NORFOLK, Va. — People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals is seeking the suspension of Eight Belles’ jockey after the filly had to be euthanized following her second-place finish in the Kentucky Derby on Saturday.
Gabriel Saez was riding Eight Belles when she broke both front ankles while galloping out a quarter of a mile past the wire.
PETA faxed a letter Sunday to Kentucky’s racing authority, claiming the filly was “doubtlessly injured before the finish” and asking that Saez be suspended while Eight Belles’ death is investigated.
“What we really want to know, did he feel anything along the way?” PETA spokeswoman Kathy Guillermo said. “If he didn’t, then we can probably blame the fact that they’re allowed to whip the horses mercilessly.”
Nadal remains the king on clay
BARCELONA, Spain — Rafael Nadal won his fourth straight Barcelona Open title with a 6-1, 4-6, 6-1 victory over second-seeded David Ferrer.
Nadal’s 21st straight win at the tournament improved his record to 20-1 in clay-court finals, including 4-0 at Barcelona. The second- ranked Spaniard, who has won 103 of his last 104 matches on clay, improved to 25-8 in finals overall.
• Fernando Gonzalez captured his 10th career title and second of the year at the BMW Open in Munich, Germany, by beating Simone Bolelli 7-6 (4), 6-7 (4), 6-3.
• Top-seeded Vera Zvonareva won her sixth career WTA title by defeating third-seeded Victoria Azarenka 7-6 (2), 6-2 in the Prague Open final in the Czech Republic.
U.S. hockey team prevails.
Phil Kessel had a hat trick and the United States scored three power-play goals in a 5-1 victory over Slovenia in a preliminary-round game of the world hockey championships in Halifax, Nova Scotia.
The Boston Bruins forward scored twice with the man advantage in the second period, then added his third of the game on an even-strength tally nine minutes into the third.
Next up for the U.S. is a matchup Tuesday with Canada, which beat Latvia 7-0 behind a goal and three assists from Dany Heatley.
Heatley moved past Steve Yzerman as Canada’s top career scorer at the event in the modern era. He has 40 points in 36 world championship games, which puts him one ahead of his team’s GM.
In a Group D game in Quebec City, Alexei Morozov scored twice, including the game-winner in overtime, to send Russia past the Czech Republic 5-4 in overtime.
• New York Rangers forward Sean Avery was released from the hospital, five days after suffering a season-ending spleen injury.
Footnotes.
Andreas Kloeden won the six-day Tour de Romandie after a comfortable ride in the 96-mile final stage that ended in Lausanne, Switzerland, and was won by Daniele Bennati. Kloeden finished in the main group to maintain his 35-second advantage over runner-up Roman Kreuziger.
• Real Madrid (Spain) and Bayern Munich (Germany) won their respective soccer league titles.
The Associated Press
