Fast Break: Borel could return to ‘Bird’
Horse racing
Borel could return to ‘Bird’
Jockey Calvin Borel will be back on Kentucky Derby winner Mine That Bird for the Belmont Stakes if Rachel Alexandra isn’t entered.
Chip Woolley, who trains the Derby winner, made that clear Thursday. He said he’ll wait until Rachel Alexandra’s co-owner Jess Jackson decides whether to run his Preakness-winning filly in the Belmont.
That decision could come any time, but Jackson indicated earlier this week it would be after Rachel Alexandra works out Monday at Churchill Downs.
The Belmont draw for post positions is Wednesday and the 1 1/2 -mile race is June 6.
Borel won the Derby aboard Mine That Bird, then rode Rachel Alexandra to victory over Mine That Bird in the Preakness. Borel has said he would ride Rachel Alexandra if she runs in the Belmont.
“If we have to, we’ll wait right up to or close to entry time,” Woolley said during a conference call. “I’m going to give Calvin as much time as possible to ride ‘Mine’ and also to keep him from losing two mounts.
“He won me the Kentucky Derby and I owe him the opportunity if it’s possible. I don’t want to see him sitting on the sidelines when I get to Belmont.”
Poker
Players dig deep for Series fee
Top poker professionals and amateurs with deep pockets put up $40,000 apiece to square off in the first major tournament at the World Series of Poker at Las Vegas.
The series kicked off seven weeks of poker tournaments at the Rio hotel and casino, where thousands of players will gamble against one another for millions of dollars and one of 57 gold bracelets awarded to winners of the various games.
The series culminates with its $10,000 no-limit Texas Hold ’em main event, a tournament that crowns the World Series of Poker champion each year. Last year, Peter Eastgate topped a field of 6,844 to win $9.15 million and the coveted title.
Women’s basketball
Bekkering vies for national spot
Gonzaga University forward Janelle Bekkering is among 16 players vying for a spot on Canada’s Senior Women’s National Team (SWNT).
Canada’s top players will be competing for a roster spot on the 2009 SWNT.
The SWNT will play the national teams of China, Cuba, and Brazil in eight exhibition games in preparation for the FIBA Americas Championships for Women Sept. 23-27 in Cuiaba, Brazil.
Bekkering, from Taber, Alberta, and junior-to-be, played in all 34 games for the Zags, starting 31 times. She averaged 8.4 points, 3.9 rebounds, 1.3 assists and 1.0 steal per game.
Zag player Courtney Vandersloot tried out for the USA World University Games earlier this month, but did not make the final cut.