Baffert’s horse wins Kentucky Oaks
LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Left without a horse in the Kentucky Derby, Bob Baffert sought to make the most of his lone entry in the Kentucky Oaks. Abel Tasman rewarded the Hall of Fame trainer with a surprising victory that made Baffert and son Bode strike a pose in celebration. Abel Tasman rallied from last and charged late to win the Oaks by 1 1/4 lengths Friday night and give Baffert the victory with his lone entrant in the weekend marquee races at Churchill Downs. As Miss Sky Warrior charged past favorite Paradise Woods through the far turn, Abel Tasman and Daddys Lil Darling also began making their moves on the sloppy track. Abel Tasman got clear in the stretch to win the $1 million race for 3-year-old fillies and make up for her distant second to Paradise Woods in the Santa Anita Oaks. “About halfway down the backside, man, she got it all together and she made it up quick,” jockey Mike Smith said as the horse was draped in a garland of pink lilies. “I knew we were alive then, and once we straightened up it was a matter of keeping her held together, staying busy, and she did it all.” Celebratory dabs from the Bafferts soon followed. Abel Tasman ran 1 1/8 miles in 1:51.62 and paid $20.40, $9.20 and $6.40. Daddys Lil Darling returned $11 and $6.60, and Lockdown paid $18.40. Paradise Woods and Miss Sky Warrior, the 9-2 second choice, finished 11th and eighth.
TENNIS
› BELGRADE, Serbia — Novak Djokovic, the No. 2-ranked men’s tennis player in the world, has split with his longtime coach Marian Vajda and two other team members, saying he wants to find “the winning spark on the court again.” on Friday, Djokovic posted on his website that he mutually agreed with Vajda, fitness coach Gebhard Phil Gritsch and physiotherapist Miljan Amanovic to end their “successful and long term partnership” two weeks ago after the Monte Carlo Masters, where he lost in the quarterfinals. Djokovic lost his No. 1 ranking to Andy Murray last year after a slump in form following his French Open triumph and has won only one of his past 10 tournaments.
SOCCER
› ZURICH — Argentina captain Lionel Messi was cleared by FIFA on Friday to play in the next three World Cup qualifiers after a ban for insulting a referee’s assistant was lifted. Messi already served one match of the four-match ban that was imposed when the FIFA disciplinary committee gave its ruling hours before Argentina’s 2-0 loss in Bolivia in March. Argentina is fifth in the 10-team South American group with four games to go, starting on Aug. 31 against Uruguay.