Curlin wins Dubai World Cup

Curlin surged to the lead in the stretch and then overpowered an international field to win the $6 million Dubai World Cup on Saturday in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.

The sensational 4-year-old colt was sent off as the 2-5 favorite against 11 rivals, and did not disappoint thousands of fans who packed Nad al Sheba racetrack to get an up-close view of the Horse of the Year in the world’s richest race.

Under little urging from jockey Robby Albarado, Curlin blew past Well Armed and Asiatic Boy and cruised to a 7 3/4-length victory. The margin of victory was a World Cup record, topping the six-length win by Dubai Millennium in 2000.

Curlin won the Jockey Club Gold, the Breeders’ Cup Classic and the Jaguar Trophy Handicap before his latest victory.

Curlin earned $3.5 million for the victory and boosted his career earnings to $8,807,800 and into third place on the North American career list behind Cigar ($9.9 million) and Skip Away ($9.6 million), according to Equibase.

•Big Brown is Kentucky Derby bound, and he just might be the favorite, too. The 3-year-old colt made it three big wins in a row with a dominating run in the $1 million Florida Derby at Gulfstream Park in Hallandale Beach, Fla.

Big Brown, ridden by Kent Desormeaux and trained by Rick Dutrow, left from the unfavorable No. 12 post position, but got off to a quick start and led throughout the 1 1/8-mile Grade 1 race.

Sent off as the 3-2 favorite, Big Brown also overcame the far outside post jinx at Gulfstream. Horses leaving from the No. 12 post were 0 for 11 in 1 1/8-mile races at this meet.

The winning time was 1:48.16.

Big Brown returned $5, $3.80 and $3.20. Smooth Air, ridden by Manoel Cruz, paid $12.60 and $7.60, and Tomcito returned $6.20 to show.

Boxing

Abraham retains title

Arthur Abraham knocked out American Elvin Ayala with a 12th-round uppercut in Kiel, Germany, and successfully defended his IBF middleweight title for the seventh time.

Abraham (26-0, 21 knockouts) knocked down Ayala (18-3-1) in the fifth – the first time the American had been off his feet in his career.

Tennis

Roddick survives

Andy Roddick survived a scare in his opening match at the Sony Ericsson Open in Key Biscayne, Fla.

The sixth-seeded Roddick beat qualifier Viktor Troicki 5-7, 6-2, 6-4. Top-ranked Roger Federer erased all seven break points he faced and beat Gael Monfils 6-3, 6-4.

Five seeded men lost, including No. 21 Lleyton Hewitt.

On the women’s side, Lindsay Davenport needed only an hour to eliminate Camille Pin 6-2, 6-1.

Miscellany

Oxford wins race

Oxford University beat defending champion Cambridge to win the 154th annual Boat Race along the River Thames in London for the third time in four years. The favored eight-man Oxford crew finished the 4.25-mile race in 20 minutes, 53 seconds. Cambridge crossed in 21:13 in the slowest race since 1947.

•Bradley Wiggins took his third gold medal of the track cycling world championships in Manchester, England, and Jennie Reed of Kirkland, Wash., captured bronze in the women’s sprint.

•Brazilian soccer great Romario, 42, is reconsidering his decision to retire. Romario said he was awaiting a proposal to continue playing, according to the Agencia Estado news agency, contradicting his decision a day earlier to retire.

•Libby Trickett broke the world record in the women’s 50-meter freestyle, finishing in 23.97 seconds at the Australian swimming championships and Olympic trials in Sydney.