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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Bluegrass Cat races to record victory in Haskell

The Spokesman-Review

Bluegrass Cat took a liking to the Jersey Shore and ran off to a record victory in the $1 million Haskell Invitational at Monmouth Park in Oceanport, N.J., on Sunday.

A runner-up in the Kentucky Derby and the Belmont Stakes in his last two starts, Bluegrass Cat moved into the ranks of top 3-year-olds with his seven-length win over Praying for Cash – the largest winning margin in 39 runnings of Monmouth’s biggest race of the season.

The victory sets the stage for a showdown against Bernardini, the leading 3-year-old who won the Preakness and the Jim Dandy.

The Travers is Aug. 26, and trainer Todd Pletcher said he’d have to wait and see whether Bluegrass Cat could come back on such short notice.

“Bright One won the $750,000 West Virginia Derby, beating Cielo Gold by five lengths at Mountaineer Race Track at Chester, W.Va.

“Holborn Hanover had the fastest racing mile in harness history, finishing in 1:46.4 in winning a $195,000 division of the U.S. Pacing Championship on Hambletonian Day at the Meadowlands in East Rutherford, N.J..

Swimming

Manaudou beats record

Britta Steffen and Laure Manaudou broke world records and won four gold medals each at the European Swimming Championships in Budapest, Hungary.

Steffen set a world record in the 100-meter freestyle and was part of the German team which broke two others at the meet.

Manaudou improved her world record in the 400 freestyle, setting a mark of 4 minutes, 2.13 seconds.

Steffen won two individual and two team golds, while Manaudou won four individual races.

Tennis

Sharapova wins Acura

Maria Sharapova outslugged an erratic Kim Clijsters 7-5, 7-5 to win the championship of the Acura Classic in Carlsbad, Calif.

The title was Sharapova’s first since winning at Indian Wells in March, and the 12th of her career. It was also the first time the Russian defeated Clijsters, a former No. 1, in five matches.

Clijsters, who won $100,000, became the ninth player to surpass $14 million in career earnings.

“Arnaud Clement beat Andy Murray 7-6 (3), 6-2 in the Legg Mason Tennis Classic final in Washington for his second title of the season.

Twin brothers Bob and Mike Bryan won the doubles title for the second consecutive year, beating Paul Hanley and Kevin Ullyett.

“Top-seeded Nikolay Davydenko beat Florian Mayer of Germany 7-6 (6), 5-7, 6-4 to win the Prokom Open in Sopot, Poland.

“Andy Roddick withdrew from the hard-court Rogers Cup tournament, citing the injury that forced him to pull out of another U.S. Open tuneup last week. Andre Agassi pulled out of the Rogers Cup on Friday.

Miscellany

Mair awarded contract

An arbitrator awarded Buffalo center Adam Mair a one-year, $675,000 contract, ending a two-week period in which the Sabres saw their modest $29 million payroll from a year ago increase substantially.

“Fabian Cancellera of Switzerland won the Tour of Denmark, while Robert Forster of Germany won the sixth and final stage in Copenhagen, Denmark.

“Defending champion Levi Leipheimer won the fifth stage of the Tour of Germany in Seefeld, Austria, which was shortened by 18 miles because of heavy rain.

“WBO flyweight champion Omar Narvaez beat Rexon Flores of the Philippines by unanimous decision before a home crowd to successfully defend his title for the eighth time in Cordoba, Argentina.

“British sprinter Christine Ohuruogu was provisionally suspended by UK Athletics after missing three out-of-competition doping tests in the last 18 months.