All continues to go smoothly for D. J. Stable and Robert Cotran’s undefeated Holy Bull (G3) winner Hades, a trend they and trainer Joe Orseno hope to see continue as they sit out Saturday’s $400,000 Coolmore Fountian of Youth (G2) at Gulfstream Park to await the $1 million Florida Derby (G1) four weeks later.
Hades was able to set a moderate pace under jockey Paco Lopez in the 1 1/16-mile Holy Bull Feb. 3 at Gulfstream, briefly lost the lead to Fierceness after six furlongs but fought back and pulled clear to win by two lengths in a 9-1 upset of the reigning 2-year-old male champion, who wound up third.
Since then, Hades, by multiple Grade 3-winning millionaire Awesome Slew, has continued to thrive at Gulfstream, which prompted the connections to give the Fountain of Youth some consideration before deciding to pass.
“He’s doing great, that’s the problem. It’s hard to sit still,” Orseno said. “But in the grand scheme of things and what we’re trying to accomplish, it’s probably the right thing to do. I’ve seen too many people try to run in all three races here and then you have nothing left. We’re just trying to do right by the horse.”
Should all go according to plan, Hades would be Orseno’s second Kentucky Derby (G1) starter and first since Thunder Blitz was fourth behind Monarchos in 2001. In 2000, Orseno skipped the Derby with Gulfstream allowance winner and Wood Memorial (G2) runner-up Red Bullet, who then won the Preakness (G1).
“It’s not just [waiting for the Florida Derby], it’s everything after that,” Orseno said. “We’ve got a full year mapped out for him and planned. To make that you just can’t go to the well every time. It’s a nice problem to have.”
Hades was purchased as a 2-year-old in training last April and debuted Dec. at Gulfstream, rallying from last after a quarter of a mile to win by a half-length in a 5 ½-furlong maiden optional claimer. He returned 22 days later to lead most of the way in an eight-length New Year’s Eve allowance romp over fellow Florida-breds.
“I knew he was a very talented horse, so I thought if anything gets him beat [first time out], it’s the distance. He overcame it. Fortunately, Paco had a lot of faith in him,” Orseno said. “Second race was seven-eighths and Paco rode him pretty much the way he wanted to in there and had him in contention.
“Going long, I think he’s a horse that will sit still. He does just about anything you ask him to do,” he added. “So, if he has a good mind and he doesn’t try to run off and he relaxes for the jock, I think he’ll get a distance all day long.”
Hades showed as much in the Holy Bull, his two-turn debut. The Florida Derby is contested at 1 1/8 miles with the three Triple Crown races requiring horses to go 1 ¼ miles in the Derby, 1 3/16 in the Preakness and 1 ½ miles in the Belmont (G1).
“It became fun in his second race at the top of the stretch, when he changed leads and just accelerated away from those horses. It was a wild moment for me, and I’ve had some wild moments with some big horses,” Orseno said. “He took me right there and I thought, ‘This horse could bring us back to some of the big races we always want to be in.’”
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Jon Gruden sent another warning shot toward the NFL after scoring a major win in court. On Tuesday, Gruden welcomed a ruling that will force the NFL to litigate the circumstances of his firing in court rather than closed-door arbitration. The former Las Vegas Raiders coach made clear that he intends to continue his legal challenge to the NFL to ensure that they are held accountable. “I’m looking forward to having the truth come out, and I want to make sure what happened to me doesn’t happen to anyone else,” Gruden said in a statement provided to ESPN’s Don Van Natta Jr. “The league’s actions disrupted the whole season. We were leading the division at the time and they completely blindsided me and the team.” The Raiders were 3-1 in 2021 when Gruden was forced to resign after some offensive emails that he sent between 2011 and 2018 were leaked. Gruden has alleged that the NFL leaked the emails to force him out of a job after obtaining them during an investigation into the Washington Commanders. The NFL is set to appeal Monday’s ruling, but if that appeal fails, the league may be forced into public discovery. One alternative would be to offer Gruden a settlement, but he has not said whether or not he would be interested in such a resolution. Gruden has not held an NFL coaching job since the Raiders forced him out. He has recently spoken about possibly making a return to coaching at the college level.
The Pittsburgh Steelers have a different look and a different feel coming into the 2025 season after bringing in Aaron Rodgers as their new starting quarterback. Poor QB play has haunted Mike Tomlin and company throughout the last few years ever since Ben Roethlisberger left his prime, and they are hoping that Rodgers helps fix that issue. While the future Hall-of-Famer is firmly cemented as the team’s starting quarterback, there are some other positions on the roster that are still up for grabs as the preseason rages on and Tomlin finalizes what his lineup for Week 1. The Steelers also brought in DK Metcalf in a blockbuster trade with the Seattle Seahawks this offseason, giving Rodgers a true No. 1 option to throw the ball to. They also offloaded George Pickens to the Dallas Cowboys in a separate trade, leaving that second wide receiver spot there for the taking. The Steelers also lost Najee Harris this offseason, making Jaylen Warren the presumed featured back. However, that spot could be in jeopardy as well if the returning running back isn’t careful. Earlier in training camp, the Steelers released their first unofficial depth chart of the season. Here are two players who showed up as starters in that release that could get caught for those spots in the coming weeks. RB Jaylen Warren Jaylen Warren has been splitting carries and touches with Najee Harris over the last couple of years, but with Harris gone he seemed destined to be the featured back for Tomlin and company. Not so fast. Insert former Iowa superstar Kaleb Johnson, who the Steelers drafted in the third round of the 2025 NFL Draft. That was maybe a bit later than many expected Johnson to be selected after his spectacular 2024 season with the Hawkeyes, but that also means there is a chance that the Steelers got a steal. It won’t be easy to take the job from Warren, who does a lot of things well and can positively impact the offense both in the running game and as a receiver. In his three seasons in Pittsburgh, Warren has amassed 2,568 yards and six touchdowns. He has great burst but also solid power in between the tackles and runs very low to the ground, making it difficult to bring him down. However, Warren’s size makes it somewhat difficult to envision him being a true workhorse back, which could open the door for Johnson to become a bellcow on early downs. At 6-foot-1, 224 pounds, the rookie is a much bigger back who is built to withstand the rigors of getting a lot of touches every week. That was on full display at Iowa last season, when Johnson rushed for 1,537 yards and 21 touchdowns, leading the Big Ten in both categories despite playing in an offense that offered no threat through the air. If it weren’t for the spectacular season of Ashton Jeanty at Boise State, Johnson could have garnered more recognition for awards at the end of the season. Johnson looked a step slow in his preseason debut against the Jacksonville Jaguars, but he still has the ability to become the main back on early downs for Tomlin and company before too long. WR Calvin Austin III This comes with a bit of a caveat that the Steelers list just two starting wide receivers on their depth chart along with two tight ends, which leaves room for a third wideout that could be a potential “starter” in Arthur Smith’s offense. Austin is listed as the second starter alongside DK Metcalf, but Smith could opt to go with veteran Robert Woods in certain situations and make Austin more of a third slot wide receiver. The primary reason for this is that Woods has built a reputation as one of the best run blockers in football at his position. Smith loves to run the football, and the Steelers project to have one of the highest run rates in the league this coming season. Woods doesn’t have the same juice as a receiver that he once did, but he could see the field more one early downs and in neutral situations while Smith looks to get the most he can out of his run game. Austin is also dealing with an injury during the preseason that has held him out of practice, which could hurt him in getting to 100% by the time the regular season starts. Still, Austin will be a big part of the offense when he does get healthy. He is one of the most explosive players on the team and gives the Steelers a big-play threat that can take the top off the defense at any time. Now that Pittsburgh should have its best quarterback play during Austin’s career, he could have a lot more big plays coming his way in the near future.
We all know Scottie Scheffler is the best golfer on the planet by a fairly large margin, but what makes him so much more consistent than other stars in professional golf? Bryson DeChambeau, one of Scheffler's biggest rivals in major championships, thinks he knows the answer. In Tuesday's appearance on "The Pat McAfee Show," DeChambeau detailed how Scheffler dominates the PGA Tour weekly. "He's got the best spin and distance control I've ever seen," DeChambeau said. "He controls the golf ball from a spin perspective so much better than everybody else. Like, if you're 175 yards out, and it's 10 miles [an hour] into the wind, he knows how to control the flight and spin to get that ball to land right next to the hole every time. Probably since Tiger [Woods], he's the best that we've seen." The stats confirm DeChambeau's breakdown. Scheffler has ranked first on the PGA Tour in strokes gained on approach in three straight seasons. He also ranks first in proximity to the hole and greens in regulation percentage over the last four years. Iron play is Scheffler's superpower, but it wasn't always that way. "I played with him in college a bunch, and I've said it before, but he's definitely improved since college for sure," DeChambeau said with a chuckle. "It's impressive to see what he's done, and we're all aspiring to do that. That's something I've gotta get better at. I can hit it farther than him. I can hit it probably straighter than him. I can make just as many putts as him, but, really, it's about my iron play right now and wedges to get a little more consistent." Iron play is the biggest indicator of success in professional golf. If you're giving yourself more birdie chances from close range than anyone in the field, you're going to have the best chance to win by Sunday afternoon. No one is better at hitting specific distances more consistently than Scheffler. Just look at how accurate he is. DeChambeau has the best chance to catch Scheffler as the best player in the world because he's elite off the tee and on the greens, but that won't happen unless he makes a major improvement to his iron game.
San Francisco 49ers second-year wide receiver Ricky Pearsall better break out in 2025 now that Brandon Aiyuk is set to miss more time. On Monday, 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan said he expects Aiyuk to return from an ACL/MCL tear in his right knee around Week 6. The 2023 second-team All-Pro suffered the injury in a Week 7 loss against the Kansas City Chiefs, missing the final 10 games of the 2024 season. Without Aiyuk, the 49ers struggled, finishing 6-11. San Francisco's WR room could be even thinner this season after trading wideout Deebo Samuel Sr. to the Washington Commanders in March. Pearsall — pick No. 31 of the 2024 NFL Draft — missed six games during his rookie season after he was shot during an attempted robbery. The Arizona State/Florida product showed flashes after returning, logging 31 receptions for 400 yards and three touchdown catches. Pearsall, who turns 25 on Sept. 9, seems ready to assume a heavier workload this season. "To be honest, I'm approaching it the exact same way," the WR said, via Josh Dubow of the Associated Press. "Whether those guys are in the room or not, that's just how I look at myself. I just got to be able to step in that role. That's just how I look at it." Pearsall spent more time with 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy this season to improve their chemistry. That may be working. The offensive signal-caller tossed a 30-plus-yard TD pass to the wideout during last week's joint practice with the Denver Broncos. "Obviously, I love the fact that we were able to do it, but it just goes back to us building reps on reps on reps, all these last couple practices throughout camp and stuff, and we need to continue doing that into the season," Purdy said of the play, per David Bonilla of 49ers Webzone. When the 49ers reached Super Bowl LVIII during the 2023 season, the team scored the league's second-most points (28.6), via Team Rankings. Last season, San Francisco tied for 14th (22.9) in points scored. The Purdy-Pearsall tandem could reignite San Francisco's offense and help the unit manage until Aiyuk returns.
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