was the least likely of his three entries that gave him his most recent win.

Stevens set a moderate pace in the beginning, and he confidently pushed his speedy colt further when he saw no one seriously challenging.

Another Hall of Fame jockey in John Velazquez attempted a late charge down the final stretch, but it ultimately wasn't enough.

Rosie Napravnik was attempting to become the first female jockey to win the Preakness at the track she began her career at. Unfortunately, she got jumbled on the straightaway, and she needed to split too far to the outside.

There wasn't much suspense for Orb. He encountered traffic issues starting at post No. 1, and he recovered too late, ultimately finishing in fourth.

Below is the payout listings for the top three horses:

Horse	Win	Place	Show
Oxbow	$32.80	$12.00	$6.80
Itsmyluckyday	—	$7.80	$5.00
Mylute	—	—	$5.20

Exacta: (6-9) paid $301.40; Trifecta: (6-9-5) paid $2,061.40; $1 Superfecta: (6-9-5-1) paid $1,087.90.

This was a thrilling showcase, and it was a dominant performance by Stevens. The 50-year-old jockey retired for seven years before saddling up with Oxbow in the Kentucky Derby, where he ran to a sixth-place effort.

Before the race, Stevens indicated to NBC's Bob Costas that he was inspired by fellow aging jockey Mike Smith's success during his hiatus from horse racing. Stevens' return was clearly worth it, as he won his third Preakness Stakes and captured the coveted Woodlawn Vase.

Stephen Panus logged a clever comment Lukas made after the race, when he clearly had no sympathy over Orb's potential bid for horse racing's ultimate honor:

While some wind may be sucked out of June 8's Belmont Stakes, Lukas and Stevens don't mind. They've simply fortified their status among the best trainers and jockeys of all time.

Note: Statistics, odds and prior results, unless otherwise indicated, are courtesy of Preakness.com.

Preakness 2013 Winner: Complete Breakdown of Oxbow's Victory

Tyler Brooke — Sat, 18 May 2013 18:47:20 -0400

There was plenty of hype heading into the Preakness, with several horses earning plenty of attention before the race.

Despite the hype for a potential Triple Crown winner in Orb, it was Oxbow who won, and it really wasn’t close.

Oxbow had a very strong run, leading the entire race. Coming out of post No. 6, the young colt simply got the lead and held on for the entire race.

This was the first time a winner won by leading wire-to-wire in 31 years, according to a tweet by Yahoo! Sports.

Out of the gate, Oxbow got off to a great start. He pushed ahead and had a lead of two lengths heading into the first turn. Goldencents stayed close behind for quite some time, but faltered near the end.

Heading into the final stretch, it looked like Oxbow was going to win by a mile. Both Itsmyluckyday and Mylute did a good job of gaining some ground, but ended in second and third respectively.

Meanwhile, Orb disappointed many who were hoping for a Triple Crown threat. He stayed near the front for a while, but fell hard on the final stretch, finishing out of the money and nine lengths behind the leader.

Gary Stevens added another win to a very impressive career. The Hall of Famer now has three victories at the Preakness, with his third coming at 50 years old.

Having Stevens as his jockey certainly didn’t hurt Oxbow’s chances. Stevens rode him perfectly, maintaining the lead for the entire race.

D. Wayne Lukas did a fabulous job training this horse, earning yet another major racing win. This was his sixth victory at the Preakness, proving that he is one of the greatest trainers in the history of the sport.

With two Hall of Famers helping out Oxbow, it seemed only a matter of time for the horse to pull off a major win. He came in sixth back at the Kentucky Derby in early May, and his last win came in January.

The switch to Stevens as Oxbow’s jockey came in April. The two came in fifth at the Arkansas Derby, but it seemed Stevens was looking happy to be out of retirement.

It was quite a dominating performance for Oxbow. Even though there won't be a Triple Crown winner in 2013, fans can be impressed from a big win by Oxbow and keep hoping for next year.

Sharks Fined $100,000 for GM Doug Wilson's Comments on Raffi Torres' Suspension

Dan Talintyre — Sat, 18 May 2013 18:41:11 -0400

The San Jose Sharks have been fined $100,000 for comments made by general manager Doug Wilson regarding the suspension of forward Raffi Torres.

The NHL suspended Torres for the remainder of San Jose's second-round series against the defending champion Los Angeles Kings after a hit on Jarret Stoll in Game 1—something that Wilson felt was an overreaction by the league and simply a result of Torres' past decisions influencing his current punishment.

According to NHL.com, Wilson addressed the suspension in an official statement on Friday:

Upon review of the incident, it is abundantly clear that this was a clean hockey hit. ... Comparing the facts of this incident against the actual wording of Rule 48.1, it appears that the NHL has not only made an inappropriate application of this rule but is trying to make an example out of a player who is being judged on past events.

The general manager also pointed out that Torres has dramatically changed regarding penalty minutes this season, taking "only six minor penalties in 39 games."

This comes, of course, after the league suspended the forward 25 games last season for a hit on Marian Hossa in the first round of the playoffs. It later reduced the suspension to 21 games, which still carried over into the start of the 2013 season.

However, the NHL didn't feel the same way about Wilson's comments and fined the team due to the timing and inappropriate nature of the remarks.

According to the league statement on NHL.com:

The fine was issued for violation of League Rules that prohibit formal team statements to the media during the 48-hour period following a disciplinary decision. The Rule calls for an automatic fine of $25,000. The Sharks were fined an additional $75,000 under Article 6 of the League's Constitution due to the inappropriate nature of the comments.

The fine comes at a frustrating time for the Sharks, who find themselves trailing 2-0 in their second-round series against the Kings heading into Game 3.

The Sharks squandered a late 3-2 lead in Game 2 to lose 4-3, and they have looked far from the team that swept the Vancouver Canucks in the first round.

Game 3 is scheduled for 9 p.m. ET on Saturday.

Hit me up on Twitter for more sports goodness: Follow @dantalintyre

NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race 2013: Live Results, Updates and Reaction

Michael Guadalupe — Sat, 18 May 2013 18:37:07 -0400

The Sprint All-Star Race is not your normal NASCAR race.

The biggest difference between the All-Star race and other regular-season races is the potential for drivers to put everything on the line. Unlike normal races during the regular season, the All-Star race isn’t for points.

Instead, drivers are competing for a grand prize of up to $2 million.

The race is broken down into four segments of 20 laps and a fifth segment that is a 10-lap dash for the win. If a driver manages to get the sweep by winning all five segments, he can walk away with the $2 million prize. If no one gets the sweep, $1 million will be awarded to the race winner.

There’s also the Sprint Showdown, where two drivers who weren’t eligible for the All-Star race will get a chance to race for the potential $2 million grand prize, if they can manage to finish the Sprint Showdown in first or second.

Lastly, fans will have the opportunity to vote one driver into the All-Star race, rounding out the field of 22 drivers.

The All-Star race and Sprint Showdown aren’t like the other races of the regular season, and with NASCAR constantly changing the rules of the race to keep it interesting, this year’s All-Star race will be one to watch.

Join us here on Bleacher Report as we cover the race live.

Preakness Results: Recapping the Exciting Action from 138th Race

Jesse Reed — Sat, 18 May 2013 18:35:43 -0400

Oxbow won the 2013 Preakness Stakes in wire-to-wire fashion, beating out Itsmyluckyday and Mylute with an impressive sprint to finish the race.

Starting from the No. 6 post, jockey Gary Stevens guided Oxbow to a masterful race. The duo got off to a brilliant start and never looked back. According to ESPN Stats & Info, the No. 6 post has produced more victories than any other spot for this race:

The weather wasn't a factor in this race, as the little bit of rain that did fall on Saturday wasn't enough to muddy up the track.

Instead, the cool conditions and cloud cover provided the perfect setting for Oxbow's brilliant victory, as you can see here, courtesy of the Preakness Stakes on Twitter:

In second place behind Oxbow was Itsmyluckyday. Hall of Fame jockey John Velazquez engineered a brilliant race, but the duo couldn't come up with the right combination to win. Rosie Napravnik and Mylute also finished in the money by coming in at third place.

Here's a quick look at the final standings, courtesy of the NBC broadcast.

Pos.	Horse	Jockey	Trainer	Post
1	Oxbow	Gary Stevens	D. Wayne Lukas	6
2	Itsmyluckyday	John Velazquez	Eddie Plesa Jr.	9
3	Mylute	Rosie Napravnik	Tom Amoss	5
4	Orb	Joel Rosario	Claude McGaughey	1
5	Goldencents	Kevin Krigger	Doug O'Neill	2
6	Departing	Brian Hernandez Jr.	Albert M. Stall Jr.	4
7	Will Take Charge	Mike Smith	D. Wayne Lukas	7
8	Govenor Charlie	Martin Garcia	Bob Baffert	8
9	Titletown Five	Julien Leparoux	D. Wayne Lukas	3

Horse racing fans were treated to a fabulous race, but the action on the track wasn't the only treat to be found at the Pimlico Race Course on Saturday.

ESPN's Darren Rovell was at the race, and while he waited for the Preakness to begin he posted an image of the official drink of the Preakness, which is called a "Black-Eyed Susan":

Those must taste better than they look, because the crowd was in high spirits before, during and after the race.

Oxbow's wire-to-wire victory was the first at the Preakness in 31 years, according to Yahoo! Sports:

It was certainly a shocker, as Orb (fourth place) was a 3-5 favorite to win the race before the start. Obviously losing this chance at a Triple Crown will be tough for trainer Claude McGaughey and jockey Joel Rosario to handle.

Given Oxbow's impressive sixth-place finish at the Kentucky Derby and his win on Saturday, it's clear that this is a horse to be taken seriously in the last leg of the Triple Crown, should Lukas decide to run him.

Follow me on Twitter @JesseReed78

Preakness 2013 Results: Complete Standings for Entire Field

Rob Goldberg — Sat, 18 May 2013 18:31:26 -0400

The 138th Preakness Stakes featured a major upset as Oxbow was able to take down Orb and the rest of the field to win the prestigious race.

Starting from the No. 6 post, the horse got off to a strong start in this nine-horse field, holding the lead from wire to wire. Orb, the Kentucky Derby winner, came in with 3-5 odds but finished in fourth place.

For the 35th year in a row, there will be no Triple Crown winner.

Finishing in second place was Itsmyluckyday, while Rosie Napravnik's Mylute also had a strong showing, finishing in third place.

Here is a look at the full standings:

Pos.	Horse	Jockey	Trainer	Post
1	Oxbow	Gary Stevens	D. Wayne Lukas	6
2	Itsmyluckyday	John Velazquez	Eddie Plesa Jr.	9
3	Mylute	Rosie Napravnik	Tom Amoss	5
4	Orb	Joel Rosario	Shug McGaughey	1
5	Goldencents	Kevin Krigger	Doug O’Neill	2
6	Departing	Brian Hernandez Jr	Albert M. Stall, Jr	4
7	Will Take Charge	Mike Smith	D. Wayne Lukas	7
8	Govenor Charlie	Martin Garcia	Bob Baffert	8
9	Titletown Five	Julien Leparoux	D. Wayne Lukas	3

Oxbow was a bit of a long shot in this race after an average performance at Churchill Downs when he finished in sixth place. However, veteran jockey Gary Stevens helped the horse run a perfect race to get the best of this strong field.

Orb came into the race as the overwhelming favorite after winning the Kentucky Derby by 2.5 lengths. Jockey Joel Rosario proved his skill in that event by leading his mount on a come-from-behind victory over the large field.

At Pimlico, however, this team was unable to win for the sixth race in a row, and it will lead to a Belmont Stakes with less energy.

Goldencents had another disappointing showing after coming in as one of the favorites. He was expected to do well at Churchill Downs, but he ended up in 17th place. This time around, he could not finish in the money in a much smaller field.

Bob Baffert also had high expectations for Govenor Charlie after the horse was forced to miss the Kentucky Derby. The trainer had five career wins at the Preakness Stakes, but he could not do the same this time around.

D. Wayne Lukas had the most invested in this race with three horses in the field: Oxbow, Titletown Five and Will Take Charge. While the latter two did not finish in the money, he should be more than excited with his sixth career win at the Preakness.

Rosie Napravnik was looking to become the first female jockey ever to win the Preakness Stakes aboard Mylute. She ended in third place, although this is still a major accomplishment. She continues to break down boundaries after having the highest finish for a woman at the Kentucky Derby earlier this month.

As exciting of a race as this was, it still comes with disappointment. Orb is still a very talented horse and should compete at the Belmont along with Oxbow and others, but there is certain to be much less excitement for the Long Island race.

Still, Oxbow deserves all the credit for a strong performance to win the 2013 Preakness.

Follow @TheRobGoldberg

David Beckham Rings in Retirement with Emotional Final Home Game

Tyler Conway — Sat, 18 May 2013 18:12:32 -0400

It was a sendoff fit for a legend.

Playing in the final home match of his career—and presumably the final match of his career—David Beckham was once again triumphant. His club, Paris Saint-Germain, took rival Brest to the woodshed, defeating them 3-1 at Parc des Princes on Saturday.

For Beckham, who announced his retirement at age 38 earlier this week, the match was full of touching moments. He was given the captain's sleeve one last time for PSG, a team for which Beckham had played in nine Ligue 1 games prior to Saturday evening. The fans in attendance, knowing what a momentous occasion they were witnessing, continuously chanted "Merci, David" whenever they got a chance.

And Beckham, admittedly not in peak form at this point of his career, played a very nice match. There were no bending, game-winning goals—this isn't a movie, after all. Those smashes went to the back of the net off the feet of the ascending Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Blaise Matuidi.

But there were tears—and plenty of them. As Beckham was substituted off the pitch at the 82nd-minute mark for Ezequiel Lavezzi, nearly everyone in the stands and I'll venture to say watching on television could barely keep his or her composure. Even the normally reserved Beckham understandably came unglued as PSG stopped the match to honor one of the greats.

The Associated Press' Rob Harris sent out a picture of the emotional scene:

It was the kind of moment you so rarely see in sports today. There was no animosity toward Beckham from either side for stealing the moment in a Brett Favrian way.There was just respect from everyone on the pitch and those watching in the stands and at home.

As Beckham was being substituted, there was an outpouring of congratulatory tweets, including one from British television personality Tim Lovejoy:

Adidas' UK Twitter feed had a wonderful prepared tweet ready for Beckham's final sendoff:

Others, as captured here by a Beckham fan page, simply wanted to see the star midfielder back for one more year:

Barring an unforeseen change of heart, there won't be that one more year—and perhaps that's a good thing. The scene in Paris on Saturday was the type one hopes for when sending off a hero to ride into the sunset. Beckham was the star kissing his hands and waving goodbye, not the one putting a towel over his head as his career ends with flailing embarrassment.

And that touching scene at Parc des Princes will be forever planted in the back of all world football fans' minds. It will be the perfect time to say goodbye to a player who may not have been the greatest in history, but arguably had the most global impact of any man to ever set foot on the pitch.

Yes, other stars like Pele also came to the United States late in their careers. But none carried the cultural mainstream clout of Beckham, who was one of the first stars to ever embrace this 24/7 news cycle we so often deride. David Beckham was at all points in his career a soccer player first, and yet it's hard to avoid thinking of him as a celebrity second.

Beckham's off-the-pitch ventures were well-covered—often too much so. He's been a model for high-fashion magazines, made pitches for multinational companies like Coca-Cola and made cameo appearances in movies—and had one filmed using his name.

Hell, Beckham even married a '90s pop icon, Victoria a.k.a. Posh Spice, and the duo were covered with a digital-age glee even before the technological boom. Becks and Posh were William and Kate before the duo were even out of high school.

Of course, all of that was secondary behind Beckham's excellence on the field. He captained the English national team for 59 matches, fourth all-time behind greats Bobby Moore, Billy Wright and Bryan Robson. And Beckham is the only Englishman ever to score in three World Cups.

On the club side, Beckham leaves Paris Saint-Germain in a familiar place—as a champion. The Paris-based club will wrap up its Ligue 1 championship in a road match versus Lorient on May 26.

The ongoing stat that most have pointed to is that Beckham has always left a team better than when he came. Manchester United, Real Madrid, the Los Angeles Galaxy and PSG all won titles in his final season with the club. Even when Beckham was no longer the greatest player on the pitch, he brought a boundless energy and winning attitude that was infectious with teammates.

Perhaps it was Sir Alex Ferguson, himself heading into retirement, that described his former player best in an interview with the BBC.

"He could run all day, and that has allowed him to stay in the game at that kind of level, playing for his country in his mid 30s," said Ferguson. "Coming from American football to do that is quite amazing, and he is an amazing person."

There may have been tears shed and heavy hearts had on Saturday, but after over two decades of service to the sport, David Beckham can finally stop running.

WWE Extreme Rules Preview: Brock Lesnar Should Beat Triple H

John Canton — Sat, 18 May 2013 18:11:53 -0400

It is WWE Extreme Rules time. I remember last year's event fondly. The top matches like John Cena vs. Brock Lesnar, CM Punk vs. Chris Jericho and Sheamus vs. Daniel Bryan were all great.

The undercard was just okay, although Brodus Clay beating Dolph Ziggler in four minutes hurt my head. It was the best pay-per-view of 2012. If I made a list of best WWE pay-per-views ever, it might be in the top 15 or 20. It was that good.

This year? I don't expect it to be as good. For one thing, the storylines heading into the show are just okay. None are excellent. There's also a lack of star power with no sign of CM Punk (out resting knee and arm injuries) and Dolph Ziggler missing in action due to a concussion. They are two of the best performers in WWE. It's hard to replace guys like that.

This year's Extreme Rules pay-per-view event is an average card. If the right matches get the most time, then it could be great. If some matches that should be kept shorter are given too much time, then it will hurt the show.

Generally speaking, WWE does an excellent job of timing their pay-per-views. The in-ring action is usually above average, too. My expectations aren't too high or too low. They're somewhere in the middle. Like I said, it has the makings of an average show.

The Miz vs. Cody Rhodes (Pre-Show)

There's not much in terms of build for this one. Maybe WWE can say that Miz is the most "must-see pre-show wrestler ever" like they did before WrestleMania or whatever the hell they were trying to say there. Neither guy has much direction these days. They're in the midcard not doing a whole lot. It would be nice if Rhodes had a bigger role. Miz will go over in a five-minute match to get a babyface win to start the show.

Winner: The Miz

Chris Jericho vs. Fandango

This feud has lost a lot of the momentum from where it began. This is one of the few matches on the card that is a WrestleMania rematch and it doesn't have a stipulation. That's weird. At least the stipulation doesn't have to do with dancing.

Jericho's promo near the end of Raw was good when he said he was sick of the guy and just wanted to beat him. Why couldn't they have done that instead of the terrible build that this feud had? It's as if the creative team realized how awful the feud was and had Jericho improvise that promo.

If they get 10-15 minutes it could be an entertaining match. Fandango won at WrestleMania, so a Jericho win makes sense especially if it leads to a third match. If it was me booking, I'd put Fandango over because as the newer character he should get the big win.

However, I'm picking based on a WWE booking perspective and since I think there will be another match in the feud, I'll pick Jericho to get his win back here. If there's a third match, I'd pick Fandango to win that to end the feud.

Winner: Chris Jericho

United States Title: Kofi Kingston vs. Dean Ambrose

I'm a fan of both guys (Ambrose more than Kingston) and it's a fresh matchup, so I'm looking forward to it. I've had a tough time deciding on this prediction. They have had six weeks between WrestleMania and Extreme Rules, yet this feud feels like it was thrown together within the last week. Shouldn't they plan these feuds better? Of course they should.

On the one hand, I think it's unlikely for Kingston to beat Ambrose clean just because I think Ambrose is booked strong and Kingston isn't a big enough name to go over him. It may be too soon to get the title off Kingston, since he's had some great matches since he's been the champion and keeping that momentum going could be a good thing.

I think the most likely finishes are Kingston retaining via disqualification (due to other Shield members) or Ambrose gets the title. Since I don't like predicting DQ finishes very often, I'll pick Ambrose. A screwy finish wouldn't surprise me because I think it's a bit too soon to get the title off of Kingston.

Then again maybe he is just a transitional champion between Cesaro and Ambrose. There are so many ways they can go with this one.

Winner: Dean Ambrose

Tag Team Championship: Team Hell No (Kane & Daniel Bryan) vs. The Shield's Roman Reigns & Seth Rollins (Tag Team Tornado Match)

It's time to do the tag title change. I've been predicted it for a while now, but now that The Shield are positioned as the top contenders, it's time to put some gold on them. Even though I think that Kane & Bryan holding the tag titles since September has been a great thing for the tag titles, it's time to move on.

I want to see Bryan pushed as a singles babyface star. Getting the tag titles puts over The Shield as a great team and it also opens that door for Bryan to ascend as a performer. He's too good to be in the tag division for much longer.

This could be one of the better matches on the show. I'm a fan of tornado tag matches where all four guys can wrestle at the same time. They have built up some chemistry too, so I'm looking forward to this one a lot. Hopefully it gets 15 minutes of in-ring time, but I think 10 minutes is more likely.

Winners: Roman Reigns & Seth Rollins

Alberto Del Rio vs. Jack Swagger (I Quit Match)

It's a shame that Dolph Ziggler has a concussion because I was really looking forward to the three-way ladder match for the World Title. I thought it was going to be the match of the night.

Now that Ziggler is out, they've replaced it with this "I Quit" match, which is a #1 Contender match even though there are two other midcard matches on the show that seem like a bigger deal (Orton/Show and Sheamus/Henry).

The "I Quit" stipulation works for them because of their submission holds. Their SmackDown match about a month ago was better than WrestleMania, so hopefully this match is more the SmackDown match was.

I think Del Rio will win because he's the babyface that makes more sense as an opponent of Ziggler. With that said, I don't know if they'll do Ziggler vs. Del Rio at the next pay-per-view, Payback. I can see them setting up a feud with Ziggler and Orton in the near future.

Winner: Alberto Del Rio

Sheamus vs. Mark Henry (Strap Match)

I've liked the feud. I don't really like the Strap Match stipulation, though. It limits what you can do in the match. Basically, there will be a lot of whipping with the strap without much else. They can use weapons technically, but with so many other matches with weapons likely to be used, I doubt they use anything other than a ladder.

I'm a fan of Mark Henry's work since he returned, so I hope he goes over here. I don't think a loss hurts either guy that much. I'll pick Henry because I think he's a future pay-per-view opponent of John Cena and a win here would certainly help. It's rare for Sheamus to lose, though, so I'm not that sure about this one.

Winner: Mark Henry

Randy Orton vs. Big Show (Extreme Rules Match)

It feels like a matchup that is filler in a lot of ways. Why? Because they haven't done anything to really create interest in the storyline. Show cost Orton a match at WrestleMania, but it's not like that WrestleMania match was memorable anyway. It was just a regular match.

Here we are six weeks later and they have done little to add to the story. Orton's mannerisms are the same. Show is still the dominating heel. I'm not sure if Orton's long-rumored heel turn is even a plan at this point. Whether it's a plan or not, I have Orton winning this match. It makes more sense to me.

Winner: Randy Orton

Triple H vs. Brock Lesnar (Steel Cage Match)

It's the feud that didn't really need a second match, yet here we are with the third match. If Lesnar loses this match, then WWE really has their priorities screwed up. I realize that Lesnar is on a limited schedule, but it's not like Triple H is wrestling all the time, either. You can't keep booking Lesnar as this devastating heel monster if he continues to loses matches (he's 1-2 since he came back last year).

It's pretty simple: give Lesnar the win. I think the Steel Cage setting should allow them to have a physical style of match with some good drama including nearfalls as well as each guy trying to escape the cage. The best way for Lesnar to win is in a clean fashion. I hope that's what happens.

This might be the longest match on the card just because their previous two matches went 19 minutes (Summerslam) and 24 minutes (WrestleMania 29). It's a Triple H match. His matches always go long. It's not like he's going to book a match where he loses in 10 minutes. That would be wonderful for Lesnar, but I doubt that happens. Hunter's one of the strongest performers in the company even as an aging part-timer.

A decisive Lesnar win in 12 minutes is what I would do. But I'm not booking. I think Lesnar will still win, but it will not be as decisive as it should be.

Winner: Brock Lesnar

WWE Championship: John Cena vs. Ryback (Last Man Standing Match)

There are some people out there that have been messaging me for weeks saying that due to Cena's foot injury he should lose the WWE Title to Ryback. I don't agree.

Are you forgetting about the nearly two-year journey that Cena was on to win back the WWE Title? I really don't think he's going to lose the WWE Title in his first pay-per-view title defense. This is John Cena. He doesn't lose very often, especially one month into a title reign.

I guess it's a positive that people even think Ryback has a chance. I don't see him winning, though. Maybe if they do another pay-per-view match, but even then I doubt it.

The feud has been okay, but I worry about this match in terms of quality. I don't know if they have good chemistry. Obviously, they've been working on house shows a lot in the past month as a practice run for this match. I saw Ryback have longer matches with great workers like Daniel Bryan and Chris Jericho in the last month on SmackDown. They were fine. Not great, though. Against Cena? I have my worries.

The Last Man Standing match is a good stipulation because they can use weapons and have a brawl. The problem is we saw two LMS matches with Del Rio and Big Show already this year, so it doesn't seem that fresh of a stipulation.

Ultimately, I think Cena wins after 15 minutes of taking punishment and looking like a badass by coming back to win the match despite his foot injury.

Winner: John Cena

John Canton is a Featured Columnist at Bleacher Report. You can read more of his work at his website TJRWrestling.com. He also writes for LayfieldReport.com. You can follow John on Twitter @johnreport.

HP Byron Nelson Championship 2013: Day 3 Leaderboard Analysis and Highlights

Richard Langford — Sat, 18 May 2013 18:04:43 -0400

Keegan Bradley kept his lead at the Byron Nelson, but after firing a two-under 68 on Saturday, his lead is shrinking.

It was a hot day on the course, and scoring conditions were tough on the fast greens. As a result, no one made a big move up the leaderboard in the third round.

However, after Bradley began the day with a three-shot lead, he ended it with just a one-stroke advantage.

Sang Moon-Bae is stands alone in second at 12-under.

Meanwhile, Scott Piercy and Tom Gillis sit at 10-under and eight golfers are within five strokes of the lead.

Have a look at the leaderboard, and then I'll recap Saturday's action.

Pos.	Player	Scores	Rd. 3	Total
1	Keegan Bradley	60-69	68	-13
2	Sang-Moon Bae	66-66	66	-12
3	Tom Gillis	69-63	67	-11
4	Scott Piercy	66-68	66	-10
T5	Gary Woodland	69-65	68	-8
T5	Harris English	64-70	68	-8
T5	John Huh	69-64	69	-8
T5	Charl Schwartzel	63-70	69	-8
9	Nathan Green	67-68	68	-7

Note: For complete scores, visit PGA.com. All statistics, videos and other information, unless otherwise indicated, are courtesy of PGATour.com.

Bradley looked intent on slamming the door early on this tournament as birdied No. 3 to move to 12-under with a solid approach and wonderful putt:

However, Bradley quickly gave the field some hope as he bogeyed holes Nos. 5 and 6 to fall to 10-under. As we've seen with Bradley, a few bogeys does not mean he is falling apart.

After all, he had two bogeys on Thursday went he set a course record by carding a 60. Bradley birdied Nos. 7 and 9 to finish the front at one-under and hold a comfortable lead at 12-under.

The 18th hole continues to plague Bradley. His tee shot almost landed in the water and it was close enough to a rock that he merely had to chip into the fairway.

He was not able to get up and down, and for the third straight round he bogeyed the closing hole.

Still, Champions Tour golfer Larry Mowry loves Bradley's chance to take this event wire-to-wire:

If he does pull this off, he will be the first wire-to-wire winner of this event since Tom Watson in 1980.

Sang-Moon Bae will do his best to prevent that from happening.

Bae, who is looking for his first PGA win, got off to a great start. He birdied the first and second hole to quickly get to 10-under.

With his accuracy off the tee coming and going, Bae was having a hard time staying consistent. However, he dropped just one stroke to the course. That came on the par-three fifth, when he carded a four.

A birdie at No. 8 earned the stroke back, and when he stuck this wonderful approach on No. 13, he moved to 11-under and was right in the thick of the hunt:

Bae closed his round strong, playing the final 13 holes bogey free. If he can hit enough fairways on Sunday, he will have a great shot at victory.

Meanwhile, playing safe and smart golf, Gillis didn't suffer a bogey until the par-three seventeenth, and he quickly picked that stroke back up with a birdie on No. 18.

He has tremendous touch around and on the greens. He has .568 strokes gained-putting over the first three rounds. So, even when he misses the greens, he is a good bet to get a par.

And he got a lot of pars—13 of them to be exact.

Another golfer to watch on Sunday will be Scott Piercy. He fired a four-under 66, and showed he can make a move in a hurry on this course by knocking in six birdies on the day.

This remarkable putt on No. 17 helped him get the final of his birdies.

Piercy will begin the final round three shots off the lead at 10-under, and is one of the many golfers with a strong shot at victory.

All of this sets up for what should be a remarkable final round.

Rosie Napravnik Must Run Perfect Race to Become 1st Female Preakness Winner

Tim Keeney — Sat, 18 May 2013 18:01:42 -0400

At the Kentucky Derby, Rosie Napravnik made history with a wonderful ride atop Mylute. At the Preakness Stakes on Saturday, she'll have to be even better.

With her fifth-place finish at Churchill Downs earlier this month, the 25-year-old Napravnik earned the best placing ever by a female rider at the Derby. If she's going to continue her assault on the record books and become the first female jockey to win the second jewel of the Triple Crown, she and trusty thoroughbred Mylute will have to find a way to best Orb.

That's no easy task—the Kentucky Derby winner, ridden by red-hot jockey Joel Rosario, is quickly steamrolling his way toward the illustrious Triple Crown.

At Churchill, Rosario delivered a perfect race atop Orb, biding his time at the back before using a blazing finish to take home the comfortable victory.

Since then, the talented horse has only continued to gain momentum. On the morning of the Preakness, he stood as a 1-1 overwhelming favorite.

Still, Orb is beatable—especially against the nearly consensus second option and closest finisher of any of the five Derby runners also in the Preakness.

It's just going to take a flawless ride by Napravnik.

First, take a look at her and Mylute at the Kentucky Derby:

As you'll notice, the young jockey rode nearly the exact same race as Rosario. Mylute stayed far behind the opening pace, sitting in "18th, 17th, 16th and 9th at points of call from the quarter-mile to one mile." Then when he made his run, it was like a horse-shaped rocket being shot out of a cannon, propelling him to a fifth-place finish.

The takeaway? Mylute is a closer, plain and simple.

That may not seem ideal on a shorter Pimlico track that favors speed, but if Napravnik begins her run earlier—and just as importantly, before Rosario—it could work.

Her post position will make that possible:

Orb, on the other hand, is on the rail at No. 1. He has the talent to get to the outside, cover an enormous amount of ground and still win; however, combine the shorter course and Mylute's easier route to the space on the outside, and this sets up perfectly for Napravnik.

However, not only does she need to time her push perfectly and run a complete race (no big deal), her success may come down to something of a cliche:

She needs to relax and do what she always does—something that should be easy considering her experience at Pimlico, according to Claire Novak of BloodHorse.com:

She may not be a Maryland native, but Rosie Napravnik remembers galloping horses at Pimlico Race Course before she even earned her jockey's license, then winning the first race of her career at the oval in 2005.

"I think that this track is stereotypically called a speed-biased track, but, honestly, I've ridden on this track a million times and I really think that it's a fair track," she said. "I don't think it's going to be any disadvantage to us coming from behind, and it's a very long stretch."

Napravnik is going to have to be at her very best to upset Rosario and Orb, but there is no better place for her to make history—again.

Grizzlies vs. Spurs Western Conference Finals Is More Awesome Than You Think

Jesse Dorsey — Sat, 18 May 2013 17:58:09 -0400

As the Memphis Grizzlies and San Antonio Spurs are set to square off in the Western Conference Finals, there's a ton of different opinions on every aspect of the game.

Ask any basketball fan and they'll give you their opinion on who is going to win, who is the series X-factor, which team has the better frontcourt, which style of play will dominate the flow and whether or not the series is as interesting as it could have been.

Sure, it would have been neat to see the Los Angeles Lakers actually work out well together and play the completely healthy Oklahoma City Thunder in the Western Conference Finals, but where's the fun in that?

While the Grizzlies-Spurs matchup is nowhere near surprising, given the way the postseason has unfolded, a similar prediction at the beginning of the season would have been a long shot.

Here we have the Grizzlies, playing a style of basketball that has yielded over 100 points just four times in 11 playoff games, taking on the Spurs, a mythically "boring" dynasty.

San Antonio has been to the Western Conference Finals eight times now in the past 15 seasons, winning the NBA Finals in four of those attempts and now going for their fifth.

The Grizzlies, in existence since 1995, will be playing in the first conference finals in team history.

If you can't get excited about these two teams playing each other, there are probably other sports for you to check out.

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Preakness Odds: Assessing Long Shots with Best Value

Alex Ballentine — Sat, 18 May 2013 17:45:47 -0400

As the Preakness rapidly approaches, bettors will be flooding in to make their final bets before the race kicks off at 6:20 p.m. ET.

While Orb has maintained his status as the distinct race favorite, a few long shots still have the potential to outperform their current odds. Here are the latest odds from Bovada.

Post	Horse	Odds
1	Orb	1-1
2	Goldencents	8-1
3	Titletown Five	30-1
4	Departing	6-1
5	Mylute	5-1
6	Oxbow	15-1
7	Will Take Charge	12-1
8	Govenor Charlie	12-1
9	Itsmyluckyday	10-1

Here are the long shots that have the best chance at pushing the favorites and putting in a good performance.

Will Take Charge

Will Take Charge may not have the best odds, but Mike Smith is one of the most savvy jockeys in the sport. The 47-year-old took Bodemeister to the second-place finish at last year's Preakness and has a ton of experience on the track.

The horse took a first-place finish at the Rebel Stakes over fellow Preakness contender Oxbow, so we know that he's capable of beating horses in the field. A disappointing eighth-place finish at the Derby isn't the only indication of the kind of sprinter he is.

With Smith's experience and Will Take Charge's sprinting ability, 12-1 odds should be tempting for anyone looking to make last-minute picks.

Govenor Charlie

Also coming in with 12-1 odds is Govenor Charlie.

This colt doesn't have the big-time experience of some of the other horses in the field, but that only increases his value. The fact that he hasn't run against the best competition keeps his odds high but also means that he should be in prime condition to run his best race.

He has the pedigree to contend, too. He, like Mylute, was sired by Midnight Lute.

As evidenced by his record-setting run at the Sunland Derby where he ran a 1:47.54 time on the 1-1/8 mile track, Govenor Charlie has the speed to surprise a lot of people at Pimlico.

David Beckham's Recent Success Will Have Huge Long-Term Impact for PSG

Dan Talintyre — Sat, 18 May 2013 17:45:14 -0400

David Beckham—like he's done so many times before—finished his career a winner, with Paris Saint Germain running out 3-1 winners over Brest in the final game.

Having lit up the world with his dazzling skills in England, Spain, the United States and now France, Beckham's decision to call it quits did come as somewhat of a surprise. Then again, so did his move over the transfer window to join the French club in the first place.

And whilst it might not seem like it just yet, the fact is that Beckham's presence and success in the French capital could very well have a long-term impact for PSG.

Simply having him around in 2013 could lead to great long-term success.

Now that might seem like an overreaction and simply more hype surrounding the 38-year-old, but it is the reality. Beckham's presence shows that a club is heading in the right direction. The success he so often has at those clubs further proves that to be the case. His incredible trophy cabinet—filled from victories from around the world—would also testify to his success.

However, what will be most significant for PSG is the longevity of that success.

Having won their first league title in 19 years once Beckham arrived at the club, PSG finally began to show that their millions of dollars purchasing players like Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Thiago Silva, Lucas Moura and plenty more, was finally worth it.

And what's more, they showed that they can be a competitive force in the Champions League—a competition they'll be back in after their Ligue 1 success.

The atmosphere in the French club at the moment is one of excitement, not one of sadness about Beckham's departure. That much can be seen from their final game against Brest, where Jerome Pugmire (Associated Press) reports that the scenes in Paris looked like they were at one big party.

PSG's players walked out to a thunderous reception and with Nirvana's “Smells like Teen Spirit” reverberating around the Parc des Princes stadium. PSG right back Christophe Jallet dyed his hair in the blue, white and red of the French flag, while the players all wore next season’s team jerseys.

It was optimism, not disappointment, that was the focal point of Beckham's last game, and if the success he's had previously is anything to go by, PSG are in for a wild ride in the near future.

Following his departure, Manchester United have won six Premier League titles, numerous league cups and the Champions League. Real Madrid have had similar success in La Liga, and whilst his success at the Los Angeles Galaxy is not yet known, we can only assume it will be just as powerful.

Paris Saint Germain have every right to be excited about what the future might bring, for their short-term success with Beckham has been a rousing success.

They're continuing to land some of the biggest stars in world football and, perhaps most importantly, they have supporters excited about the future of the club.

No amount of money or managing can do that—only the players can—and thanks to Beckham, PSG have once again captured the hearts of the French capital.

He has established a great culture in his short time there, and whatever future success that the French club has will no doubt come back to that fact.

Hit me up on Twitter for more sports goodness: Follow @dantalintyre

Jordan's Jersey Debacle

Daily Cold Hard Facts — Sat, 18 May 2013 17:39:47 -0400

Fact: After his jerseys were stolen from the visitors' locker room when the team was on the road against the Orlando Magic, Jordan had to wear a No. 12 jersey.

Bleacher Report will be bringing sports fans the most interesting and engaging Cold Hard Fact of the day, presented by Coors Light.

Tottenham Hotspur: Spurs Enter Final Day in Familiar Position

Frank Wagner — Sat, 18 May 2013 17:31:47 -0400

When Tottenham's match against Sunderland kicks off Sunday, supporters of the club will have only half of their attention focused on their side's performance at White Hart Lane.

The other half will be scoreboard watching, hoping arch-rivals Arsenal drop precious points at Newcastle to open the door to the Champions League.

Entering these final matches, Arsenal leads Tottenham by one point (and quite a bit of goal difference) for the fourth and final Champions League spot.

As a result, Spurs' only hope in making it to Europe's top club competition next season is to win their final match while the Gunners drop points.

If you're getting a sense of deja vu from this situation, that is quite understandable. After all, an eerily similar situation unfolded just last season.

After a surge in the second half of the season, Arsenal carried a one-point lead over Tottenham into last year's final day.

With Spurs needing to defeat Fulham at White Hart Lane and for Arsenal to slip up against West Brom at the Hawthorns, Tottenham were only able to get their half done: Spurs breezed past Fulham 2-0 while Arsenal battled from behind to a 3-2 victory over Albion.

While that lead was for third place and an automatic bid to the Champions League, Chelsea's eventual triumph over Bayern Munich in that season's Champions League final meant that the Gunners' victory provided the difference between a Champions League and Europa League campaign for Tottenham.

Now, a few differences between these two situations spring to mind.

For example, Arsenal's ability to catch Tottenham last season was down to Spurs' terrible late-season form, which saw them lose five of their last 13 matches. On the other hand, this season's race has been defined by the Gunners' incredible run of form, which has seen them take 36 of the past 45 available points.

Further, Tottenham entered last year's final day worrying more about overcoming Newcastle to hold onto fourth. Meanwhile, they enter this final day rooting for Newcastle to help them attain fourth.

Still, the parallelisms between the situations are stark.

For the second year running, Tottenham enters its final match needing one point to pass Arsenal.

Yet again, Spurs supporters will be watching the scoreboard in hopes that the Gunners will slip up that little bit.

If there's any luck, the only thing that will be different is the result.

Come on, you Frenchmen.

Follow @Fw1812

Knicks vs. Pacers Game 6: Live Score, Highlights and Analysis

Tristan Thornburgh — Sat, 18 May 2013 17:22:45 -0400

The New York Knicks face their second straight win-or-go-home scenario when they take on the host Indiana Pacers in the Saturday night's Game 6 of the Eastern Conference semifinals.

New York avoided elimination with an 85-75 Game 5 home win on Thursday night, but the Knicks couldn't answer all of the questions surrounding their staying power.

Carmelo Anthony, Raymond Felton and J.R. Smith all showed their unsightly ball-domination tendencies (the trio attempted 53 of the Knicks' 78 shots, converting 41.5 percent from the field). Only 12 of New York's 32 field goals were set up with assists.

But Indiana faces its own set of question marks, none greater than the status of starting point guard George Hill.

After scoring a playoff-high 26 points in Indiana's 93-82 win in Game 4, Hill was held out of Game 5 with a concussion. The Pacers' offense struggled in his absence, shooting 36.2 percent from the field and committing 19 turnovers. Defensively, Hill's replacements had a hard time denying Felton driving lanes.

Under the league's policy on concussions, Hill must pass a series of physical and mental tests before being cleared to return (via Jeff Zillgitt of USA Today).

The game begins at 8 p.m. ET tonight on ESPN.

Notre Dame Football: The Key Player in Each 2013 Game

Matt Smith — Sat, 18 May 2013 17:12:42 -0400

All of Notre Dame's 12 wins last season required a full-team effort, but when looking back on each of the Irish's victories in 2012, often times a specific player comes to mind for a certain game.

Against Michigan, it was Manti Te'o and his two interceptions of Denard Robinson. At Oklahoma, it was Louis Nix's domination of the Oklahoma offensive line that swung the game in the Irish's favor. A week later against Pittsburgh, Everett Golson's unflappable poise was imperative in leading a late rally against Pittsburgh.

I've identified a key player for each of Notre Dame's 12 games in 2013. If you want to argue that player is Golson for all 12 games, that's a rational viewpoint, but doesn't make for an interesting article. Therefore, there are no repeats.

There isn't necessarily a right answer for any game, but different styles of play and opponents' various strengths and weaknesses will place different players or position groups in the spotlight from week to week.

Let's look at the key player each week for the 2013 Fighting Irish.

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Preakness 2013 Results: Live Analysis and Twitter Reaction

Tristan Thornburgh — Sat, 18 May 2013 17:05:04 -0400

Oxbow is the winner of the 138th Preakness Stakes.

Preakness Post Time: Last-Minute Betting Advice for Triple Crown Race at Pimlico

Mike Chiari — Sat, 18 May 2013 16:53:46 -0400

After two weeks of preparation since the Kentucky Derby, the Preakness is nearly here. Horse racing fans and bettors everywhere have been trying to get a good grasp on the field, and while anything can happen during the race, contenders and pretenders appear to have emerged.

Orb is clearly the favorite after winning the Kentucky Derby as he has been hovering around even money all week long. Orb is certainly the safe pick, but he isn't the most lucrative one. If something feels like a sure thing, though, it is often best to stick with it rather than chasing an inferior option.

Here are a few pieces of last-minute betting advice before you finalize your picks for the second leg of the Triple Crown at Pimlico.

When: Saturday, May 18 at 6:20 p.m. ET

Where: Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, Md.

Watch: NBC

Starting Order

Post	Horse	Jockey	Trainer	Odds
1	Orb	Joel Rosario	Shug McGaughey	4-5
2	Goldencents	Kevin Krigger	Doug O'Neill	8-1
3	Titletown Five	Julien Leparoux	D. Wayne Lukas	16-1
4	Departing	Brian Hernandez Jr.	Albert M. Stall Jr.	10-1
5	Mylute	Rosie Napravnik	Tom Amoss	8-1
6	Oxbow	Gary Stevens	D. Wayne Lukas	13-1
7	Will Take Charge	Mike Smith	D. Wayne Lukas	9-1
8	Govenor Charlie	Martin Garcia	Bob Baffert	10-1
9	Itsmyluckyday	John Velazquez	Eddie Plesa Jr.	8-1

*Odds courtesy of NBC

Stick With Orb to Win

Although it may seem unexciting to bet on Orb to win the Preakness Stakes, he appears to be head and shoulders above the rest of the field at this point. Orb was dominant down the stretch in the Kentucky Derby and there is nothing to suggest that things will be any different in the Preakness. It's obviously possible that Orb will falter as he could have a bad trip or come up lame, but it would probably take something extraordinary for Orb to lose this race.

Orb has won five consecutive races in dominant fashion and he hasn't shown any signs of slowing down. Also, jockey Joel Rosario has had an excellent 2013 as he has won both the Kentucky Derby and the Dubai World Cup. It seems like everything he touches turns to gold, so all of the pieces are in place. Orb's co-owner, Stuart Janney, believes that all is well with his prized colt and feels like he is ready for the Preakness, according to Chris Korman of The Baltimore Sun.

Betting on Orb to win probably isn't advisable since it seems like the best someone can do at this point is double their money. That isn't necessarily a bad thing, but it will take a sizable bet to make any money. With that said, betting on an exacta or trifecta with Orb at the top is probably the best way to go. No matter what bet you make, though, make sure that you have Orb winning.

Select Will Take Charge to Place

If Orb is viewed as the definitive winner, then the true challenge lies in finding the second-place horse. This seems like an evenly-matched field, so any number of horses could slide into that No. 2 spot. Based on how things went in the Kentucky Derby, however, there is reason to believe that Will Take Charge has something left in reserve. He was making a late run before getting stuck in traffic and finishing eighth, so there is a lot to like about the D. Wayne Lukas-trained colt.

Will Take Charge endured a pretty bad trip in the Derby, so finishing eighth was actually quite impressive. It shouldn't be nearly as difficult to find the right line in this race as there are nine horses involved rather than 19. Also, Will Take Charge will be saddled by Hall of Fame jockey Mike Smith in this race, according to Daily Racing Form, so he will have ideal guidance at Pimlico.

It seems like horses with closing speed tend to fare the best in Triple Crown races these days, and Will Take Charge certainly has that. He and Orb may be the best closers in the entire field, so there is reason to like Will Take Charge's chances to finish well. It's tough to imagine Will Take Charge having a better late kick than Orb, but an Orb-Will Take Charge exacta could be fairly lucrative.

Steer Clear of Goldencents

Goldencents was considered to be among the top contenders to win the Kentucky Derby, but things broke down for the promising colt. He shot to the front of the field along with Palace Malice and helped set a blistering pace, but he simply couldn't sustain it throughout the race. Goldencents tired down the stretch and faded significantly as he finished a disappointing 17th. He is out for redemption at the Preakness, but that won't be easy.

Goldencents is in a very difficult position as he and jockey Kevin Krigger will start from the No. 2 position. Starting No. 2 isn't as bad in the Preakness as it would have been in the Kentucky Derby's 19-horse field, but it certainly isn't advantageous. Goldencents is a horse that likes to get toward the front early and maintain his lead, but the odds of him being able to do that from an inside position aren't good.

It's understandable why some bettors are gravitating toward Goldencents as there is a thought that his Kentucky Derby performance was a fluke, but it's hard to imagine him going from 17th to a money finish in the Preakness. If you're planning on betting an exacta or trifecta, you would be best off leaving Goldencents out of it.

Follow @MikeChiari on Twitter

HP Byron Nelson 2013: Contenders Who Must Finish Strong to Build on Season

Rob Goldberg — Sat, 18 May 2013 16:51:55 -0400

There are plenty of golfers in contention for the HP Byron Nelson Championship, but some players need a bigger performance than others.

While this event is not the biggest tournament on the schedule, it provides golfers with a great opportunity to gain some momentum as they enter the heart of the season. With the U.S. Open beginning next month and the Open Championship following in July, there are plenty of places for golfers to make their mark.

However, a few players looking to do well in these majors have struggled to this point in the year. A strong showing by these guys in the final couple of rounds this weekend will make a huge difference for the rest of the year.

Keegan Bradley

It appeared that Keegan Bradley was going to be a top competitor at the Masters after he finished in the top 10 of four straight tournaments heading into Augusta. Unfortunately, an 82 in the third round dropped him far out of contention.

Since then, he's completely fallen apart. Bradley missed the cut at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans and then missed the cut again at the Players Championship.

The good news is that he seems to have turned the corner this week at Irving with a 60 in his opening round. However, consistency has been a problem all year, and it will be impossible for him to win without posting four strong rounds in a row.

If he can avoid another collapse, he should be able to keep his confidence heading into the rest of the year.

Charl Schwartzel

After winning the 2011 Masters, Charl Schwartzel appeared as though he was going to take a big step toward being one of the top players in the world. While he is consistently in contention, he is rarely on top of a leaderboard.

Since the start of 2012, the South African has only missed three cuts, but he also has only four top-10 finishes in that time.

Heading into the Byron Nelson Championship, Schwartzel had gone 13 rounds in a row without scoring in the 60s. That all changed with an impressive 63 on Thursday that featured seven birdies and no bogeys.

In the final two rounds, he must continue to play relatively mistake-free to finish strong and finish at least in the top 10.

Angel Cabrera

Despite a few years worth of struggles, it is clear that Angel Cabrera still has some very strong play left in him.

The 43-year-old pro lost in the playoff of the Masters to Adam Scott and is looking to build off that performance to get back among the top players in the world. The problem is that he has struggled down the stretch in each of his past two PGA events.

At the Wells Fargo Championship, Cabrera shot an 80 in Round 4. At the Players' Championship, he only managed at 76 in the final round. He has to make sure this does not become a trend.

With many talented young competitors jockeying for position on the leaderboard, Cabrera could end up once again falling behind. He has to avoid a poor round on Sunday to not only stay ahead in this event, but gain more confidence for many upcoming events.

Follow @TheRobGoldberg