In brief: Barbaro bounces back from latest setback

Barbaro is bouncing back again.

The Kentucky Derby winner is spending hours in his protective sling, needed to deter sudden movement and make the colt comfortable as he fights back from his latest setback from laminitis.

“Oh yeah, he’s not down as far as he was on Tuesday,” co-owner Gretchen Jackson said Thursday. “He’s coming back. He’s a comfortable horse.”

X-rays on the 4-year-old bay colt showed no additional complications in either hind leg. Chief surgeon Dean Richardson said Barbaro was “acceptably comfortable” in his recovery from having damaged tissue removed from his left hind hoof Tuesday.

Barbaro seemed more comfortable in his ongoing fight with laminitis, a painful, often fatal disease, in his left hind foot.

Golf

McDonald takes lead while Wie flops

Luke Donald didn’t have much of a following, so he barely heard any applause even as he made birdies on half his holes for a 7-under-par 63 and a one-stroke lead at the Sony Open in Honolulu.

The crowds were with Michelle Wie, and there wasn’t much cheering there, either.

“I heard no noise, really,” Donald said. “I got one score update – I wasn’t sure if it was true – 8 over after eight.”

No, that wasn’t true. She was 8 over after nine holes.

Playing the Sony Open for the fourth straight year, Wie hit into the water twice, the bunker twice, clipped two palm trees and didn’t hit a fairway until the 15th hole. Headed for her worst score, the 17-year-old kept battling and played the back nine in even par for a 78.

Lacrosse

Accuser says player didn’t assault her

The accuser in the Duke lacrosse sexual assault case told prosecutors in December that one of the three players charged did not commit any sex act on her during the alleged attack, according to papers filed by the defense.

The attacker identified as Reade Seligmann was repeatedly urged to take part in the alleged attack, she told an investigator, but he said he could not because he was getting married, the papers said.

Tennis

Federer, Sharapova top Australian seeds

Roger Federer and Maria Sharapova topped the lists of seeded players at the Australian Open, with organizers sticking to the world rankings.

Federer, the defending champion, is aiming for his 10th Grand Slam singles title and has been atop the men’s rankings since February 2004.

Sharapova moved to the top of the women’s seedings list at Melbourne Park after No. 1-ranked Justine Henin-Hardenne withdrew because of personal reasons.

Miscellany

Boise’s Petersen wins Bryant Award

Boise State’s Chris Petersen won the Paul “Bear” Bryant Award on Thursday night as the national coach of the year.

“The 2007 WNBA All-Star game will be played in Washington, an official within the league said.

“Nate Roberts and Shannon Bahrke opened the Freestyle World Cup stop at Deer Valley with an American sweep in the moguls in Park City, Utah.