In brief: Street Sense holds on to win Travers Stakes
Street Sense was tested until the very end before holding off a determined Grasshopper and winning the $1 million Travers Stakes at Saratoga Race Course on Saturday in Saratoga Springs, N.Y.
When Street Sense hit the top of the stretch, it appeared the Kentucky Derby winner was about to put away his six less-accomplished rivals. But the pacesetting Grasshopper would not give in, and the two 3-year-olds dueled down the stretch before Street Sense prevailed by a half-length.
Street Sense, sent off as the overwhelming 1-4 favorite covered the 1 1/4 miles in 2:02.69.
Street Sense returned $2.70, $2.20 and $2.10. Grasshopper, trained by Neil Howard, paid $4.60 and $3.60. Helsinki was third and paid $7.80.
Tennis
Blake victorious
James Blake beat Mardy Fish 7-5, 6-4 to win an all-American final at the Pilot Pen in New Haven, Conn.
Top-seeded Svetlana Kuznetsova won the women’s title when qualifier Agnes Szavay retired with a back injury while leading 6-4, 0-3.
Boxing
Warren an Olympian
Rau’shee Warren became the first American boxer in 31 years to qualify for consecutive Olympic teams by overpowering Qa’id Muhammad in the flyweight championship at the U.S. Olympic trials in Houston.
Warren, 20, becomes the first U.S. boxer to make back-to-back Olympics since Davey Lee Armstrong in 1972 and ‘76.
In other bouts, Luis Yanez stopped Malcolm Franklin (106 pounds), Gary Russell, Jr. defeated Roberto Marroquin (119), Hylon Williams beat Raynell Williams (125) and Sadam Ali stopped Miguel Gonzalez (132).
Football
Razorback suspended
Arkansas defensive end Marcus Harrison, 23, was suspended indefinitely after being arrested in Fayetteville, Ark., on a felony drug charge and several misdemeanors.
Police found two marijuana cigars and an Ecstasy pill. He was held on charges of possession of a controlled substance, speeding, driving with a restricted driver’s license and not wearing a seat belt.
“Texas high school football standout Herman Mitchell, 17, who orally committed to play at Oklahoma next year was fatally shot with a rifle after getting into a fight at an apartment complex, authorities said.
“Sammie Stroughter surprised his Oregon State teammates by showing up at practice, four days after it was announced he would take a leave of absence from the team because he was dealing with grief from the deaths of two family members and longtime Beavers assistant Jim Gilstrap.
Miscellany
Couture retains title
Randy Couture defeated Gabriel Gonzaga by a third-round TKO to retain his heavyweight championship at Ultimate Fighting Championship 74 at Mandalay Bay Arena in Las Vegas. Couture, 44, won at 1:37 and upped his record to 16-8.
“The stepfather of NBA player Allen Iverson has been indicted on federal drug distribution charges. Michael Andre Freeman, 51, of Newport News, Va., was charged with possession of crack cocaine with the intent to distribute.