Rags to Riches will resume racing
Belmont Stakes winner Rags to Riches was declared fit and ready to resume training Monday, with a start in the Alabama Stakes at Saratoga on Aug. 18 still a possibility.
The first filly in 102 years to win the Belmont galloped at Belmont Park on Monday morning, and trainer Todd Pletcher said Rags to Riches will gallop again today.
“She’ll resume training and we’ll go from there,” Pletcher said.
Rags to Riches missed two scheduled workouts, one because of a slight fever two weeks ago, the other on July 22 after she was pulled up at the start of a five-furlong breeze because her exercise rider said she felt something wasn’t quite right.
•Hall of Fame-bound jockey Jose Santos, who won the 2003 Kentucky Derby and Preakness with Funny Cide, retired from racing – six months after a serious spill during a race at Aqueduct.
The popular 46-year-old Santos broke his back in a three-horse spill Feb. 1. He had hoped to ride again, but doctors advised against it.
Santos will be inducted into racing’s Hall of Fame on Aug. 6, along with seven others.
Basketball
Grizzlies sign Conley
The Memphis Grizzlies signed first-round draft pick Mike Conley.
Conley, the fourth overall selection out of Ohio State in the 2007 NBA Draft, averaged 11.4 points, 5.2 assists and a team-high 39.8 minutes in five games with the Grizzlies at the 2007 NBA Summer League in Las Vegas.
•The Los Angeles Lakers signed Coby Karl, son of Denver Nuggets coach George Karl.
A 6-foot-5 guard from Boise State averaged 12.2 points and 1.8 rebounds in five games for the Lakers 2007 Summer-Pro League team.
•Former Los Angeles Laker Smush Parker has signed with the Miami Heat.
Cycling
Investigation planned
Rabobank will launch an independent review of the events leading to its decision to expel Michael Rasmussen from its Tour de France team.
However, the Dutch bank said it will not withdraw its sponsorship of cycling.
Rasmussen, who was leading the Tour, was expelled just hours after he won Wednesday’s 16th stage for missing two random drug tests in May and June.
•Star cyclist Alexandre Vinokourov was fired by his team after he tested positive at the Tour de France.
The Kazakh rider was forced out of the Tour along with his Astana teammates last week when he tested positive for a banned blood transfusion after winning the 13th stage.
Miscellany
Former boxer shot
Former super middleweight champion Antwun Echols was shot in the leg Sunday night during a fight in the parking lot of a grocery store in Davenport, Iowa.
•David Beckham will miss his third consecutive game when the Los Angeles Galaxy plays at FC Dallas tonight in the SuperLiga tournament due to an injured left ankle.