NEW YORK — Rachel vs. Zenyatta. The race is on! One day after a matchup of racing’s leading ladies fell apart, the owner of Oaklawn Park in Hot Springs, Ark., worked out a compromise to match the champion females for the first time — in the $5 million Apple Blossom Invitational on April 9.
“The race is a go,” a delighted Charles Cella said. “Both parties have signed off on it. I feel like we’ve been through the wringer on this thing. Now, we’re really excited about it. This is truly a race for the ages.”
The surprising turn of events came less than 24 hours after Rachel Alexandra’s owner Jess Jackson said his filly was out of the 1 1/8-mile race because she would not be in peak condition by April 3. Instead, Jackson proposed a three-race series in which the horses would meet, an offer Zenyatta owner Jerry Moss said he was never consulted about.
Cella said he worked the phones Wednesday night and Thursday morning trying to make his race a reality. He agreed to move the race to April 9 — the day before the track’s signature event, the Arkansas Derby — and apparently Jackson was sold.
Calhoun returns to coaching
STORRS, Conn. — Connecticut’s Jim Calhoun returned to his coaching duties after a medical leave of more than three weeks forced him to miss seven games. He has no restrictions on what he can do and will be on the bench for Saturday’s game against Cincinnati.
“I both felt that the time away was important for my personal and professional well-being and that I am ready to move ahead from this point at full speed,” Calhoun said.
• Duke forward Lance Thomas is doubtful for Saturday’s game against Maryland with what team officials said is a severely bruised bone in his right knee.
Johnson off to solid start
PEBBLE BEACH, Calif. — Dustin Johnson overpowered the par 5s on a pristine day at Pebble Beach and closed with five consecutive birdies to tie the tournament record with a 30 on the back nine and finish with an 8-under-par 64 to top the Pebble Beach National Pro-Am leaderboard.
Charley Hoffman had a 6-under 64 on the Shore Course at Monterey Peninsula, the newcomer to a three-course rotation.
The best round might have belonged to David Duval, who played bogey-free until the final hole for a 5-under 67 at Spyglass Hill, traditionally the toughest course of the bunch.
Footnotes.
Major League Soccer and its players agreed to extend labor talks through Feb. 25 in an effort to avoid a work stoppage.
• Walter Fredrick Morrison, credited with inventing the Frisbee, died in Monroe, Utah. He was 90.
• Tom Glavine made his retirement official when he returned to the Atlanta Braves as a special assistant to team president John Schuerholz.
• The NCAA Football Rules Committee endorsed a proposal that could wipe out scores for players who taunt opponents before crossing the goal line. If approved, the rules change would take effect in 2011.
