Off the wire

Sunday, July 6, 2014

HORSE RACING

Mr Speaker pulls surprise

Mr Speaker pulled a 23-1 upset Saturday in the $1.25 million Belmont Derby Invitational for 3-year-olds on the turf. The Belmont Derby, formerly known as the Jamaica Handicap during the fall meet, was the richest of five stakes on the inaugural "Stars and Stripes Day" at Belmont Park. The Belmont Derby drew an international field but it was the locally based Mr Speaker that took the prize. Mr Speaker made a bold run up the rail to edge Adelaide, based in Ireland, by a neck. Jose Lezcano was aboard for trainer Shug McGaughey as Mr Speaker got his fourth victory in nine starts, paying $49 to win. The time was 2:01.18 for the 1 1/4 miles on the course rated good. It was a strong bounce-back effort for Mr Speaker following a fifth-place finish in the Pennine Ridge Stakes here in late May. Lezcano had a banner day, winning three stakes including the $500,000 Suburban Handicap with Zivo, another long shot. The trip echoed the Belmont Derby as Zivo rallied up the fence to beat Moreno by three lengths. Zivo, 13-1, paid $29.40 to win. Zivo, a 5-year-old New York bred trained by Chad Brown, got his ninth victory in 15 starts. The time was 2:00.43 for the 1 1/4 miles. Lezcano was part of history as Clearly Now won the $400,000 Belmont Sprint Championship beating Palace by 6 1/4 lengths in record time. The 4-year-old trained by Brian Lynch ran seven furlongs in 1:19.96 on the fast track, erasing the mark of 1:20.17 set by Left Bank in 2002. Clearly Now got his fifth victory in 15 starts, paying $6.40 to win.

Irish You Well took the lead nearing the stretch and then held off Just Call Kenny by a half-length in the $100,000 Long Branch Stakes at Monmouth Park. Trained by Wayne Catalano and ridden by Orlando Bocachica, the 3-year-old colt ran 1 1/16 miles over a fast track in 1:42 2-5 and paid $12, $5.80 and $3.60. The win was the second in 10 career starts for Irish You Well, who has now earned $182,150. Just Call Kenny returned $5.60 and $3.60, and Encryption was 2 1/2 lengths back in third and paid $3.40.

Rosie Napravnik plans to resume serious riding next weekend, making a swift return from a shoulder injury suffered last month. Napravnik took an important step Saturday at Belmont Park, exercising five horses for trainer Mike Maker. It's the first time in the saddle since separating her shoulder after a workout spill at Churchill Downs on June 16. Joe Sharp, Napravnik's husband, is the assistant trainer supervising Maker's New York division. Even with lost time because of the injury, the 26-year-old Napravnik still ranks eighth nationally in purse earnings with $6.4 million. Her biggest victory this season was aboard Untapable in the Kentucky Oaks.

• Shared Belief beat Candy Boy by 4 ¼ lengths to win the $500,000 Los Alamitos Derby for 3-year-olds and improve to 5-0 in his career. Ridden by Hall of Famer Mike Smith, Shared Belief ran his first race on dirt, covering 1 1/8 miles in 1:47.01 and paying $3.40, $2.60 and $2.10 as the 7-10 favorite. Smith was aboard for the first time for co-owner and sports talk host Jim Rome. Shared Belief, last year’s champion 2-year-old, has won his races by a combined 28 ¾ lengths. The victory, worth $300,000, increased his career earnings to $772,200. Candy Boy returned $3.60 and $2.60 in his first start since finishing 13th in the Kentucky Derby on May 3. Tonito M. was another 7 ¼ lengths back in third and paid $5 to show. The Grade 2 race was known as the Swaps Stakes when it was run at now-closed Betfair Hollywood Park from 1974-2013. It’s the first leg of the $1 million Bolton Challenge.

TRACK & FIELD

Hurdlers set year's top times

Dawn Harper-Nelson of the United States ran a year-leading 12.44 seconds to win the 100-meter hurdles at the Paris Diamond League meeting on Saturday, while Hansle Parchment of Jamaica set the fastest time in the 110 hurdles this season. Harper-Nelson edged Queen Harrison by 0.02 to better Brianna Rollins' time of 12.53 set in Rome last month. Olympic champion Sally Pearson had a good start but faded after the halfway point to finish sixth in her return from a hamstring strain. Parchment ran 12.94 to stun world champion David Oliver and Olympic runner-up Jason Richardson. Pascal Martinot-Lagarde, who won in Lausanne on Thursday, wound up second in 13.05.

BASKETBALL

Source: Harris coming back

The Dallas Mavericks are bringing back Devin Harris in what could be a more prominent role for the point guard. Two people familiar with the deal told The Associated Press on Saturday that Harris and the Mavericks have agreed on a new contract. The people spoke on condition of anonymity because the team hadn't announced the deal. The 31-year-old Harris played for Dallas on a one-year, $3 million deal last season, missing the first half of the year after offseason toe surgery. He originally had a three-year contract worth $9 million, but the deal was scuttled by the toe injury. The new deal is reportedly similar in value to last year's three-year contract. The deal with Harris came two days after Dirk Nowitzki agreed to terms on a three-year, $30 million contract with a player option in the final season of the deal.

Mitch McGary has signed with the Oklahoma City Thunder. McGary spent two years at Michigan and was Oklahoma City's top draft pick in last month's NBA draft, going 21st overall. The signing was announced by Thunder General Manager Sam Presti. The 6-foot-10, 255-pound McGary averaged 9.5 points and 8.3 rebounds per game as a sophomore last season after helping the Wolverines to the NCAA title game as a freshman.

Football

Browns receiver charged with DWI

RALEIGH, N.C. -- Cleveland Browns wide receiver Josh Gordon was arrested and charged with driving while intoxicated after speeding down a street in Raleigh on Saturday, bringing the troubled Pro Bowler's already cloudy future into more doubt.

Gordon, 23, was taken into custody after being pulled over for going 50 mph in a 35 mph zone on U.S. 70 in northwest Raleigh around 3 a.m. Saturday, police spokesman Jim Sughrue said.

The police report on Gordon's arrest wasn't finished, so Sughrue didn't know what type of vehicle Gordon was driving or what led the officer to suspect he had been drinking.

Gordon was released on bail. Court records did not list an attorney.

The wide receiver has been in trouble before. He was suspended two games last season for violating the NFL's substance-abuse policy but still led the league with 1,646 yards receiving .

Gordon reportedly failed another drug test during the offseason, which could lead to a season-long ban. In May, he was ticketed for speeding and a passenger in his car was cited for marijuana possession. He pleaded innocent and has a hearing in the case scheduled for next Friday. Gordon was at team's recent mini-camp but has declined interviews.

Browns management has been waiting to hear from the NFL before deciding Gordon's future. Cleveland General Manager Ray Farmer found out about the arrest hours after it happened.

"We are aware of the matter and are disappointed to learn of this situation," Farmer said in a statement. "We will comment further at the appropriate time."

Sports on 07/06/2014