LITTLE ROCK — MOTOR SPORTS
Logano wins
Joey Logano dominated on the concrete Saturday to win the Nationwide Series race at Dover International Speedway. Logano raced to his series leading seventh victory of the season, winning for the 16th time in NASCAR’s second-tier circuit. Paul Menard was second, followed by Michael Annett, points leader Elliott Sadler and Kyle Busch.
Logano swept the Dover races this season. He powered his way to the lead with six laps left in the June race.
Nelson Piquet Jr. raced to his second NASCAR Trucks Series victory of the year Saturday night, passing Matt Crafton on the final lap at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Piquet, the Brazilian whose father won three Formula One titles, also won at Road America in Wisconsin in June. Crafton took the lead on a restart after the final caution, with Piquet close behind. Piquet went to the bottom of the track on the final lap and passed Crafton in the second turn. Pole-winner Joey Coulter was third, followed by Brendan Gaughan and Todd Bodine. Ty Dillon was 10th and hold into the series lead, ahead of sixth-place finisher James Buescher.
Antron Brown raced to the No. 1 qualifying position in Top Fuel on Saturday, capping a record-setting two days at the NHRA Midwest Nationals in Madison, Ill. Brown will go for his second consecutive playoff victory and his sixth victory of the season from the top spot. He holds a one-point lead in the Full Throttle Countdown to the Championship standings over playoff rival Spencer Massey, who was second in qualifying.
FOOTBALL
Nicks out for Eagles game
The New York Giants will be without wide receiver Hakeem Nicks for tonight’s game against the Philadelphia Eagles. The team announced Saturday that Nicks will miss the game because of a knee problem and will not make the trip to Philadelphia. He previously missed a Sept. 19 victory over Carolina with a sore foot. Coach Tom Coughlin has said Nicks developed swelling in his left knee after working out Thursday. It was his only expected practice for the game.
Oakland Raiders receiver Darrius Heyward-Bey and tight end Richard Gordon will miss today’s game in Denver because of injuries. Heyward-Bey did not practice all week as he recovered from a helmet-to-helmet hit that sent him to the hospital last Sunday with a concussion and strained neck. He leads Raiders wideouts with nine catches this season for 98 yards and a touchdown.
The New England Patriots have signed offensive lineman Matt Tennant. Tennant was with the team earlier in September after being cut by the New Orleans Saints near the end of training camp.
Pro Bowl running back Matt Forte is questionable for the Chicago Bears’ game Monday night at Dallas because of a sprained right ankle. Forte practiced on a limited basis this week after sitting out a victory over St. Louis. He was injured in a loss at Green Bay on Sept. 13 and left that game.
The San Diego Chargers have signed kicker Nick Novak to replace Nate Kaeding for today’s game at Kansas City. To make room for Novak on the roster, the Chargers released offensive lineman Reggie Wells. Kaeding hurt his groin in practice Friday.
TENNIS
Simon reaches final
Gilles Simon upset top-seeded Janko Tipsarevic 6-4, 6-4 Saturday to set up an all-French final against Richard Gasquet at the Thailand Open in Bangkok. Gasquet rallied from a set and two breaks down to beat Jarkko Nieminen 3-6, 7-5, 6-2 after the Finn failed to serve out the match when leading 5-4 in the second set. The fourth-seeded Simon won the title here in 2009 and improved his head-to-head record against Tipsarevic to 5-1. He broke the Serb in his first service game and then saved a break point in the 10th game before clinching the set when Tipsarevic netted a forehand.
Second-seeded Juan Monaco of Argentina outlasted Kei Nishikori of Japan 6-2, 2-6, 7-6 (4) Saturday to reach the final of the Malaysian Open in Kuala Lumpur. Nishikori led 5-2 in the third set before Monaco fought back to win a match that lasted 2 hours, 42 minutes at Kuala Lumpur’s Putra Stadium.
BOXING
Povetkin retains WBA belt
Undefeated Alexander Povetkin of Russia retained his WBA heavyweight title, stopping American challenger Hasim Rahman in the second round Saturday night in Hamburg, Germany. Referee Gustavo Padilla stopped it 1:36 into the round, with Povetkin able to pick his shots at will against the 39-year-old former WBC, IBF and IBO champion. Povetkin, 33, improved to 25-0 with his 17th knockout. Rahman dropped to 50-8-2 after his first bout since June 2011. The fight was Povetkin’s third defense of the WBA belt he earned by outpointing Ruslan Chagaev in August 2011 for the then-vacant title.
HORSE RACING Flat Out wins Jockey Club Gold Cup
NEW YORK - Flat Out made his first win of the year a big one, edging Stay Thirsty in the final strides to take the $1 million Jockey Club Gold Cup on Saturday at Belmont Park.
Flat Out won the Gold Cup last year, but was 0 for 6 until overtaking Stay Thirsty two jumps from the finish to give trainer Bill Mott his second Grade I victory on a day that featured six graded stakes races.
Earlier, Mott’s 4-5 favorite Royal Delta beat rival It’s Tricky by 9 1/2 lengths in the Beldame Invitational.
Ridden by Joel Rosario, the 6-year-old Flat Out challenged pace-setter Stay Thirsty when the 10-horse field turned for home, and closed the margin with every stride before putting his head in front at the wire.
Whitney Invitational winner and 5-2 favorite Fort Larned was third.
The winning time for the 1 1/4 miles was 2:01.44.
In other stakes races, The Lumber Guy won the Vosburgh, Nahrain took the Flower Bowl Invitational, 4-5 favorite Point of Entry won the Joe Hirsch Turf Classic, and Jersey Town was an upset winner in the Grade IIKelso Handicap.
Hall of Fame jockey John Velazquez was aboard three Grade I winners - The Lumber Guy, Nahrain and Point of Entry.
The winning horses in each of the six stakes races earned automatic berths in the Breeders’ Cup at Santa Anita on Nov. 2-3.
Owned by Preston Stables, Flat Out returned $9.30, $5.60 and $4. Stay Thirsty paid $10.80 and $6.70, and Fort Larned returned $4 to show.
The win was worth $600,000 and boosted Flat Out’s career earnings to $2,042,383.
Game On Dude returned to the winner’s circle under new jockey Rafael Bejarano, taking the Awesome Again Stakes at Santa Anita in California on Saturday. The 5-year-old gelding improved to 5-0 at his home track for Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert, who replaced Chantal Sutherland with Bejarano after Game On Dude lost the Pacific Classic by a half-length last month at Del Mar. Game On Dude earned an automatic berth in the $5 million Breeders’ Cup Classic on Nov. 3, a race he finished second in last year at Churchill Downs.
Sports, Pages 25 on 09/30/2012