Rotoworld: Oregon RB LaMichael James and Oklahoma State WR Justin Blackmon among top 10 players who are being overhyped for the 2012 draft.
SportsTalk: Albert Pujols signs with the Angels and Prince Fielder joins the Tigers. Which team is better now?
The Detroit Red Wings equaled an NHL record with their 20th straight win at home, beating the Philadelphia Flyers 4-3 Sunday night on the strength of Johan Franzen's tiebreaking goal early in the third period.
PBT: Boston's Rajon Rondo continues to be named in trade talks, which is madness. The Celtics guard creates offense and makes everyone around him better, which was evident in Sunday's win over the Bulls.
Arc: Syracuse is among a solid group of No. 1 seeds in our latest tournament projections, but the middle of the pack is much more murky.
Miami coach Al Golden says the worst is behind him, but his headaches figure to continue now that former booster Nevin Shapiro, now in jail, says his involvement with the Hurricanes program will result in stiff penalties.
Phil Mickelson and Tiger Woods greeted their Sunday pairing at Pebble Beach with optimism. But the day would end happily only for one.
The United States completed a 5-0 rout of Switzerland in the Davis Cup on Sunday, with 19-year-old Ryan Harrison and John Isner winning closing singles matches.
Zambia has won the African Cup of Nations, beating pre-tournament favorite Ivory Coast 8-7 on penalties in a dramatic final at Stade de l'Amitie.
Tessa Worley of France fought off gusting winds to win a second consecutive World Cup giant slalom Sunday in the Andorran Pyrenees. Overall leader Lindsey Vonn was more than a second behind and finished eighth.
Robins: It’s the Year of the Dragon on the Lunar calendar, and this Chinese influence could extend to it also being the year of the Pekingese on the green carpet at the 136th Westminster Dog Show on Tuesday.
AP
LOUISVILLE, Ky. - Jockey Kent Desormeaux remembers the first turn of the 1998 Kentucky Derby, when he was forced to make one of the most critical decisions of his career.
With a “monster pull” on the reins, he took Real Quiet back from a contentious lead pack and onto a clear path near the rail with plenty of room to run.
By the time the field entered the far turn, the leaders had worn each other out, Real Quiet had cruised into the lead and then held off Victory Gallop to win by a half length.
“I decided I wasn’t going to get involved with that lead group,” Desormeaux said. “Those horses ended up playing pingpong. I would have been part of it, and it would have winded my horse. By electing to move just a length back, I had a swan dance of a ride — without complications.”
More than one rider, including Desormeaux, may be forced to make similar split-second calls entering the first turn of next Saturday’s Kentucky Derby. And that’s because the 132nd run for the roses is shaping up as a mad dash for the lead.
Rarely has a Derby been filled with so many front-running favorites.
There’s Brother Derek and Lawyer Ron, both unbeaten this year by loving the lead and getting there quickly. There’s Barbaro, who has won all five of his races the same way — hanging a half-length back and taking over around the far turn.
Add a group of speed demons such as Sinister Minister, Sharp Humor and even Keyed Entry, and it’s not hard to imagine a wild scramble for position as a full field of 20 3-year-olds comes buzzing past the crowd at Churchill Downs the first time.
“It’ll be a fireball into the first turn, a mass of speed going down through there,” said trainer John Ward, who won the 2001 Derby with Monarchos. “I’ll be surprised if the dirt doesn’t explode into flames, the pace will be so hot.”
Banging and bumping is the usual fare when so many horses are gunning for the same spot early on, but once position is established the rest of the 1¼-mile race still has to unfold. And that brings us to several other very fast horses who can crank up the speed later rather than sooner.
Among them is Illinois Derby winner Sweetnorthernsaint, with Desormeaux aboard.
“I envision myself a few lengths behind because my horse has a high cruising speed and a nice kick at the end,” the two-time Derby-winning rider said. “Can he do it after a mile? No one knows. No one knows if any of them can do it for 1¼ miles. That’s what makes it so exciting.”
Of course, there are the late-runners poised for a furious finish if the leaders slow down in the stretch. Jazil, A.P. Warrior and Steppenwolfer all fall in the closer category.
“No doubt there will be a mad dash at the start, but for us it’s a matter of how quickly some of them stop,” Jazil trainer Kiaran McLaughlin said. “There will be several of them backing up at the 3/8th pole and hopefully they don’t get in our way when we’re running from the back.”
It should all add up to one of the most competitive Derbies in quite some time.
“A lot of horses are coming into it undefeated this year, a real quality field with good records,” said Lawyer Ron’s trainer, Bob Holthus.
The first of three pools of the Kentucky Derby Future Wager begins its three-day run on Friday and the bet's opening scenario is very similar to each of its opening pools since the wager was created in 1999.
It's first time that Classic will be broadcast in primetime on Nov. 3.
 | INTERACTIVE |
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 | Slideshow |
 | Derby celebs Plenty of stars from the entertainment and sports world attend the 136th Kentucky Derby. more photos |
| INTERACTIVE |
 | Triple Crown winners The horses that have won the Kentucky Derby, Preakness and Belmont in the same year. |
Zambia has won the African Cup of Nations, beating pre-tournament favorite Ivory Coast 8-7 on penalties in a dramatic final at Stade de l'Amitie.
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