Briefly

Borrego becomes Breeders’ Cup contender

Borrego turned the Jockey Club Gold Cup into a blowout.

Roaring past the field around the far turn, Borrego cruised to an easy victory in Saturday’s $1 million Gold Cup, one of five Grade 1 races at Belmont Park with Breeders’ Cup implications.

Borrego now becomes one of the top contenders for the $4 million Breeders’ Cup Classic in four weeks.

In the other races, favorite Ashado won the Beldame, Taste of Paradise took the Vosburgh in an upset, Shakespeare remained unbeaten with a victory in the Joe Hirsch Turf Classic Invitational, and Riskaverse was the surprise winner of the Flower Bowl Invitational.

In races at other tracks, Rock Hard Ten stamped himself a top prospect for the BC Classic with a victory in the Goodwood Handicap at Santa Anita. Roman Ruler was second. Also, The Daddy was the long shot winner of the Super Derby at Louisiana Downs, with A.P. Arrow second.

At Bay Meadows, Lost in the Fog ran his unbeaten career record to 10 for 10 with an easy win in the six-furlong Speed Handicap and will be the likely favorite for the Breeders’ Cup Sprint.

At Philadelphia Park, Hall of Fame jockey Angel Cordero Jr.’s one-day comeback after a 10-year retirement didn’t work out as Indian Vale finished off the board in the Cotillion.

•Megahertz made her trademark move from last to first to win the $500,000 Yellow Ribbon Stakes by a length over Flip Flop at Santa Anita in Arcadia, Calif. The 6-year-old chestnut mare is expected to run in the Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf on Oct. 29 at Belmont Park before retiring at year’s end.

In an undercard feature, Diamond Omi held off heavily-favored Wild Fit in a stretch duel to win the $200,000 Oak Leaf Stakes by 3/4 of a length.

TENNIS

Federer wins 30th in row

Paradorn Srichaphan lost before his home fans, beaten by Britain’s Andy Murray 6-7 (3), 7-5, 6-2 in a semifinal that left the Thailand Open in Bangkok without Asia’s top player.

The 18-year-old Murray advanced to today’s final against defending champion Roger Federer, the top-seeded Swiss who defeated Jarkko Nieminem of Finland 6-3, 6-4 for his 30th consecutive victory. Federer has not lost since falling to Rafael Nadal in the French Open semifinals.

•Top-seeded Mariano Puerta of Argentina was ousted from the Vietnam Open with a 6-1, 6-0 loss in the semifinals to Jonas Bjorkman of Sweden.

Bjorkman will play for the title today against third-seeded Radek Stepanek of the Czech Republic, who held off second-seeded Thomas Johansson of Sweden 7-5, 6-4.

MISCELLANY

Son will succeed Knight

Bob Knight’s son will become Texas Tech’s basketball coach when the Hall of Fame coach retires.

The 64-year-old Knight is under contract through May 2009. Pat Knight, a Texas Tech assistant, signed a contract Friday in which he was named coach-designate, school basketball spokesman Randy Farley said Saturday.

“Pat has been instrumental in what we’ve done here so far and the most selfish thing for me is that I want to see what we’ve done placed in the hands of the most competent person, and that’s Pat,” Bob Knight told the Lubbock Avalanche-Journal.

Athletic director Gerald Myers said recruiting and continuity were the reasons behind the decision.

•Flooding at KeyArena in Seattle delayed the start of the Seattle Thunderbirds’ Western Hockey League game against the Kamloops Blazers. Flooding caused by heavy rain resulted in the closure of lower-level entrances as fire personnel pumped out water and placed sand bags.

•Marc-Andre Fleury, the No. 1 pick in the 2003 NHL draft and the Pittsburgh Penguins’ starting goalie at the beginning of that season, was reassigned to the team’s Wilkes-Barre/Scranton (AHL) farm club. The move means Sebastian Caron will begin the season as Jocelyn Thibault’s backup in Pittsburgh. The Penguins want Fleury to play regularly rather than sit the bench in the NHL.

•Allan Bristow resigned as general manager of the New Orleans Hornets, citing health concerns. Bristow, 52, took over as the Hornets’ general manager in June, when Bob Bass retired. He helped oversee the Hornets’ temporary move to Oklahoma City, which was prompted by Hurricane Katrina.

Jeff Bower, the Hornets’ director of player personnel, was promoted to replace Bristow. He also served as general manager from 2001-03, including the team’s move from Charlotte to New Orleans in 2002.