Briefly

Trainer Nick Zito was inducted into the National Museum of Racing’s Hall of Fame Monday in Saratoga Springs, N.Y., the latest milestone in a career that started with a two-horse stable and includes four wins in Triple Crown races.

Zito was elected in May, in his eighth year of eligibility. Three steeplechase standouts, jockey Thomas Walsh, trainer Sidney Watters Jr. and five-time champion Lonesome Glory, also were inducted during the ceremony across from Saratoga Race Course.

“Some of us get a chance to do something we love,” the 57-year-old Zito said. “Sometimes if we’re fortunate, we get to do it over and over. Some things we do well, some things not so well. No matter how bad we do, with the love that we have for the sport, there’s never really a bad day attached to it.”

Zito won the Derby with Strike the Gold in 1991 and Go for Gin in 1994, and won the 1996 Preakness with Louis Quatorze and the 2004 Belmont Stakes with Birdstone, who played the spoiler’s role in Smarty Jones’ Triple Crown bid. On Saturday, he won the $750,000 Whitney stakes with Commentator, the first time Zito’s won that Grade 1 race.

“It’s an incredible honor,” Zito said. “What can I say? It gives you goose bumps.”

During his 12-year riding career that ended in 1967 at the age of 27, Walsh was fifth in victories with 253, including five straight wins in the prestigious Grand National Steeplechase. Walsh currently trains horses and is based at Belmont Park.

The 88-year-old Watters led or shared the lead in steeplechase victories six times between 1948 and 1971. He led steeplechase trainers in purse money earned three times. He also was a successful flat-race conditioner who trained 1983 3-year-old champion Slew o’ Gold and 1970 2-year-old champion Hoist the Flag. Watters was not able to attend the ceremony. He was represented by his son, Eric.

Lonesome Glory, with 24 wins in 44 career starts from 1991-1999, is steeplechase racing’s leading money-earner with $1.4 million.

Tennis

Canas suspended for two years

Top 10 player Guillermo Canas was suspended for two years by the ATP after testing positive for a banned substance that can be used to mask performance-enhancing drugs.

Canas, No. 10 in the current rankings, failed a doping test at a tournament in Acapulco, Mexico, on Feb. 21.

He was told in May, and his appeal was heard by an independent tribunal last month. It was turned down, and he won’t be eligible to compete on tour until June 2007.

Canas said he had taken medicine for a sore throat and flu symptoms in Acapulco.

He tested positive for hydrochlorothiazide, also known as HCT, a diuretic that can be used to treat hypertension.

Hockey

Prince George hires Vandekamp

The Prince George Cougars of the Western Hockey League named Mike Vandekamp as their new head coach.

Vandekamp replaces Lane Lambert, who was removed as Cougars head coach last week when it was revealed that he was close to landing an assistant coaching job in the American Hockey League.

At 33, Vandekamp is young for a WHL coach. But he has been coaching junior hockey since he was 23 and has had considerable success in the BCHL.

Basketball

NBA TV season tips off Nov. 1

A Christmas Day doubleheader featuring the San Antonio Spurs and Detroit Pistons in a rematch of the 2005 NBA Finals highlights the league’s television schedule.

The second game on ABC will show Kobe Bryant, Phil Jackson and the Los Angeles Lakers against Shaquille O’Neal and the Miami Heat.

The NBA released its complete game schedule and national TV schedules of ABC, TNT, ESPN and NBA TV for the 2005-06 season.

The televised season begins Nov. 1 with the defending champion Spurs against the Denver Nuggets on TNT.

Auto racing

Gibbs Racing fires Leffler

Jason Leffler was fired as driver for the No. 11 Chevrolet at Joe Gibbs Racing. The team will use a combination of drivers to replace him for the final 15 races of the season.

Two-time NASCAR champion Terry Labonte will drive the car this weekend at Watkins Glen International. Busch Series drivers J.J. Yeley and Denny Hamlin will also drive in several events.

“This was a difficult decision,” said J.D. Gibbs, president of JGR. “Everyone at Joe Gibbs Racing had high hopes for Jason and the No. 11 team, but our performance wasn’t meeting the expectations all of us set forth at the beginning of the year.

“It hasn’t been for lack of effort, as Jason is a talented race car driver who worked incredibly hard and was terrific with our sponsor.”

In 19 races, Leffler doesn’t have a single top 10 finish and is 35th in the points.

“Claim forms were made available to individual ticket holders seeking refunds from Michelin for the boycott of the U.S. Grand Prix by the seven Formula One teams that use its tires.

The Indianapolis Motor Speedway, which is administering the refund, offered the forms at its ticket office, on its Web site and by telephone. Almost all the estimated 100,000 fans at the June 19 race, however, already have Speedway accounts and will receive refunds automatically without having to submit claims.