Alfred, Lord Tennyson once observed that “In the Spring, a young man’s fancy turns to thoughts of love.” With all due respect to Lord Al, most men we know are thinking about the Kentucky Derby at this time of year.
Bettors will find plenty to love when the "greatest two minutes in sports" returns to historic Churchill Downs on Saturday, May 4. For some, the all-day event offers a chance to make a fortune off the fastest three-year-old Thoroughbreds in the world, while for others it's simply an opportunity to rock a seersucker suit and get tipsy on mint juleps. Regardless of your approach, there really is no wrong way to derby.
Looking for even more adrenalin-fueled sports action? You're in luck! The beloved "Run for the Roses" is just one of dozens of must-see events from an action-packed month. Sports fans can also look forward to UFC 301 in Rio de Janeiro, the PGA Championship in Louisville, and the tip-off of a brand new WNBA season featuring rookie sensation Caitlin Clark.
Stay on top of all upcoming games and tournaments with our freshly updated May sports calendar below.
CJ Cup Byron Nelson
May 2-5
TPC Craig Ranch (McKinney, TX)
Kentucky Oaks
May 3
Churchill Downs (Louisville, KY)
WNBA preseason begins
May 3
Various venues
LIV Golf Singapore
May 3-5
Sentosa Golf Club (Sentosa, Singapore)
Kentucky Derby
May 4
Churchill Downs (Louisville, KY)
Canelo Alvarez vs. Jaime Munguia super middleweight championship fight
May 4
T-Mobile Arena (Las Vegas, NV)
UFC 301: Pantoja vs. Erceg
May 4
Farmasi Arena (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil)
UFL Week 6
May 4-5
Various venues
F1 Miami Grand Prix
May 5
Miami International Autodrome (Miami, FL)
NASCAR AdventHealth 400
May 5
Kansas Speedway (Kansas City, KS)
Naoya Inoue vs. Luis Nery junior featherweight championship fight
May 6
Tokyo Dome (Tokyo, Japan)
NBA Conference Semifinals begin
May 6-7
Venues TBD
Wells Fargo Championship
May 9-12
Quail Hollow Club (Charlotte, NC)
Myrtle Beach Classic
May 9-12
Dunes Golf & Beach Club (Myrtle Beach, SC)
Vasiliy Lomachenko vs. George Kambosos Jr. IBF lightweight fight
May 11
RAC Arena (Perth, Australia)
UFC Fight Night: Lewis vs. Nascimento
May 11
Enterprise Center (St. Louis, MO)
UFL Week 7
May 11-12
Various venues
NASCAR Goodyear 400
May 12
Darlington Raceway (Darlington, SC)
WNBA regular season begins
May 14
Various venues
PGA Championship
May 16-19
Valhalla Golf Club (Louisville, KY)
Bellator Champions Series Paris: Mix. vs Magomedov 2
May 17
Accor Arena (Paris, France)
Preakness Stakes
May 18
Pimlico Race Course (Baltimore, MD)
Oleksandr Usyk vs. Tyson Fury heavyweight championship fight
May 18
Kingdom Arena (Riyadh, Saudi Arabia)
UFC Fight Night: Barboza vs. Murphy
May 18
UFC APEX (Las Vegas, NV)
UFL Week 8
May 18-19
Various venues
NASCAR All-Star Race
May 19
North Wilkesboro Speedway (North Wilkesboro, NC)
F1 Emilia Romagna Grand Prix
May 19
Autodromo Enzo e Dino Ferrari (Imola, Italy)
French Open
May 20-June 9
Roland Garros (Paris, France)
NBA Conference Finals begin
May 21-22
Venues TBD
Charles Schwab Challenge
May 23-26
Colonial Country Club (Fort Worth, TX)
UFL Week 9
May 25-26
Various venues
F1 Monaco Grand Prix
May 26
Circuit de Monaco (Monte Carlo, Monaco)
NASCAR Coca-Cola 600
May 26
Charlotte Motor Speedway (Concord, NC)
Indianapolis 500
May 26
Indianapolis Motor Speedway (Indianapolis, IN)
RBC Canadian Open
May 30-June 2
Hamilton Golf & Country Club (Hamilton, ON)
