Baffert suspended 15 days by Arkansas racing officials
Two-time Triple Crown-winning trainer Bob Baffert has been suspended for 15 days by the Arkansas Racing Commission after two of his horses tested positive for a banned substance.
The commission said Wednesday in a ruling that the suspension runs from Aug. 1-15. It found Baffert violated Rule 1233, which states that a trainer shall ultimately be responsible for the condition of any horse that is entered regardless of the acts of any third parties.
His horses, Charlatan and Gamine, each tested positive for lidocaine in two rounds of testing. They both won races at Oaklawn Park in Hot Springs, Arkansas, on May 2.
Lidocaine, a widely used anesthetic in racing, is considered a Class 2 drug by the Association of Racing Commissioners International, and use of it carries a penalty of a 15- to 60-day suspension and a fine of $500 to $1,000 for a first offense. The drug’s use is regulated because it can act as a masking agent.
In separate rulings, the commission disqualified both horses and stripped them of their purse earnings.
Delle Donne’s request to opt out of season denied
Elena Delle Donne is hurt that her request was denied to be medically excused for the WNBA season.
The panel of independent doctors the league and union agreed upon to decide whether players should be medically excused deemed her not to be “high risk, and should be permitted to play in the bubble.”
The league’s reigning MVP has battled Lyme disease since 2008 and thought she would be medically excused from playing this season by the panel.
However, the disease is not included on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s list of underlying conditions that could put someone at an increased risk for severe illness from COVID-19.
The Washington Mystics star wrote in The Players’ Tribune on Wednesday about her disappointment with the panel’s ruling and the decision to “risk my life ... or forfeit my paycheck.”
“It hurts a lot. And maybe being hurt just makes me naive,” Delle Donne wrote. “And I know that, as athletes, we’re not really supposed to talk about our feelings. But feelings are pretty much all I have left right now. I don’t have NBA player money. I don’t have the desire to go to war with the league on this. And I can’t appeal.”
Delle Donne, who just re-signed with Washington in February and would make $215,000 this year, said she’s still deciding what she’s going to do.
Had Delle Donne, 30, been medically excused, she would have earned her entire salary for the season. Now, if she chooses not to play, the defending WNBA champion Mystics wouldn’t have to pay her.
Delle Donne did not travel with the team to Bradenton, Florida. The WNBA is using IMG Academy as a single site for its season, which will begin July 25.
Texans receiver Stills among those arrested at protest
Eighty-seven demonstrators who gathered at the home of Kentucky’s attorney general to demand justice for Breonna Taylor have been arrested, police said.
Protesters with the social justice organization Until Freedom gathered for a sit-in on the front yard of a Louisville home owned by Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron on Tuesday afternoon, news outlets reported. Among those arrested were Houston Texans wide receiver Kenny Stills and Porsha Williams of “Real Housewives of Atlanta.”
Protesters were charged with “intimidating a participant in a legal process,” which is a felony; disorderly conduct, and criminal trespassing, said Louisville Metro Police spokesman Lamont Washington.
2022 World Cup to have four games daily in group stage
The 2022 World Cup will have four games every day in a 12-day group stage, and matches later in the tournament that go into extra time will extend past midnight in Qatar.
FIFA released the schedule for the first World Cup to be played in November and December on Wednesday, with kickoff times at 1 p.m., 4 p.m., 7 p.m. and 10 p.m.
Most teams will get three days of rest between games.
Report: About 10 umpires opt out over coronavirus concerns
About 10 Major League Baseball umpires have opted out this season, choosing not to work games in the shortened schedule because of concerns over the coronavirus.
Two people familiar with the situation told the Associated Press about the decisions Tuesday. The people spoke on condition of anonymity because there was no official announcement.
Free-agent Puig agrees to one-year deal with Braves
Free-agent outfielder Yasiel Puig and the Atlanta Braves agreed to a oneyear deal, a person with knowledge of the deal said Tuesday.
The person spoke to the Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the agreement is not official until Puig passes a physical.
Puig, 29, hit a combined .267 with 24 homers and 84 RBI for Cincinnati and Cleveland in 2019. He also stole 19 bases.
Philadelphia, Orlando advance to MLS knockout round
Kacper Przybylko scored in the 63rd minute, and the Philadelphia Union held off Inter Miami for a 2-1 victory Tuesday night in the MLS is Back tournament.
It was Union’s second win in two games in the World Cup-style tournament. The victory secured a spot in the knockout round.
Earlier Tuesday night, Chris Mueller scored twice in the opening 10 minutes, and Orlando City beat New York City FC 3-1 to secure a spot in the knockout round.
Curtis Cup moved off Solheim Cup dates for 2021
Golf organizers agreed Wednesday to move the pandemic-postponed Curtis Cup so that it doesn’t conflict with the Solheim Cup.
The Curtis Cup was to be held this year at Conwy Golf Club in Wales until the COVID-19 pandemic led to a series of postponements. It originally was pushed back to Sept. 3-5 in 2021, but that’s the same week as the Solheim Cup at Inverness Club in Toledo.
The Curtis Cup matches amateurs from the U.S. against a team from Britain and Ireland. The Solheim Cup pits LPGA Tour players against Europe.
The Curtis Cup was moved to Aug. 26-28 in 2021.
IOC postpones Dakar Youth Olympics until 2026
The International Olympic Committee postponed the 2022 Dakar Youth Olympics for four years due to the coronavirus pandemic.
The Youth Summer Games would be the first Olympics organized in Africa.
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