New York – Roaring past the field around the far turn, Borrego cruised to an easy victory in Saturday’s $1 million Jockey Club Gold Cup, one of five Grade 1 races at Belmont Park with Breeders’ Cup implications.
Borrego, one of three California horses in the field of eight, becomes one of the top contenders for the $4 million Breeders’ Cup Classic in four weeks.
In the other races, favorite Ashado won the Beldame, Taste of Paradise took the Vosburgh in an upset, Shakespeare remained unbeaten with a victory in the Joe Hirsch Turf Classic Invitational and Riskaverse was the surprise winner of the Flower Bowl Invitational.
In races at other tracks Saturday, Rock Hard Ten stamped himself a top prospect for the BC Classic with a victory in the Goodwood Handicap at Santa Anita. Roman Ruler was second. Also, The Daddy was the longshot winner of the Super Derby at Louisiana Downs, with A.P. Arrow, trained by D. Wayne Lukas, second.
At Bay Meadows, Lost in the Fog ran his unbeaten career record to 10-for-10 with an easy win in the 6-furlong Speed Handicap and will be the likely favorite for the Breeders’ Cup Sprint.
At Philadelphia Park, Hall of Fame jockey Angel Cordero Jr.’s one-day comeback after a 10-year retirement didn’t work out as Indian Vale finished off the board in the Cotillion.
Borrego, winner of the $1 million Pacific Classic at Santa Anita on Aug. 21, was brought East by trainer Beau Greely for a race over the same track that will host the Breeders’ Cup World Thoroughbred Championships on Oct. 29.
“This is two millions in a row,” Greely said. “He’ll stay here for the Breeders’ Cup.”
TENNIS
Thailand Open’s favorite son
loses to Murray in semifinals
Paradorn Srichaphan lost before his home fans in Bangkok, Thailand, beaten by Britain’s Andy Murray 6-7 (3-7), 7-5, 6-2 in a semifinal that left the Thailand Open without Asia’s top player.
The 18-year-old Murray advanced to today’s final against defending champion Roger Federer, the top-seeded Swiss who defeated Jarkko Nieminem of Finland 6-3, 6-4 for his 30th consecutive victory. Federer has not lost since falling to Rafael Nadal in the French Open semifinals.
Top-seeded Kim Clijsters beat fourth-seeded Nathalie Dechy of France 6-3, 6-1 at the Fortis Championships in Luxembourg.
In the other semifinal, Anna-Lena Groenefeld of Germany defeated seventh-seeded Dinara Safina of Russia 6-4, 5-7, 6-4.
Top-seeded Mariano Puerta of Argentina was ousted from the Vietnam Open with a 6-1, 6-0 loss in the semifinals to Jonas Bjorkman of Sweden.
Bjorkman will play for the title today in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, against third-seeded Radek Stepanek of the Czech Republic, who held off second-seeded Thomas Johansson of Sweden 7-5, 6-4.
BASKETBALL
Former Nuggets general manager
Bristow resigns from Hornets’ post
Allan Bristow resigned as general manager of the New Orleans Hornets, citing health concerns.
Bristow, 52, took over as the Hornets’ general manager in June, when Bob Bass retired. Bristow helped oversee the Hornets’ temporary move to Oklahoma City, which was prompted by Hurricane Katrina.
Jeff Bower, the Hornets’ director of player personnel, was promoted to replace Bristow, a former Nuggets GM.
Bob Knight’s son will become Texas Tech’s basketball coach when the Hall of Fame coach retires.
The 64-year-old Knight is under contract through May 2009. Pat Knight, a Texas Tech assistant, signed a contract Friday in which he was named coach-designate, school basketball spokesman Randy Farley said Saturday.
FOOTNOTES
Packers’ Pro Bowl tight end Franks
may play Monday night at Carolina
Green Bay Packers tight end Bubba Franks practiced for the first time since he bruised his left knee late in a Sept. 18 loss to Cleveland, and coach Mike Sherman said the three-time Pro Bowl player has a 50-50 shot of playing at Carolina on Monday.
Olympic champion swimmer Otylia Jedrzejczak of Poland was hospitalized in serious condition in Warsaw, Poland, after a car crash in which her younger brother died.
Jedrzejczak, a world record-holder, was driving with her brother about 40 miles from Warsaw when her car skidded off the road and hit a tree, Szczepan Cieslik, an officer in Radom, told The Associated Press. Her 19-year-old brother, Szymon, was killed, Cieslik said.
Marc-Andre Fleury, the No. 1 pick in the 2003 NHL draft and the Pittsburgh Penguins’ starting goalie at the beginning of that season, was reassigned to the team’s Wilkes-Barre/Scranton (AHL) farm club.
