I Want Revenge is Kentucky Derby favorite
LOUISVILLE, Ky., April 29 (UPI) -- I Want Revenge, which won the Wood Memorial earlier this month, was made the early 3-1 favorite for Saturday's Kentucky Derby.
I Want Revenge has won eight of 16 starts, including the horse's last two -- the Wood Memorial and the Gotham in March -- in piling up $774,000 in winnings. I Want Revenge will be ridden by first-time Derby jockey Joe Talamo and will come out of the No. 13 post slot.
Dunkirk and Pioneerof the Nile were put at 4-1 in the early line. Dunkirk has drawn the No. 15 post while Pioneerof the Nile will be next to him in No. 16.
Friesan Fire, at 5-1, was the next favorite and will start from the sixth post position.
Desert Party and Hold Me Back were both put at 15-1 while Chocolate Candy, General Quarters, Musket Man and Papa Clem were to open at 20-1.
Gallardo strikes out 11 and hits homer
MILWAUKEE, April 29 (UPI) -- Yovani Gallardo threw eight shutout innings and produced the game's only run Wednesday, carrying Milwaukee past Pittsburgh 1-0.
Gallardo (3-1) allowed just two hits and struck out a career-high 11, after which Carlos Villanueva worked a perfect ninth to earn his second save.
The Milwaukee pitcher was allowed to hit for himself in a scoreless game with one out in the seventh and he made that decision pay off by hitting an 0-2 pitch over the wall in left. The home run came off Ian Snell (1-3).
It was the fourth homer of Gallardo's career.
The Brewers have won three straight. They have also defeated Pittsburgh in 15 consecutive meetings.
Dwight Howard suspended one game
NEW YORK, April 29 (UPI) -- The NBA announced Wednesday Orlando center Dwight Howard has been suspended for the sixth game of his team's playoff series with Philadelphia.
Howard elbowed Philadelphia center Samuel Dalembert in the head with 9:15 remaining in the first period of the fifth game of the series Tuesday. A technical foul was assessed on the play.
Orlando went on to win that game 91-78 and took a 3-2 lead in the opening-round series. Game 6 is scheduled for Thursday in Philadelphia and a seventh game, if needed, would be played in Orlando Saturday.
2nd round of NHL playoffs opens Thursday
VANCOUVER, British Columbia, April 29 (UPI) -- The second round of the NHL playoffs opens Thursday with the Vancouver Canucks hosting the Chicago Blackhawks.
Vancouver has not played since April 21 when the Canucks finished a four-game sweep of the St. Louis Blues. Chicago, meanwhile, completed a six-game victory over Calgary Monday.
The Canucks rode the hot goaltending of Roberto Luongo to their first-round triumph. Luongo stopped 126-of-131 shots in the series and finished with a 1.16 goals-against average.
Luongo has bounced back from a groin injury that forced him to miss 24 regular-season games. Despite the missed time, he recorded 33 victories and a single-season franchise-record nine shutouts.
Chicago, competing in the playoffs for the first time in seven years, won its first playoff series since 1996 when it knocked out Calgary.
The other Western Conference semifinal series will begin Friday when Detroit hosts Anaheim. In the Eastern Conference, Carolina will play its first game at Boston Friday and Washington will host Pittsburgh in their opener Saturday.
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