HORSE RACING Velazquez breaks Saratoga mark
John Velazquez broke Saratoga’s career victory record Saturday, reaching No. 694 aboard Unitarian in the fourth race. The 41-year-old Velazquez broke the mark he shared with Jerry Bailey after riding three winners Thursday. Velazquez, from Puerto Rico, also holds the Saratoga record for wins in a single day with six on Sept. 3, 2001. Unitarian was the 5,024th winner for Velazquez, a member of racing halls of fame in the United States and Puerto Rico. Winless with three mounts Friday, Velazquez finished sixth in the second race, then came from behind aboard the Todd Pletcher-trained Unitarian in the fourth.
Belmont Stakes winner Palace Malice pressed front-running Moreno from the outset, then took command in the stretch to win the $600,000 Jim Dandy Stakes on Saturday at Saratoga Race Course. Mike Smith rode the Todd Pletcher-trained Palace Malice, who ran 1 1/8 miles in 1:47.37 and finished a length in front of Will Take Charge. Moreno was third of nine. The victory was worth $360,000 to the owner, Dogwood Stable, and $4.70, $3.40 and $2.70 to Palace Malice’s betting supporters. Will Take Charge paid $11.80 and $6.10, and Moreno returned $4.30 to show.
BASEBALL Pujols to have tests on foot
Angels slugger Albert Pujols returned to Los Angeles on Saturday morning for further testing on his ailing left foot. Pujols has been dealing with plantar fasciitis all season. He re-injured his foot running to first base after singling in the ninth inning Friday night. Pujols has served as the Angels’ designated hitter for most of the year. He is hitting .258 with 17 home runs and 64 RBI.
The Texas Rangers said pitcher Tanner Scheppers sustained facial bruises after being attacked while walking in downtown Cleveland this week. The Rangers said Scheppers suffered a bruised eye and contusion Thursday night. He was unavailable to pitch in Friday night’s 11-8 loss to the Indians in 11 innings. The Rangers said the incident occurred a few blocks fromthe team’s hotel. The club arrived in Cleveland after playing an afternoon game Thursday in Texas, and Scheppers was getting dinner when the attack occurred.
BASKETBALL
Suns trade Scola to Pacers
The Indiana Pacers have bolstered their front-line depth with the acquisition of Luis Scola from the Phoenix Suns. The Pacers sent forward Gerald Green, center Miles Plumlee and a lottery-protected first-round draft pick to the rebuilding Suns. Scola, a 6-foot-9 forward from Argentina, played his first five NBA seasons with the Houston Rockets before coming to Phoenix a year ago when the Suns submitted the winning bid under the league’s amnesty rule. He appeared in all 82 games for the Suns, averaging 12.8 points and 6.6 rebounds. It was the fifth time in his career that he’s played in all games. Scola has averaged 14.2 points and 7.5 rebounds in his career. The 6-foot-8 Green has played for six teams since coming to the NBA in 2005. Signed as a free agent by Indiana in 2012, he appeared in 60 games, averaging seven points per contest. The 6-11 Plumlee was selected in the first round by the Pacers out of Duke last year, the 26th selection overall, but appeared in only 14 games.
TENNIS Isner advances to Atlanta final
Top-seeded John Isner beat seventh-seeded Lleyton Hewitt 6-4, 4-6, 7-6 (5) on Saturday to reach the Atlanta Open final. Isner will play either second-seeded Kevin Anderson of South Africa or American Ryan Harrison. Isner improved his ATP-best tiebreaker record to 24-6 for the season.
BASKETBALL Parker earns WNBA All-Star game MVP
UNCASVILLE, Conn. - Candace Parker had a blast in her All-Star debut.
Parker scored a record 23 points to lead the West to a 102-98 victory over the East on Saturday and earn MVP honors.
The Los Angeles Sparks star was voted a starter for the 2011 game, but she couldn’t play because of a knee injury. This time, she put on a show.
Brittney Griner and top vote-getter Elena Delle Donne sat out because of injuries, but there was plenty of talent on display in a game that featured a ref cam and in-huddle mics.
Griner has missed Phoenix’s past five games with a sprained left knee and Delle Donne suffered a concussion in Chicago’s game Thursday. They were poised to make WNBA history as the first pair of rookies from the same class to start the All-Star game, but Griner sat on the bench while Delle Donne recovered at home in Delaware.
“It hurts not being able to play, but I’m having a lot of fun just cheering,” Griner said.
Even though the rookies couldn’t play, the WNBA had seven other first-time All-Stars in the game. That didn’t even include Parker.
Despite joking before the game that she was “too old” to dunk, Parker threw down a fewin warmups.
After a quiet first half, she helped rally the West after the break. With her team trailing by 11 early in the third quarter, Parker scored seven consecutive points. After the foul by Tamika Catchings, Parker flexed her muscles and used a nifty stutter-step from the wing for an easy layup. Parker finished off her run with another lay-in.
That seemed to signal the start of a more serious tone to the game. After Sparks teammate Kristi Toliver hit backto-back three-pointers to the tie game, Ivory Latta hit her own three-pointers to give the East an 81-74 advantage heading into the final quarter.
Parker, who finished with 11 rebounds, and Toliver wouldn’t let the West lose for the fourth time in the past five All-Star games. Parker broke Swin Cash’s All-Star game record of 22 points with a layup midway through the fourth quarter.
Trailing 100-98 with 30 seconds left, the East had a chance to take the lead, but Cappie Pondexter missed a three-pointer. Parker grabbed the rebound and Toliver sealed the victory by hitting two free throws.
Toliver finished with 21 points. Epiphanny Prince and Latta scored 15 points each to lead the East.
Sports, Pages 26 on 07/28/2013