In brief: Filly will run against the boys again

Horse Racing: Preakness- winning filly Rachel Alexandra will run against the boys again in the $1 million Haskell Invitational on Aug. 2 at New Jersey’s Monmouth Park.

Co-owner Jess Jackson announced the decision Tuesday.

The Haskell is a 11/8-mile Grade 1 race for 3-year-olds. Also expected in the field is Belmont Stakes winner Summer Bird.

“She is in top condition. If this preparation continues, our target is to race in the Haskell Invitational in about three weeks,” Jackson said in a release. “We are all looking forward to seeing this great athlete perform again against both colts and fillies.”

Rachel Alexandra worked five furlongs in 1:01.38 on Monday at Saratoga in upstate New York. She has won seven consecutive races, most recently by 191/4 lengths against fillies in the Mother Goose Stakes at Belmont Park on June 25.

Blackhawks oust general manager

Hockey: Dale Tallon helped restore the Chicago Blackhawks from a struggling hockey franchise to a young and talented team that went all the way to the Western Conference finals in May.

On Tuesday, less than two months after that run in the Stanley Cup playoffs, Tallon lost his job as general manager.

His ouster came a week after a missed deadline for sending qualifying offers to restricted free agents prompted the NHL Players Association to file a grievance against the team. Tallon was replaced by Stan Bowman, the son of NHL coaching legend Scotty Bowman.

Tallon earlier denied that the problem and grievance had caused the Blackhawks to overpay the players, including Kris Versteeg, the team’s top rookie last season.

Tallon accepted a two-year contract extension to stay on as an adviser.

Other leagues back NFL drug policy

Football: U.S. Olympic officials, Major League Baseball and other professional sports organizations are getting into the NFL’s fight with two Minnesota Vikings linemen – Kevin and Pat Williams, who are not related – who face four-game suspensions for violating the league’s anti-doping policy.

MLB, the National Basketball Association and the National Hockey League asked Monday for permission to file paperwork in federal court in support of the NFL, which wants to suspend the players at the beginning of the upcoming season. The U.S. Anti-Doping Agency filed a similar motion on its own.

The leagues contend their own collectively bargained drug-testing programs would be affected if the linemen are allowed to fight their suspensions in state court. USADA argues uniform rules are needed “to ensure a level playing field.”

In May, U.S. District Judge Paul A. Magnuson dismissed most of the Williamses’ claims and a related case filed by the NFL Players Association but allowed the Williamses to pursue two claims in state court. One claim involves a Minnesota law on when and how employers can require employees to submit to drug testing. The other involves a state law that prohibits an employer from disciplining an employee for using a legal substance offsite during non-working hours.

U.S. championships move to Albuquerque

Track and Field: The USA indoor track and field championships will leave Boston and be held in Albuquerque, N.M., beginning in 2010.

Albuquerque will also host the 2011 and 2012 indoor championships, which is the final event of the indoor Visa Championship Series.

The indoor championships had been held at the Reggie Lewis Center in Boston since 2003. The last time the event was staged in Albuquerque was 1966.

The meet next year will be held Feb. 27-28.

Lawyer requests release of Gatti’s wife

Boxing: The Brazilian wife of Arturo Gatti asked to be released from jail, where she is held on accusations she strangled the former boxing champion with her purse strap as he drunkenly slept.

Her lawyer told the Associated Press he petitioned a court to release Amanda Rodrigues while the investigation continues. Celio Avelino expects the court in Recife to rule today at the earliest.

Rodrigues told investigators she awoke Saturday about 6 a.m. to find her husband’s body in the apartment they rented in Porto de Galinhas, a seaside resort in Pernambuco state. She then called police, which Avelino said indicates her willingness to help authorities.

But police said she was the only suspect and they are certain she killed Gatti in their apartment where they and their 10-month-old son arrived for a second honeymoon last week. The boy was unhurt and was in the care of Rodrigues’ family.

Police spokeswoman Milena Saraiva told the AP the death may have even been premeditated and Rodrigues may have encouraged Gatti to drink excessively so she would be able to overpower him later.

Saraiva also said Gatti’s body was released to his brother and it was her understanding the body would be flown to Canada on Wednesday.

Police said Gatti had marks on his throat, indicating he was strangled, and a knife wound to the back of his head. They displayed a bloodied, white purse strap that was found near Gatti’s body, along with a small steak knife.

•Japan’s Hasegawa keeps WBC bantamweight title: Hozumi Hasegawa of Japan has kept his title by stopping American Nestor Rocha in the first round of a bout in Japan.

Hasegawa sent Rocha to the canvas twice before the referee stopped the fight after 2 minutes, 28 seconds.

This was Hasegawa’s ninth title defense. He improved to 27-2, 11 by knockout. Rocha was bidding for his first world title and dropped to 21-2 with seven KOs.

In an earlier bout, Roman Gonzalez of Nicaragua retained his WBA minimumweight crown with a unanimous decision over Katsunari Takayama of Japan.