Saratoga Springs, N.Y. – Street Sense was tested until the very end before holding off a determined Grasshopper and winning the $1 million Travers Stakes at Saratoga Race Course on Saturday.
When Street Sense hit the top of the stretch, it appeared the Kentucky Derby winner was about to put away his six less-accomplished rivals. But the pacesetting Grasshopper would not give in, and the two 3-year-olds dueled down the stretch before Street Sense prevailed by a half-length.
As the horses crossed the finish line, Street Sense jockey Calvin Borel held out his left hand to Grasshopper jockey Robby Albarado in congratulations on a top effort.
Street Sense, sent off as the overwhelming 1-4 favorite on a hot, steamy day, covered the 1 1/4 miles in 2:02.69. Trained by Carl Nafzger, Street Sense returned $2.70, $2.20 and $2.10. Grasshopper, trained by Neil Howard, paid $4.60 and $3.60. Helsinki was third and paid $7.80.
Nafzger said the Jockey Club Gold Cup at Belmont was one of four options for a prep race before Street Sense runs in the final race of his career, the $5 million Breeders’ Cup Classic on Oct. 27 at New Jersey’s Monmouth Park. Darley Stable owns the breeding rights to the son of Street Cry and plans to retire him to stud after the Classic.
TENNIS
Blake defeats Fish for Pilot Pen title
James Blake beat close friend Mardy Fish 7-5, 6-4 to win an all-American final at the Pilot Pen in New Haven, Conn.
Top-seeded Svetlana Kuznetsova won the women’s title when qualifier Agnes Szavay retired with a back injury while leading 6-4, 0-3.
While Fish was playing in his first final of the year, Blake was playing in his second in a week. He lost to Roger Federer in Cincinnati last Sunday.
“I’d rather play him and lose to him than anybody else,” Fish said. “James is my best friend.”
In the women’s draw, Kuznetsova won her first title of the year on her fifth attempt. Szavay was playing her eighth match in nine days, and had been battling back problems most of the week.
WNBA
Hammon leads Silver Stars to win
Becky Hammon had 20 points to lead the San Antonio Silver Stars to their first playoff win with a 86-61 victory over the visiting Sacramento Monarchs.
The former Colorado State star, who had 15 points in the first half, finished 7-for-11 from the field. She had four 3-pointers, four assists and three steals to help the Silver Stars even the Western Conference series at 1-1.
Anna DeForge scored 26 points to help the host Indiana Fever defeat the Connecticut Sun 78-59 and tie their first-round playoff series at one game apiece.
Katie Douglas, Connecticut’s leading scorer during the regular season, led the Sun with 11 points.
BOXING
Warren qualifies for Olympics
Rau’shee Warren became the first American boxer in 31 years to qualify for consecutive Olympic teams by overpowering Qa’id Muhammad in the flyweight championship at the U.S. Olympic trials in Houston.
The 20-year-old Warren battered Muhammad from the opening bell and built a 23-1 lead before the referee stopped the fight 1:11 into the second round. Warren becomes the first U.S. boxer to make back-to-back Olympic teams since Davey Lee Armstrong in 1972 and 1976.
FOOTNOTES
Iverson’s stepfather is indicted
Allen Iverson’s stepfather has been indicted on federal drug distribution charges.
Michael Andre Freeman, 51, of Newport News, Va., was scheduled to appear in U.S. District Court last Friday morning for a bond hearing, but the case was postponed a week to give Freeman time to hire an attorney.
Kristine Lilly, Shannon Boxx, Lindsay Tarpley and Heather O’Reilly scored to give the U.S. women’s soccer team a 4-0 victory over Finland in Carson, Calif., in its final game before the women’s World Cup.
Lilly, playing in her world-record 331st international game, added an assist to become the second woman to reach 100 goals and 100 assists in international soccer. Mia Hamm was the first.
Herman Mitchell, a Texas high school football standout who orally committed to play at Oklahoma next year, was fatally shot after getting into a fight at an apartment complex in Houston.
Ecuador’s Jefferson Perez became the first man to win three successive 20-kilometer walk titles at the world track championships in Osaka, Japan.
