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When Vegas Golden Knights owner Bill Foley said his plan for his new team was to win a Stanley Cup within six years, he likely didn’t expect to be this spot on.

On Tuesday night, at the conclusion of the team’s fifth season of NHL play, the Golden Knights hoisted the Stanley Cup in front of a sold-out home crowd at T-Mobile Arena.

The victory concluded a run of success — three division championships, two conference championships and now a Stanley Cup — for the once-expansion franchise that has few peers. Just five expansion teams in the history of the big four of North American men’s professional sports have captured a title in an equivalent or quicker span. Here’s a brief look at those teams and their stories:

First NBA season: 1968

Time to title: 3 years

Claiming the honor of quickest expansion-to-championship run of any team on this list, it took the Bucks just three seasons to capture their first NBA title. Aiding Milwaukee’s rapid ascent was the emerging stardom of Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (then known as Lew Alcindor). The Bucks won the rights to Abdul-Jabbar’s services thanks to a victory in a coin flip over fellow expansion outfit Phoenix Suns. The addition of Abdul-Jabbar helped Milwaukee win 29 more games in season two compared with its inaugural campaign. Ahead of Year 3, the Bucks acquired point guard Oscar Robertson to complement Abdul-Jabbar, a decision that paid off. Milwaukee won a franchise-record 66 games that season. In the postseason, the Bucks would lose just two of the 12 games they played, eventually sweeping the Baltimore Bullets to take home the title. The championship preceded a 50-year title drought for the Bucks that stood until current star Giannis Antetokounmpo brought the Larry O’Brien Trophy back to Milwaukee in 2021.

First MLB season: 1998

Time to title: 4 years

The Diamondbacks’ 2001 title marked the conclusion of one of the most successful expansion arrivals in MLB history. After a lackluster inaugural campaign, Arizona won 100 games in just its second year of MLB play. Playing a key role in the turnaround was the addition of ace Randy Johnson, whose 9.1 WAR ranked second in MLB in 1999, per Baseball-Reference.com. Following an unspectacular third season, the Diamondbacks added another ace in Curt Schilling, immediately giving the club one of the best 1-2 tandems of starting pitching in league history. The veteran duo proved dominant, combining for 43 wins on the season. The rest of the Diamondbacks’ starting rotation combined for 14. Johnson and Schilling started all four of Arizona’s wins in a thrilling seven-game World Series triumph over the defending champion New York Yankees, with the pair earning co-MVP honors. It remains one of just two times in MLB history a World Series honored co-MVPs.

First NFL year: 1996

Time to title: 5 years

Led by one of the most formidable defenses in NFL history, the Ravens captured Super Bowl XXXV in just their fifth season in Baltimore following a move from Cleveland. Pro Football Hall of Fame linebacker Ray Lewis led the way, en route to consensus Defensive Player of the Year honors. The Ravens’ defense allowed more than 14 points in just four of their 20 games. In 12 of those games they held the opposing team to single digits. This included back-to-back displays of dominance in the AFC Championship Game (allowing three points against the Oakland Raiders) and the Super Bowl (allowing seven points against the New York Giants). The only points the Giants scored in the Ravens’ final defensive tour de force came on a third-quarter kickoff return. Of Baltimore’s five players named to the Pro Bowl in 2000, four were on defense or special teams: Lewis, defensive tackle Sam Adams, safety Rod Woodson and kicker Matt Stover.

First NHL season: 1979

Time to title: 5 years

Having one of the best to ever do it pays dividends in making the expansion transition a smooth one. The Oilers’ inaugural NHL season coincided with Wayne Gretzky’s second season as a pro. He’d go on to pace the Oilers in goals, assists and points (frequently doubling up the next-highest finisher on the team) for each of the next four seasons as the team blossomed into a Stanley Cup contender. In Gretzky’s first year as captain in 1984, the Oilers avenged their 1983 loss in the Final by defeating the New York Islanders to lift the Stanley Cup. Gretzky led the way with a historic 205-point season, one of just four 200-plus point seasons ever, all belonging to him (1982, 1985, 1986). Backing the first-year captain was a young nucleus that would lay the foundation for a dynasty. Edmonton’s top six leaders in points during the regular season and Final were all younger than 25. The Oilers would go on to win four more titles before the decade’s end — but haven’t lifted the Stanley Cup again since their last triumph in 1989-90.

First MLB season: 1993

Time to title: 5 years

The 1997 World Series champion Marlins were perhaps the biggest surprise on this list. Despite consistent improvement, Florida had never finished with a winning record in the club’s four years of existence prior to its championship season. The Marlins steadily climbed the NL East standings over the course of their half-decade of play. They still had never won the division crown entering the 1997 postseason, but the team got hot when it mattered most.

The Marlins made quick work of the San Francisco Giants in the divisional round, completing a three-game sweep. Florida then handled the team that beat it for the NL East title, the 101-win Atlanta Braves, in six games to advance to the World Series. Their postseason run culminated in a thrilling World Series against Cleveland, with the two teams trading wins from Game 1 through Game 7. The decisive game proved the best. Cleveland took an early lead in the third inning, and Miami didn’t knot the score at 2 until it was down to its final two outs in the ninth. Two innings later, a two-out, walk-off single by Edgar Rentería won it for the Marlins. Rentería’s clutch knock up the middle marked one of just nine times in MLB history a World Series was won on a walk-off hit.

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Burnham Square wins Blue Grass for Derby spot

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Burnham Square wins Blue Grass for Derby spot

LEXINGTON, Ky. — Burnham Square chased down East Avenue from the back of the pack and won by a nose in the storm-delayed $1.25 million Blue Grass at Keeneland on Tuesday, earning enough points to qualify for next month’s Kentucky Derby.

The 101st running of the Blue Grass was postponed from Saturday because of heavy rain and deadly flooding in Kentucky. The upcoming Lexington Stakes on Saturday is the final derby qualifying race.

Burnham Square, ridden by Brian Hernandez, covered the 1 1/8 miles in 1:51.33 and paid $10.48, $5.18 and $3.34 at 4-1 odds.

The Ian Wilkes-trained gelding also earned 100 points from the Grade I race and has 130 overall toward the 151st Derby on May 3 at Churchill Downs in Louisville. Sandman is one point behind, and Santa Anita Derby winner Journalism is third with 122.5.

“I’ll watch him. He’ll tell me what I need to do,” Wilkes said. “But we have to keep the foot on the gas — got to keep the foot down on the pedal — because we’ve got to get a little better again. It’s going to be very deep waters, and we’ve got to get a lot better.”

East Avenue returned $6.42 and $4.26 for second and earned 50 Derby points, while Todd Pletcher-trained favorite River Thames finished third, paying $3.24 and receiving 25 points.

Admiral Dennis (15 points) was fourth beneath substitute jockey Manny Franco, who took the mount after veteran Luiz Saez was injured from a fall in the second race. Saez was in stable condition at a hospital after Fateful Lightning on Keeneland’s turf course.

Burnham Square lagged far behind as East Avenue led seven horses entering the backstretch before steadily moving up and saving his best after rounding the final turn. He stalked East Avenue from the outside and the horses were even in the final yards before Burnham Square edged East Avenue at the line for his second stakes victory in three starts this year.

“When we turned for home my horse had a full head of steam, and I was pretty confident we were going to able to run (pacesetter East Avenue) down,” Hernandez said. “So right at the wire I had an idea that we got our neck in front of him.”

He won the Grade III Holy Bull at Gulfstream by 1 3/4 lengths in February before running fourth in the Grade II Fountain of Youth on March 25.

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Jockey Saez hospitalized after fall from horse

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Jockey Saez hospitalized after fall from horse

LEXINGTON, Ky. — Veteran jockey Luis Saez, who earned his second Belmont Stakes victory in June aboard Dornoch, is in stable condition at a hospital after falling from his mount at Keeneland on Tuesday.

The multiple graded stakes winner was injured after falling from Fateful Lightning in the second race on Keeneland’s turf course. The horse tripped over the rider but was uninjured, a statement from the track said. Saez lay on the track for several minutes before being placed on a board and into an ambulance.

The statement added that Saez was being evaluated by UK HealthCare Medical Services and removed from remaining mounts on Tuesday including Brad Cox-trained colt Admiral Dennis in the Grade 1, $1.25 million Blue Grass feature, which awards qualifying points toward next month’s 151st Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs in Louisville.

Jockey Manny Franco was scheduled to replace Saez aboard Admiral Dennis in the Blue Grass.

Saez won the Belmont in 2021 aboard Essential Quality before riding Dornoch to a half-length victory over Mindframe last year in the 1½-mile third jewel of the Triple Crown. He was a three-time Blue Grass winner, mostly recently aboard Tapit Trice in 2021.

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Ex-MLB pitcher Dotel dies in nightclub tragedy

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Ex-MLB pitcher Dotel dies in nightclub tragedy

Former major league pitcher Octavio Dotel was among those who died after the roof of an iconic nightclub collapsed in the Dominican Republic early Tuesday morning, the Dominican National Police confirmed.

At least 44 people were killed, including Nelsy Cruz, the governor of the northwestern province of Montecristi and sister of seven-time MLB All-Star Nelson Cruz. Another 160 people were injured.

The collapse occurred around 1 a.m. during a merengue concert, which drew athletes, politicians and others to the Jet Set nightclub in Santo Domingo, the Dominican capital. It wasn’t immediately clear what caused the roof to collapse.

The Professional Baseball League of the Dominican Republic also confirmed Dotel’s death on social media.

Dotel, who logged 36 saves for the Houston Astros and the Athletics in 2004, was pulled from the rubble about six hours after the collapse and was transported to a hospital.

“Dotel was taken to one of the designated hospitals. On the way there, his condition worsened and he died,” Dominican National Police spokesman Diego Pesqueira said.

Dotel, 51, started his major league career in 1999 with the New York Mets. In 2011, he helped the St. Louis Cardinals win a World Series. During his 15 years in the majors, Dotel recorded 109 saves and logged a 3.78 ERA.

Nelsy Cruz had called President Luis Abinader at 12:49 a.m. saying she was trapped and that the roof had collapsed, First Lady Raquel Abraje told reporters. Officials said Cruz died later at the hospital.

“This is too great a tragedy,” an emotional Abraje said.

President Abinader, who was at the scene, wrote on X that all rescue agencies are “working tirelessly” to help those affected.

Nearly 12 hours after the top of the nightclub collapsed down onto patrons, rescue crews were still pulling out survivors from the debris. At the scene, firefighters removed blocks of broken concrete and sawed planks of wood to use them as planks to lift heavy debris as the noise of drills breaking through concrete filled the air.

“We have faith in God that we will rescue even more people alive,” Abinader told reporters.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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