Spring is in full swing, and summer is only just around the corner, so people are getting excited for all of the tremendous sporting occasions that are on the way both in North America and across the world. With the baseball looking to be particularly interesting for the state of New York, as well as the NHL playoffs appealing to the people of the Niagara area, there’s also a huge event in horse racing on the way.
New York collides
Source: New York Mets, via Twitter
Coming into the 2018 MLB season, the New York Yankees were ranked as one of the best teams in the league. Many deemed them to be one of the few teams which could contend with the Houston Astros for the World Series this season. But, they’ve endured a rather slow start.
They may be in different leagues, but the fact that the New York Mets have been sublime so far has got to hurt their Yankee neighbors. 9-1 through ten games was an excellent and unexpected start to the campaign for the Mets – mostly because it matches the franchise’s best ever start to a season.
We’ll have to see how the teams fare over the coming months. If the Yankees continue to struggle and the Mets continue to soar, their three-game series on June 8-10 could produce a rather heated performance in the local derby.
The most difficult horse race in the world
Source: At The Races, via Twitter
In 2013, over $213 million was bet on the Aintree Grand National. Just five years later that number has almost doubled. The Grand National takes place in the UK on April 14 at 12:15 pm ET and will be watched and bet on all over the world.
It used to be that the Kentucky Derby was the premier horse racing event in North America and would draw much of the betting. But now, thanks to the internet, horse racing from all over the world can be watched and wagered on from North America. Thanks to this, the Grand National has become even more popular.
Featuring 30 jumps over a four-mile race, it’s deemed to be the most difficult and demanding horse race in the world. With such a crowded field at the start, even the favorite horses come in at long odds and it can be hard to tell which horse will come out on top.
Luckily for fans and bettors, the William Hill guide to key trends at the Grand National can help to eliminate some of the horses. For example, it details that only three horses over 11 stone have won the race in the last 33 years of the annual race and that horses with experience at the Aintree racecourse are preferred.
It’s set to be a huge sporting occasion once again this year.
Avoid the sun, get to the ice!
Source: Toronto Maple Leafs, via Twitter
The NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs are in full swing, and even though the two teams from New York didn’t make it, an across the lake Niagara neighbor over in Ontario did.
The Toronto Maple Leafs boast one of the most exciting and youthful teams in all of North American ice hockey. Helmed by Auston Matthews, the team was an underdog coming into the first round against the Boston Bruins.
However, with such a vibrant team that’s been playing very well this season, the Maple Leafs could well get to the second round and possibly face a favorite to win the cup. If they face the Tampa Bay Lightning, it could well become the series of the year.
There are so many fantastic sporting events to get involved in as a Niagara resident this year, so be sure to make the most of it.
