HORSE RACING
Untapable 2-1 favorite
The filly Untapable is the 2-1 favorite for her first race against the colts, the $1 million Haskell Invitational on Sunday at Monmouth Park in New Jersey. Untapable is 4 for 4 this season, winning by a combined 30 3/4 lengths against 3-year-old fillies. Her victories include the Kentucky Oaks at Churchill Downs and the Mother Goose at Belmont Park. This will be her biggest challenge yet, attempting to join Rachel Alexandra (2009) and Serena's Song (1995) as the only fillies to win New Jersey's top thoroughbred race. "When the year started, our goal with her was the Kentucky Oaks," said trainer Steve Asmussen who also conditioned Rachel Alexandra. "That performance, and how she has trained since, convinced us this is right time to take this chance." Untapable will break from post 7 in the nine-horse field with Rosie Napravnik aboard for the 1 1/8-mile race. Bayern, trained by Bob Baffert, who has won the Haskell a record six times, is the 5-2 second choice from post 2. Most recently he was the dominant 7 1/2-length winner of the Woody Stephens Stakes on the Belmont Stakes undercard. The full Haskell field, in post position order with odds, is: Encryption, 20-1; Bayern, 5-2; Albano, 6-1; Irish You Well, 12-1; Just Call Kenny, 10-1; Social Inclusion, 8-1; Untapable, 2-1; Wildcat Red, 10-1 and Medal Count, 8-1.
• Blue Grass Stakes winner Dance With Fate was euthanized Thursday after the colt severely injured his leg in a training accident. A veterinarian at the seaside track in Del Mar, Calif., said Dance With Fate ruptured two of the three large patella ligaments in his right rear leg earlier in the morning. Dr. Helmuth Von Bluecher said the injury was complicated by possible infection and further injuries in the area, which meant the colt would not be able to bear weight. Dance With Fate was galloping at 5:30 a.m. when he bolted to the outside fence near the far turn, crashed into the fence and fell, dumping exercise rider Joe Durant, who was hospitalized with unknown injuries. Dance With Fate was taken by horse ambulance to trainer Peter Eurton's barn, where the colt was put down about 5 1/2 hours later.
BASKETBALL
Cavs sign Wiggins
The Cleveland Cavaliers have signed No. 1 overall draft pick Andrew Wiggins, and his contract prevents him from being traded for 30 days. Wiggins has been linked to a possible blockbuster trade with Minnesota for All-Star forward Kevin Love, but any deal now involving Wiggins can't be finalized for at least 30 days. The Cavs had been reluctant to include Wiggins in a package for Love, but the team has softened its stance and may be willing to part with the former Kansas standout. Cleveland is interested in bringing in Love to form a "Big 3" with LeBron James and Kyrie Irving. That trio would make the Cavs an overwhelming favorite in the Eastern Conference.
SEC
Network carriers added
Time Warner Cable and Bright House Networks have reached deals with ESPN to carry the SEC Network. The companies and the SEC announced the deal Thursday. The network debuts Aug. 14 and will be available to some 60 million households nationally. The network will televise at least 45 SEC football games this season, starting Aug. 28 with Texas A&M playing South Carolina. It will broadcast more than 1,000 live events in its first year. ESPN and the SEC reached a 20-year deal through 2034 to create and operate the network.
FOOTBALL
2 Longhorns charged
A University of Texas police spokesman said two Longhorns football players have been charged with felony sexual assault and their arrests are pending. Cindy Posey said the players charged Thursday are wide receivers Kendall Sanders and Montrel Meander. Sanders also faces a charge of improper photography. Further details were not immediately available. It was not clear if either player has an attorney. Sanders, a junior, has played in 23 career games and started seven last year. He has 39 career receptions for 376 yards and 1 touchdown. Sanders was suspended for the 2013 season opener after a drunken driving arrest. Meander is a redshirt freshman who did not play last season.
TENNIS
Youzhny advances
Top-seeded Mikhail Youzhny began his Swiss Open title defense by beating Kenny De Schepper of France 6-3, 6-4 in a second-round match Thursday. The 19th-ranked Russian forced a single service break in each set and denied De Schepper any chances to break back. The French left-hander sent down seven aces but had six double faults. In the quarterfinals today, Youzhny faces the player he beat in the title match last year, Robin Haase of the Netherlands. Seventh-seeded Haase had a tougher time in the mountains of Gstaad, Switzerland, beating local wild card Henri Laaksonen 6-4, 1-6, 7-5. Leading 5-3 in the decider, Haase had his serve broken then wasted three match points in Laaksonen's next service game. Haase finally clinched the match on an error by the 319th-ranked Swiss. Another wild card, Viktor Troicki of Serbia, eased into the last eight with a 6-3, 6-4 victory against Andrey Golubev of Kazakhstan. Troicki next plays fourth-seeded Fernando Verdasco of Spain or 78th-ranked Jan-Lennard Struff of Germany. Their match was tied at 3-6, 6-3, 1-1 when rain suspended play.
• Dutchman Thiemo de Bakker beat second-seeded Kevin Anderson of South Africa 6-4, 7-5 on Thursday night in the rain-delayed second round of the Atlanta Open to advance to the quarterfinals. De Bakker retired from his final qualifying match because of a sore neck and still made the field as one of three "Lucky Losers" following the late withdrawals of Gaels Monfils, Richard Gasquet and Radek Stepanek. De Bakker, ranked 142nd in the world, overcame a 5-3 deficit in the second set. Ben Becker of Germany also had an upset victory, topping seventh-seeded Yen-hsun Lu of Taiwan 6-4, 6-3. In late matches, John Isner faced follow American Robby Ginepri, and eighth-seeded Marinko Matosevic of Australia played Tim Smyczek of the United States.
GOLF
Teaching pros laid off
The Dick's Sporting Goods chain has laid off 478 Professional Golfers' Association teaching pros months after the company reported that sales of golf gear are dwindling. Dick's didn't immediately respond Thursday to the layoffs, which were announced by the PGA on Wednesday. Dick's operates more than 500 stores nationwide, most under the Dick's name. Those stores sell golf equipment as do 79 stores the chain operates under the Golf Galaxy name. Dick's is based in the Pittsburgh suburb of Findlay Township. Earlier this year, Dick's announced it expected its year-end profits to drop about 10 percent because of reduced sales in golf equipment, which the company says was offsetting gains it made selling other sports gear. The PGA said Dick's still employs PGA pros at its Golf Galaxy stores, but not at Dick's locations.
Sports on 07/25/2014