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Ryan Callahan scored for the fifth time in four days and defenseman Ryan McDonagh snapped a second-period tie to lift the New York Rangers to a 3-2 victory over the Washington Capitals on Sunday.
Kobe Bryant hit a baseline jump shot with 4.2 seconds left and the Los Angeles Lakers wrapped up a six-game road trip by holding on to beat the Raptors 94-92 on Sunday, their eighth victory in nine meetings with Toronto
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.
Eleven shots separated Phil and Tiger Sunday at Pebble Beach as Lefty secured his 40th Tour win. Jason Sobel had hole-by-hole reports.
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.
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OCEANPORT, N.J. - Bob Baffert was quick to correct someone who called his two victories in the Breeders’ Cup a comeback.
“I’ve always been here,” the silver-haired trainer said. “I’ve just been a little quiet.”
He created quite a ruckus on Saturday, winning a pair of $2 million races, the Juvenile Fillies with Indian Blessing and the Sprint with Midnight Lute.
Baffert has had a low profile in recent years after dominating the sport in the late 1990s, when he racked up three Kentucky Derby victories and led the nation’s trainers in earnings for four consecutive years.
Part of his slide was due to the deaths of prominent owners Bob Lewis, John Mabee and Saudi Prince Ahmed bin Salman. Their deep pockets and flow of good horses kept Baffert in hay, while his successes made him the envy of the racing world.
Still, a couple of longtime clients got him back in the winner’s circle Saturday, when he held up his young son Bode.
Indian Blessing is owned by Patti and Hal Earnhardt.
“I’m the longest client that Bobby has,” Hal Earnhardt said. “We started together, never had another trainer, it’s only been him and all our successes.”
Midnight Lute is co-owned by Mike Pegram and two other men.
“It’s just great to win it with my old pal Mike. We’re back in the saddle with a great horse,” Baffert said after the Sprint. “I had them upside down for about six, seven years and they stuck with me. Now they know the feeling of winning.”
Pegram and Baffert teamed to win the 1998 Kentucky Derby and Preakness with Real Quiet, who was denied the Triple Crown sweep when he lost the Belmont by a nose.
“The one thing that’s great about racing is when you can enjoy it with your friends,” Pegram said.
The Sprint victory was consolation for Baffert, who had to scratch his other entry Cry and Catch Me earlier in the week because of a fever.
“I’ve learned you can never look back and just go forward,” he said. “Thank God she didn’t get very sick and we got it under control in time so she’ll be back to race again.”
Baffert’s other Breeders’ Cup entry, Tough Tiz’s Sis, finished seventh in the Distaff.
Indian Blessing led all the way in the Juvenile Fillies and won by 3½ lengths. Midnight Lute worried Baffert a bit more. He was eighth after the opening quarter-mile and was seventh at the half-mile pole.
“I told my wife who was next to me, ‘Oh, we didn’t break and he was way back there,”’ the trainer said. “We would have been really disappointed if he didn’t win. I loved Indian Blessing, but I knew this was my best shot and when he didn’t break, I thought, ‘What a shame, he’s not going to get to show his best stuff.”’
Then Midnight Lute kicked in at the three-eighths pole and made a big move, swinging wide at the quarter pole to get around traffic.
“He was just pouring it on at the end,” Baffert said. “I was so excited to watch him do that, knowing that he gets to go back to my barn, that I have a horse like that.”
Baffert will likely be back at Churchill Downs on Kentucky Derby weekend with Indian Blessing. But the filly would probably end up in the Kentucky Oaks, run on Derby eve.
“She’s just a really good filly,” Baffert said. “When they’re that talented, they just get it done.”
When you’ve won as much as Baffert has, you find a way to do it again on the biggest days.
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