Off the wire

FOOTBALL Colts safety arrested

Indianapolis Colts safety Joe Lefeged was arrested early Saturday after officers found an unregistered semi-automatic pistol in the car he was riding in, police said. Lefeged was a passenger in a Chevrolet Camaro that fled a traffic stop for speeding in northeast Washington just after midnight Saturday. Officers smelled marijuana in the car and found a container of vodka and orange juice in the center console and a semi-automatic pistol under the front passenger seat, police documents show. A receipt shows Lefeged bought the gun this year for about $900, police said. Lefeged and another passenger were caught when they tried to run from the car in different directions, police said.The driver got away. Court records show Lefeged has been charged with carrying an unlicensed pistol and was being held until a preliminary hearing Tuesday. Police say officers stopped the car for speeding and because one passenger, identified as 23-year-old Aaron Wilson, was standing upright in the backseat of the convertible. After police told the driver to put the car in park, the driver sped off, nearly striking the officers, the court records show. Police say they recovered the car nearby and arrested Lefeged as he tried to run away. They found a .40-caliber semi-automatic handgun “in plain view sticking out from underneath the front passenger seat.” Lefeged, 25, grew up outside of Washington and was a star high school football player in the region. Now entering his third NFL season, he played college football at Rutgers and was signed by the Colts in July 2011 as an undrafted free agent. He started four games last season and recorded two tackles and a forced fumble in a playoff loss to the Baltimore Ravens.

University of Oklahoma defensive lineman Chuka Ndulue has been arrested in Norman for driving under the influence. OU campus police told reporters that Ndulue was arrested shortly before 3 a.m. Saturday. Cleveland County online jail records show Ndulue was booked into thejail and had been released from custody by Saturday afternoon. Ndulue started at defensive end in 10 of OU’s 13 games last season and played in all 13 games. He was moved to defensive tackle this spring.

SWIMMING

Ledecky sets 1,500 mark

Katie Ledecky broke one of the oldest national championship records Saturday night, finishing the 1,500-meter freestyle in 15 minutes, 47.15 seconds. She beat 2012 Olympic teammate Chloe Sutton by 20.6 seconds and broke Janet Evans’ 25-year-old long-course championship record by nearly 5 seconds. It also was the fastest time in the world this year. By winning the three longest events this week and finishing second in the 200 free, Ledecky has a chance to become the first American woman to compete in the 200, 400, 800 and 1,500 free at the world championships. Three other Olympic gold medalists - Ryan Lochte in the men’s 200 individual medley, Natalie Coughlin in the women’s 50 free and Nathan Adrian in the men’s 50 free - also won Saturday night.

HORSE RACING

Stunner in New York Stakes

Starformer pulled a 15-1 upset in the $200,000 New York Stakes for fillies and mares at Belmont Park on Saturday. Edgar Prado was aboard for trainer Bill Mott as the 5-yearold, third for most of the race, took command in the final furlong and held off Lady of Shamrock by 1¾ lengths. The time was 2:00.33 for 1¼ miles on the firm turf course. Starformer got her sixth win in 17 starts, paying $33.60, $14.80 and $7.20. Lady of Shamrock, who came cross country from Hollywood Park, returned $6 and $3.60. Dream Peace paid $3 to show as the 9-5 favorite. In another stakes upset, Baby J took the $150,000 Victory Ride for 3-year-old fillies at 10-1. Joel Rosario rode for trainer Patrick Reynolds as Baby J paid $23 to win.

Laughing set a Monmouth Park turf course record while winning the $100,000 Eatontown Stakes on Saturday, overtaking the favored Dayatthespa in the deep stretch to win by three-quarters of a length. Trained by Alan Goldberg and ridden by Angel Serpa, the 5-yearold mare ran the 1 1/16 miles over a firm course in 1:39.26. That topped the 1:39.37 mark set by Stormy Mirage on June 5, 2010. The victory in the Grade III race was the fifth in 12 career starts for Laughing, who has earned $308,855 overall. Laughing returned $14.20, $3.80 and $2.60, while Dayatthespa paid $2.20 and $2.10. Ruthenia was three-quarters of a length back in third and returned $2.20.

Reigning Horse of the Year Wise Dan won his seventh consecutive start Saturday night at Churchill Downs, taking the Grade 2 $168,450 Firecracker Handicap by 2 lengths.Trained by Charlie LoPresti and ridden by John Velazquez, Wise Dan was trapped behind horses for most of the race before overtaking pacesetter Seruni along the hedge in the final furlong. Wise Dan covered a “yielding” turf mile in 1:39.82 for his 16th victory in 23 career starts. The winner’s share of $104,439 pushed his career earnings to $4,164,070. Wise Dan, winner of last year’s Breeders’ Cup Mile, won the 2011 Firecracker in his first career turf start. The winner paid $2.40 and $2.10. Lea returned $3. Seruni was third. There was no show betting in the five-horse field.

Obviously won the $300,000 Shoemaker Mile by 3¼ lengths at Betfair Hollywood Park. Ridden by Joe Talamo, Obviously ran a mile on the turf course in 1:32.86. The win pushed the 6-year-old gelding’s earnings to $848,361 and landed him a berth in the Breeders’ Cup. The Irish-bred Obviously paid $2.60, $2.20 and $2.10 for his eighth victory in 15 starts. Za Approval returned $3.80 and $3, and Wilkinson paid $3.80 to show.

BOXING Chavez’ fine cut by $800,000

The Nevada State Athletic Commission has slashed boxer Julio Cesar Chavez Jr.’s fine over a failed drug test from $900,000 to $100,000. Commission members took the action after Chavez’s attorneys argued the excessive fine violated the boxer’s constitutional rights and negotiated to reduce it. The Las Vegas Review-Journal reports the 27-year-old former WBC middleweight champion did not attend the meeting. Chavez tested positive for marijuana after his first professional loss in Las Vegas on Sept. 15. He was slapped with the $900,000 fine by the commission on Feb. 28 as a repeat offender of the panel’s drug policy. Chavez had tested positive for diuretics in 2009. He has served a nine-month suspension that was part of the original punishment and will return to the ring Sept. 7 against Brian Vera in Los Angeles.

BASEBALL

Cueto placed on DL again

Cincinnati Reds starter Johnny Cueto is on the disabled list for the third time this season because of issues with his right lat muscle. The Reds put their opening day starter on the DL again Saturday, a day after he left the series opener at Texas because of tightness in his upper back. Cueto (4-2, 3.33 ERA) threw only 29 pitches and came out one batter into the second inning Friday night. Cueto returned to Cincinnati on Saturday to be examined by Reds medical director Dr. Timothy Kremchek. Cincinnati recalled right-hander Logan Ondrusek from Class AAA Louisville. Cueto (4-2, 3.33 ERA) was on the DL from April 15 to May 19 with a strained right lat. He missed the first half of June with what was called a strained right shoulder, though it was related to the lat problem.

Closer J.J. Putz has been activated from the 15-day disabled list by the Arizona Diamondbacks. Sidelined since May 7 by a strained right elbow, Putz pitched four games during an injury rehabilitation assignment with Class AAA Reno. He allowed one run and four hits in two innings with four strikeouts and three walks. Putz is 2-1 with a 4.26 ERA and five saves in nine chances with the Diamondbacks this season. To make room for Putz on the active roster, reliever Zeke Spruill was optioned to Reno after Friday’s 3-0 loss to Atlanta.