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Rich Strike was not one of the top five stories in the run-up to the Kentucky Derby; he was probably not one of the top 50.No one even knew he would be in the race until the morning before, and a quick glance at his record would have told us he probably did not belong.AdvertisementAll of that changed in a matter of seconds as we watched him burst from off-screen and out of our realm of awareness to pass dueling favorites Epicenter and Zandon in the stretch run. Not only did Rich Strike become the second longest shot ever to win the Derby, he introduced us to a second-generation trainer named Eric Reed, who had nearly lost his stable to a fire six years earlier.Then, just as quickly as he became the star of the Triple Crown stage, he exited it, removed from Preakness consideration by Reed and owner Rick Dawson, who said they would rather let Rich Strike rest up for the Belmont Stakes. The Derby winner’s withdrawal immediately reframed the Preakness, which will be defined by his absence.AdvertisementBut the race will go on, so as we prepare for post time on Saturday evening, here are five stories to watch:Sonny Leon celebrates after riding Rich Strike past the finish line to win the 148th running of the Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs on May 7 in Louisville, Ky. (Charlie Neibergall/AP)Rich Strike probably would not have gone off as the Preakness favorite, and the history of long shot Derby winners tells us he probably would not have won at Pimlico Race Course. But that’s not the point.His shocking upset invigorated racing fans, who had watched a medication violation overturn the previous year’s Derby result and spur an ongoing legal saga around the sport’s top star, suspended trainer Bob Baffert. Rich Strike, a champion spawned from the unlikeliest circumstances, seemed to encapsulate out purest notions of what the sport can be. Could he and the newly prominent connections around him do it again? This was going to be our driving question going into the Preakness.Instead, we’re left with a big party, a field of good 3-year-olds — a couple of them potentially great — and no narrative to connect the Triple Crown races. The last time the Preakness went off without the Derby champion in 2019, ratings on NBC dropped 29%. We’re so used to the traditional Derby-to-Preakness formula, we don’t quite know how to tell the story without it.None of this is Reed’s or Dawson’s fault; they seem intent on doing what’s best for their horse rather than sticking blindly to the familiar path. But the Preakness will miss Rich Strike, no matter how good he is or is not.He looked the part in winning the Louisiana Derby and the Risen Star Stakes. He looked the part in the morning at Churchill Downs, where several rival trainers, including Chad Brown, labeled him the horse to beat. He looked it at the top of the stretch in the Derby.For months, he did nothing wrong, nothing to tell Steve Asmussen he was anything less than a worthy Derby favorite. He was faster at an early age than Asmussen’s previous Horse of the Year winners, Curlin and Gun Runner. The winningest trainer in North American history was certain he had his first Derby victory until the last few seconds of the race, when Rich Strike flashed into his world.Epicenter came out of the Derby well, and he’ll have an immediate chance to reassert his superiority, much as Curlin did in winning the 2007 Preakness on his way to the Hall of Fame. He will probably be favored at Pimlico, and he won’t have to worry about Rich Strike catching him this time, though he will have fourth-place Derby finisher Simplification to contend with. But as Marty McGee of the Daily Racing Form pointed out, only three of the last 43 Derby runners-up to enter the Preakness have won it. That history won’t matter if Epicenter is clearly the top talent in the field, but it’s something to keep in mind.AdvertisementLuis Saez rides Secret Oath to victory in the 148th running of the Kentucky Oaks at Churchill Downs on May 6 in Louisville, Ky. (Jeff Roberson/AP)It was a shame the stands sat empty in 2020, when the indomitable filly Swiss Skydiver would not let Derby champion Authentic pass her in the Preakness. What a thrilling duel it was, despite the strange October run date and the peak-pandemic setting.We don’t often see female horses win the Preakness; six have done it and only two of those, Swiss Skydiver and Rachel Alexandra, since 1924. But it’s always intriguing when a filly jumps from the Kentucky Oaks, the top female-only race on Derby weekend, to the Preakness. Lukas, a six-time Preakness winner, will take his shot with Secret Oath, this year’s Oaks champion.It’s fair to wonder if Secret Oath has the speed to be a genuine threat. When she ran against males in the Arkansas Derby, she went off as the favorite but finished third behind Cyberknife and Barber Road, neither of whom went on to make a huge impression in the Kentucky Derby. Her results, even her Oaks win, do not suggest a monster talent on par with Rachel Alexandra. On the other hand, her resume (including speed figures) was more impressive than Rich Strike’s heading into Derby week, so ignore her at your peril.Brown, a four-time Eclipse Award winner as the nation’s top trainer, and Klarman, an analytically-inclined owner who grew up a few blocks from Pimlico, read the landscape perfectly in 2017. They did not point Cloud Computing to the Derby, opting to keep him fresh for the Preakness instead. He took advantage of several tired Derby horses to deliver the only major victory of his career.Brown and Klarman might have higher long-term hopes for Early Voting coming off his impressive second-place finish in the Wood Memorial. But they did not feel he was sufficiently battle-tested to thrive in the 20-horse Derby field, and they’re hoping, just as they did with Cloud Computing, that a six-week rest will translate to Preakness glory.Early Voting’s rider, Jose Ortiz, tried to control the Wood Memorial from the lead, only to be passed late by Mo Donegal. If he attempts the same strategy in the Preakness, he will likely have to contend with a stalking Epicenter. Will the extra four weeks of rest help Early Voting hold on in such a scenario? Brown and Klarman are betting on it.AdvertisementWe’re not used to a healthy Derby winner skipping the Preakness, but as several smart racing people said after the news about Rich Strike broke, this was inevitable. We simply do not live in a world in which trainers are comfortable bringing their star 3-year-olds back on two weeks’ rest. We’re not going back to the 1970s, when top 3-year-olds routinely came into the Triple Crown series with foundations of 10 or more races and it was no big deal to run three times in five weeks. Caution is now the rule, and plenty of people in the sport think the Triple Crown calendar is a relic from the past.Others say tradition matters and the Triple Crown should be hard. But if we see more and more Derby-winning trainers consider bypassing the Preakness, the whole series will suffer. This is not a new conversation; past leaders of the Maryland Jockey Club have tried to stir it up. But with each Triple Crown track operating independently, there’s no unified authority to step in and demand reform.Those who argue for a new calendar say the Preakness could be run on Memorial Day weekend or the first weekend in June, with the Belmont Stakes going to July 4 weekend. We’ll hear that concept tossed around over the next week. But will any of the people who actually make decisions be involved in the conversation?147th Preakness StakesPimlico Race CourseSaturdayAdvertisementTV: Chs. 11, 4 (coverage begins at 2 p.m.)

Dear Amy: I have a 9-year-old special needs child. “Kyle” is high-functioning on the autism spectrum, but doesn’t do well with athletics and other “typical” settings that might help a child fit in, make friends, and otherwise have a functional childhood dynamic.We worry that he is becoming more socially isolated. We are very engaged and committed to his therapy and well-being. Our small families follow suit (especially both sets of grandparents).AdvertisementMy issue arises from my younger (adult) brothers.They are both loving uncles, but seemingly detached.AdvertisementI really resent their lack of effort or involvement that I know my son would benefit from: Whether the occasional day trip to the zoo, park, ballgame, or the treat of an overnight stay.They haven’t offered in years. They don’t have kids and live nearby.Growing up, I was the oldest brother who acted as caretaker. I’ve always thought each of them was spoiled and self-centered.Am I wrong to get so worked up over this? I just cannot get past my disdain.I know it’s not their job to “parent” their nephew, but a few hours of quality time per month would immeasurably help his psyche.Your recommendations?– Upset DadDear Dad: Contact between these uncles and “Kyle” would likely be good for Kyle. It would also be good for your brothers.AdvertisementThose of us who have special needs family members understand that sometimes the relationship can unlock qualities that will put a person in touch with their own deeper humanity.If they got to know their nephew, your brothers would see that he has a sense of humor, that he has a unique way of seeing the world and processing information, and, if he connected with them and they formed a close relationship, they would simply be better men.Do they want to be better men? Maybe not.They will not spontaneously step up, because they don’t know how. Do they need an engraved invitation from their older brother? Unfortunately, yes, they do.Rather than sharing your disappointment and disdain, you should ask your brothers for help.Invite them (one at a time) to go on an outing with you and Kyle.AdvertisementYou are going to have to show them how to be with him, and when you do, one or both of your brothers might develop their own quirky kind of relationship with Kyle, which would grow as these uncles become more confident. You can then ask if they could each take him perhaps one Saturday morning a month for some “uncle time.”Dear Amy: My fiancé and I have been together for four and a half years. We are getting married next month.It will be a small wedding, with less than 50 guests.After sending our invitations, stating a start time of 2:30 p.m., one of my aunts texted and asked, “What time is the wedding? We have a conflict that we are working around. For us, if it was later in the day, it would be better… just saying!”I know she received the invitation. I simply texted back that the wedding started at 2:30.I later found out that her conflict is a garage sale she’s been planning to have.AdvertisementThis week, another uncle texted: “We’re just thinking about your wedding day. How late in the evening do you plan for the reception to go?”Amy, I believe if this were not a gay wedding, these inappropriate questions would never be asked. I don’t think they consider this wedding “real.”Am I overreacting in being offended?– Two GroomsDear Grooms: I am so happy to report that you are not being discriminated against. How do I know this? Because on my own wedding day, people called and texted me asking what time the ceremony was, asked for directions to the church, and told me they were bringing extra guests.I will be happy to run wedding-day stories from others, many of which will put your aunt’s and uncle’s advance requests in perspective.AdvertisementThe further happy news is that none of this will matter. You’ll have a grand time.Dear Amy: I loved your response to “Happy to Help,” who wondered how to help her partner overcome writer’s block.Ask AmyDailyNo-nonsense advice for better living delivered to your inbox every morning. For a limited time, sign up for the Ask Amy newsletter and get the book “Ask Amy: Essential Wisdom from America’s Favorite Advice Columnist” for $5.I was so happy to see my favorite author, Anne Lamott, quoted in the answer!– Big FanDear Big Fan: Quoting from Charlotte’s Web: “It’s not often that someone comes along who is a true friend and a good writer.”Anne Lamott is that, to many writers and readers.AdvertisementGot a question for Amy? Enter it here and we’ll send it to her.Sign up here to receive the Ask Amy newsletter to get advice e-mailed to your inbox every morning, and for a limited time — get the book “Ask Amy: Essential Wisdom from America’s Favorite Advice Columnist” for $5.©2021 Amy Dickinson.

The Chicago White Sox and New York Yankees were tied in the bottom of the ninth Saturday at Guaranteed Rate Field.Tim Anderson represented the potential winning run for the Sox at second base.AdvertisementSome hitters might try to do too much to produce for a team in those circumstances. But Luis Robert exhibited patience, waiting for the right pitch to attack against Yankees closer Aroldis Chapman.Robert took three balls and a strike. Then he got his pitch, ripping a single to right. Anderson scored ahead of Aaron Judge’s throw, giving the Sox a thrilling 3-2 victory in front of 32,830.Advertisement“I was trying to be early with his fastball,” Robert said through an interpreter, of his approach in the situation. “I was trying to make contact.”It was the second game-ending hit of Robert’s career. The first came during his rookie season, when he a home run on Aug. 30, 2020 against the Kansas City Royals.“This felt better,” Robert said. “I was more excited, fans here versus the Yankees. After two losses, this one was very good.”The Sox dropped the first two games of the series, allowing a combined 25 runs.Dallas Keuchel gave the Sox a pitching boost Saturday, scattering four hits in five shoutout innings. He struck out three and walked three in the 86-pitch outing.“We’ve made our fair share of mistakes the first couple of nights (of the series) and they’ve capitalized a lot on those,” Keuchel said. “I felt like if I could make some pitches and execute early, I had a good chance. It’s fun to pitch against a team like that with the way they are swinging the bats and the depth of their lineup, they can interchange a few guys every night it seems like.“They just keep rolling. But we are a good team too.”Keuchel followed up a strong outing against the Boston Red Sox with one against the Yankees. He went a season-high six innings May 8 at Fenway Park, allowing two runs on six hits in a 3-2 win.AdvertisementWednesday’s postponed game against the Cleveland Guardians pushed his start back a day. He was ready for the team with the best record in baseball.“He’s spent his whole career pitching against good teams, rights and lefts,” Sox manager Tony La Russa said. “He beat a good team in Boston. They’re good. When he executes his pitches, he’s got a lot of weapons.”Keuchel got a double-play grounder to wrap up the first. It was the first time in the series the Sox didn’t allow a run in the first.The Sox did the damage in the first Saturday. Anderson singled, one of his three hits, and scored on a single from Robert for the first run. Robert extended his hitting streak to 12.Yoán Moncada homered leading off the third.Keuchel exited with the 2-0 lead after getting Anthony Rizzo to ground out to second baseman Josh Harrison with the bases loaded to end the fifth.Advertisement“I’m feeling more like myself,” Keuchel said. “I told you (reporters) I was close. I would have liked to have gone a little bit longer tonight. I thought that was my job. I’m a little disappointed in five.“My job is to go out there and throw as many as I can. I thought (86) pitches I had enough to at least go six. With how many games we’re playing (17 games in 17 days), I thought I had at least 100 pitches tonight. That didn’t happen. I’m not very happy with that but that’s the competitor in me and we’re going to have to figure out something (Sunday) because we have a lot more guys down now too.”Reliever Kendall Graveman allowed one hit in two scoreless innings.The Yankees scored once in the eighth against Joe Kelly, and the Sox brought in closer Liam Hendriks with two on and one out. He struck out Josh Donaldson and Gleyber Torres, keeping it at 2-1.The Yankees tied the game on a Kyle Higashioka sacrifice fly in the ninth, but Isiah Kiner-Falefa was out trying to advance to third on the play. Moncada cut off AJ Pollock’s throw and got the ball to Anderson, who was covering third and tagged Kiner-Falefa for the second out of the inning.“Excellent relay and cutoff,” La Russa said. “That was huge.”AdvertisementAnderson singled with one out in the ninth and Moncada walked, bringing up Robert.“That’s high baseball IQ because you’re not going to walk (Chapman) off with a home run, his stuff is too good,” La Russa said. “You’ve got to find a way to get somebody on base. Tim’s base hit was huge, the walk from Moncada, they did a good job taking what he gave, and he ain’t going to give you a lot that you can do big damage.”Robert found a hole through the right side of the infield and Anderson did the rest, giving the Sox their first walkoff win of the season.“The first two games they were just better than us,” Robert said. “But today we came prepared and were able to execute and then we got on top.”

Luciano Acosta scored in the 85th minute to give FC Cincinnati a 2-1 victory over the Chicago Fire on Saturday at Soldier Field.It was the Fire’s fourth straight loss and ran their winless streak to seven.AdvertisementAcosta’s game-winning goal for Cincinnati (6-5-1) came two minutes after Jhon Durán scored the equalizer for the Fire (2-5-4). Cincinnati took a 1-0 lead on an own goal off Rafael Czichos in the 33rd minute.The Fire outshot Cincinnati 13-7 with a 4-3 edge in shots on goal.AdvertisementRoman Celentano saved three of the four shots he faced for Cincinnati. Gabriel Slonina saved two of the four shots he faced for the Fire.

MINNEAPOLIS — Courtney Vandersloot scored five of her 16 points in the final 38 seconds, and the Chicago Sky held off the Minnesota Lynx 82-78 on Saturday night.Vandersloot hit a 3-pointer to give the Sky (2-1) an 80-76 lead with 38 seconds left and added two free throws 15 seconds later. She also had 11 assists.AdvertisementEmma Meesseman finished with 17 points, seven rebounds and seven steals for the Sky. Azura Stevens added 14 points, and Candace Parker had 11 points.Reserve Nikolina Milic topped the Lynx (0-4) with 18 points. Sylvia Fowles had 16 points and 11 rebounds, and Moriah Jefferson finished with 16 points and five assists.

A boy about 15 was shot and critically wounded Saturday night in Millennium Park at The Bean, according to the fire department. Paramedics were called to…

PHOENIX — Chicago Cubs prospect Ed Howard is facing a lengthy absence.The shortstop sustained a significant hip injury Tuesday at High-A South Bend. The Cubs are still gathering information on the injury and determining the next steps. Howard hit the ground awkwardly after trying to avoid being tagged on an errant throw to first base.AdvertisementIt’s a blow for Howard, 20, who has been limited to only 103 professional games since the Cubs drafted him with the No. 16 pick in the 2020 draft out of Mount Carmel. Baseball America rates Howard their No. 18 prospect while MLB.com put him No. 14 in their preseason rankings.President of baseball operations Jed Hoyer commended Howard’s good attitude about the situation despite being bummed by the injury. He expects Howard to come back strong.Advertisement“It’s never good timing for injury like that,” Hoyer said Saturday. “But it’s a shame. He worked so incredibly hard this winter. I think he got stronger than anyone at our camp this winter. You look at the exit velocities, he brought his strikeout rate down. He’s been playing his typical good defense.“It’s a shame that his season is going to be cut short.”ExpandAutoplayImage 1 of 8Mount Carmel’s Ed Howard connects against St. Rita in the St. Rita Sectional semifinal on May 30, 2019, at Ozinga Field in Crestwood. (Gary Middendorf / Daily Southtown)Cubs prospect Ed Howard runs drills during minor-league spring training on Feb. 28, 2022, in Mesa, Ariz. (Matt York / AP)The pandemic cost Howard his debut year when the 2020 minor-league season was canceled. He struggled at Low-A Myrtle Beach, producing a .225/.277/.315 slash line and 16 extra-base hits, 5.5 BB% and 30.1 K% in 80 games (326 plate appearances). He also lost six weeks to a hamstring injury.Howard responded well to a disappointing season. He spent the winter at the Cubs’ complex in Arizona to get hands-on instruction with minor-league staff, participating in a camp featuring more than two dozen of the organization’s top prospects.The Cubs were encouraged by Howard’s 2022 start after challenging him at South Bend. He was generating more contact (20.4 K%) and getting on base at a better clip (.323 on-base percentage and 9.7 BB%) through 23 games. Now he faces a lengthy recovery.

Their story was filled with drama, anchored by hope and, depending on who you asked, one ultimately about love.But it was never going to last forever.AdvertisementMonty,…

Yoán Moncada felt “on time” at the plate while rehabbing with Triple-A Charlotte as he recovered from a right oblique strain.That preparation was on display Thursday when Moncada hit his first home run of the season at an ideal time for the Chicago White Sox.AdvertisementThe Sox trailed the New York Yankees by three runs in the seventh inning at Guaranteed Rate Field but had two runners on and Moncada at the plate. The third baseman hit an 0-1 sinker from reliever Jonathan Loáisiga over the center-field wall for a tying home run in an eventual 15-7 loss.“I went over there (to Charlotte) to take a good approach, the same approach that I have been doing,” Moncada said through an interpreter before Friday’s game. “I went over there to see a good pitch to hit and put a good swing and hit the ball hard somewhere.”AdvertisementMoncada made his season debut with the Sox on Monday. He had four hits in his first 17 at-bats leading into his fifth game of the year Saturday against the Yankees.Moncada, 26, entered Saturday slashing .235/.316/.412 with the home run, three RBIs, two runs and a walk. He had one hit in each of his first four games, including going 1-for-4 in Friday’s 10-4 loss to the Yankees.“I felt really good and I’m still feeling good,” Moncada said. “The most important thing for me is continuing working hard and continuing with my approach at the plate.”White Sox third baseman Yoan Moncada swings through a three-run home run in the seventh inning against the Yankees on Thursday at Guaranteed Rate Field. (Chris Sweda / Chicago Tribune)White Sox third baseman Yoan Moncada, center, is congratulated by teammates after hitting a three-run home run in the seventh inning against the Yankees on Thursday at Guaranteed Rate Field. (Chris Sweda / Chicago Tribune)Moncada suffered the injury during the final day of spring training in Glendale, Ariz. The Sox placed him on the injured list April 5.“I thought it was going to be less time (away), but it was more than that,” Moncada told reporters Monday. “But I’m just really happy to be back with the team.”Moncada added that he was “100%. I don’t feel anything. I’m ready to go.”The time in Charlotte helped with the preparation. He slashed .318/.360/.636 with a double, two homers and five RBIs in six games with the Knights from April 30-May 7.“I’ve said it before, I’ve come to really trust and respect what happens in Charlotte with (manager) Wes (Helms) and (hitting coach) Chris (Johnson), they’ve been right on every time last year and this year,” Sox manager Tony La Russa said Saturday. “(Friday’s Yankees starter Gerrit) Cole comes out there and punches (Moncada) out, he punched out other guys who have been here. He’s throwing the ball well. (Moncada) got a base hit (against Cole in the fifth). I’m confident that he’s going to help us.”AdvertisementThe Sox regained another bat to lengthen the lineup this weekend with outfielder Andrew Vaughn returning from the injured list. Vaughn suffered a bruised right hand April 29. The Sox reinstated him from the IL on Friday and he started Saturday, batting fifth while serving as the designated hitter.“Depth,” La Russa said of having Vaughn and Moncada back. “And if you watch (left fielder) Eloy (Jiménez) moving around, he’s going to be around soon too.”Jiménez is recovering after suffering an injury on April 23 that required surgery to repair a torn hamstring tendon behind his right knee. His estimated recovery at the time of the injury was six to eight weeks.“I try to be careful what I ask because it sounds like I’m pushing, so I just say how’s he running, how are his legs,” La Russa said. “Everybody believes his progress is really impressive. But there is a certain buildup in the muscle that has to happen, and you just can’t fast-forward that.”The Sox are envisioning a roster at full strength. They took a step closer with Moncada in the mix.“We’re glad to get him back,” La Russa said after Thursday’s 15-7 loss. “He’s already taking good swings. That (home run) was clutch.”AdvertisementMoncada finished third in the American League with a .375 on-base percentage in 2021 and led the Sox with 33 doubles. After missing all of April, he’s ready to contribute.“The way I’ve been taking my approach, that’s what I’ve been trying to do and get good pitches to swing,” Moncada said Friday. “Just be ready to hit the fastballs.“My real focus right now is to make sure I’m swinging to hit the ball hard somewhere and swinging at strikes.”

Carly Mostar started marching for abortion rights almost 20 years ago and though she said she’ll keep showing up when needed, she finds it hard to…