Major races highlight May sports calendar
Horse racing and auto racing stage major events, while the PGA Tour offers a major itself. Here’s a look at 10 highlights on the May sports calendar, including the continuation of the NBA and NHL postseasons.
NBA Postseason (May 1-31)
The Oklahoma City Thunder were the first team to close out their opponent in the first round of the NBA playoffs, sweeping the Memphis Grizzlies, and they’ll continue their quest for a championship as the league’s four second-round series hit the hardwood in the early days of May. Those sets will be followed by the Eastern Finals and Western Finals, with the NBA Finals scheduled to wrap up by the end of June.
NHL Postseason (May 1-31)
The National Hockey League will continue winding its way toward the awarding of the Stanley Cup with its eight first-round series coming to an end and its four second-round series getting underway in May. The Carolina Hurricanes were the first team to finish up their first-round series, staging a comeback to defeat the New Jersey Devils by a 5-4 score in double overtime in Game 5 of their best-of-seven set.
MLB Regular Season (May 1-31)
The Detroit Tigers have raced out to a top record in the American League heading into May, and they’ll begin the month with a four-game series against the Angels in Los Angeles. The first Sunday Night Baseball matchup of May has the Atlanta Braves hosting the Los Angeles Dodgers, while the following week includes a series between the San Diego Padres and the New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium.
Kentucky Derby (May 3)
Journalism is the early favorite for the 2025 Kentucky Derby, with the first triple crown event of the year set to take place at Churchill Downs on May 3. Journalism drew the No. 8 post position for the race, while other top contenders Sandman and Sovereignty drew post positions No. 17 and 18. Mystik Dan was the winner of the Kentucky Derby in 2024, edging Sierra Leone and Forever Young for the victory.
F1 Miami Grand Prix (May 4)
The drivers of Formula One will hit the track at Miami International Autodrome for the fourth running of the Miami Grand Prix on May 4, with Lando Norris having taken the checkered flag at the event last year after Max Verstappen won the race in both 2022 and 2023. Oscar Piastri leads the F1 driver standings heading into May with 99 points, followed by Norris with 89 points and then Verstappen with 87 points.
UFC 315: Muhammad vs. Della Maddalena (May 10)
Champion Belal Muhammad will take on challenger Jack Della Maddalena for the UFC Welterweight title to headline UFC 315 at the Bell Centre in Montreal on May 10. As well, champion Valentina Shevchenko will face challenger Manon Fiorot for the Women’s Flyweight title, while Jose Aldo and Aiemann Zahabi meet in a Bantamweight bout. Alexa Grasso and Natalia Silva also battle in a Women’s Flyweight match.
PGA Championship (May 15-18)
The PGA Tour will stage another major tournament in May as the golfers hit the links at Quail Hollow in Charlotte for the 2025 PGA Championship. Xander Schauffele was the winner of the PGA Championship last year, edging Bryson DeChambeau by one stroke to take the trophy. Viktor Hovland ended up in third place, three strokes behind the leader, while Thomas Detry and Collin Morikawa were tied for fourth.
Preakness Stakes (May 17)
Horse racing’s second triple crown event of the season will take place on May 17 at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, with the field somewhat dependant on the results of the Kentucky Derby earlier in the month. Seize the Grey was the winner of the Preakness Stakes in 2024, with Mystik Dan settling for a second-place result at the event to end his Triple Crown hopes, and Catching Freedom finishing third.
Indianapolis 500 (May 25)
IndyCar’s marquee event of the season will take place on May 25 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway as the circuit’s drivers compete in the 2025 Indianapolis 500. Josef Newgarden crossed the finish line in first place at the Indy 500 in each of the last two years, with Pato O’Ward and Scott Dixon rounding out the top three finishers in 2024. Alexander Rossi and Alex Palou finished in fourth and fifth place last year.
NASCAR Coca-Cola 600 (May 25)
The drivers of NASCAR will race under the lights at Charlotte Motor Speedway on May 25 as they compete in the Coca-Cola 600. Christopher Bell was the winner of the Coca-Cola 600 last season, with Brad Keselowski and William Byron ending up in second place and third place. Tyler Reddick, Denny Hamlin, Ty Gibbs, Chase Elliott, Ross Chastain, Alex Bowman, and Josh Berry rounded out the Top 10.
With zero championships between his MLB, NHL, and NFL teams over the last 30 years, Dave keeps one foot in the past while shaking his fist at the present. Having provided content to all manner of sports websites over a 20-year career in the industry, Dave brings to Attiq an eye for all things editorial and a disdain for all things New York Yankees. Click here for Dave's posts.
