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's five up, five down: After No. 11 Michigan State's 58-48 upset of No. 3 Ohio State, you'd be a fool to discount the Spartans' national title chances now.
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 both greeted Sunday with unbridled optimism. But the day would end happily only for Mickelson.
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
NEW YORK - Nick Zito just loves the Champagne, and he was all smiles in the winner’s circle after War Pass gave the trainer his fifth victory in the oldest stakes race for 2-year-olds.
“The Champagne is a top race, and it’s been a pretty good race for us,” Zito said after War Pass cruised to a 1½-length win over Pyro and gained automatic entry into the Breeders’ Cup in three weeks.
While Zito has fared well in the $400,000 Champagne — his five winners have come in the last 10 runnings — the Hall of Fame trainer still is looking for his first win in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile.
He’s 0-for-9 in the Juvenile, and in War Pass he’s sure to have one of the favorites at New Jersey’s Monmouth Park on Oct. 27.
“He’s an amazing horse,” Zito said. “He’s got incredible speed, and he’s got those afterburners.”
The bay son of Cherokee Run improved to 3-for-3, and earned $240,000 for owner Robert La Penta, who bought War Pass for $180,000 last year.
An expected rematch between Majestic Warrior and Ready’s Image — the 1-2 finishers in the Hopeful Stakes last month at Saratoga — never developed on a hot, sunny day at Belmont. Majestic Warrior, the even-money favorite co-owned Yankees boss George Steinbrenner, was never a factor and finished sixth; Ready’s Image, trained by Todd Pletcher, was last in the eight-horse field.
Ridden by Cornelio Velasquez, War Pass took the lead by nearly five lengths and maintained his advantage heading into the final turn. Down the stretch, Pyro staged a late run and finished second, with Z Humor third.
Lantana Mob was fourth, followed by Silver Edition, Majestic Warrior, Anakim and Ready’s Image.
Zito’s other Champagne winners are The Groom is Red in 1998, Greenwood Lake in ’99, A P Valentine in 2000 and Birdstone in 2003.
War Pass returned $11.20, $6.70 and $5.20 as the 9-2 third choice. Pyro, ridden by Shaun Bridgmohan, returned $19.60 and $9.40, and Z Humor paid $10.80 to show.
The winning time for the mile Grade 1 Champagne was 1:36.12.
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In other stakes at Belmont, 3-5 favorite Indian Blessing ($3.30) pulled away in the stretch and won the $400,000 Frizette Stakes for 2-year-old fillies, giving trainer Bob Baffert a top contender for the $2 million Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies in three weeks. Indian Blessing, ridden by Garrett Gomez, is 2-for-2.
Nobiz Like Shobiz ($5.90) made it 3-for-3 since moving to the grass with an impressive four-length victory in the $300,000 Jamaica Handicap. Trainer Barclay Tagg has said his 3-year-old colt, who finished 10th in the Kentucky Derby, would skip the Breeders’ Cup and run instead in the Hollywood Derby.
The Champagne is one 24 Breeders’ Cup Challenge “Win and You’re In” races.
Four other “Win and You’re In” races were run at Keeneland on a day marred by fatal injuries to two horses and a serious leg injury to 3-year-old Teuflesberg.
Off Duty ($29.40) won the Phoenix and qualified foe the BC Sprint), Vacare ($7.80) took The First Lady Stakes (BC Filly & Mare Turf), Wicked Style ($24.40) captured the Breeders’ Futurity (BC Juvenile) and Purim ($43.80) edged Cosmonaut in the Shadwell Turf Mile (BC Mile).
The breakdowns occurred in the Phoenix and the Breeders’ Futurity.
Dream of Angels was euthanized after flipping over in the paddock and fracturing his skull before the Phoenix, and Teuflesberg broke down on the backstretch during the race. Teuflesberg suffered serious injuries to the sesamoid bones in his left front leg. On-track veterinarian Alan Ruggles said the colt also had injuries to his right front leg and would have surgery next week on both legs.
In the Futurity, Gold Train was euthanized after fracturing a leg just past the quarter-pole at Keeneland, which now features Polytrack, a synthetic surface thought to be safer than a dirt surface.
Off Duty earned a spot in the BC Sprint, but was not nominated for the Breeders’ Cup. To run, his owners would have to pay a supplemental fee of $300,000.
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.
Wesseling: Each NFL team enters the offseason with a series of pressing needs. Sometimes a team can address them all, sometimes they ignore them all. But if a team's smart, they'll listen to us. These are the most crucial aspects for AFC teams.
Paul Pierce has been around long enough to know what Rajon Rondo's performance can mean for the aging Boston Celtics.
