Accelerate races to Classic win at Breeders’ Cup
Accelerate took the lead at the top of the stretch and held off Gunnevera to win the $6 million Breeders’ Cup Classic by a length Saturday, strengthening his bid for Horse of the Year over Triple Crown winner Justify.
The race lacked the retired Justify and left a wideopen field, which the chestnut 5-year-old horse eventually overtook after breaking from the No. 14 post as the favorite. Accelerate made a sweeping move in the far turn and was in charge at the top of the stretch, then held off Gunnevera for his fifth consecutive Grade 1 victory and sixth of seven overall this year.
That gave trainer John Sadler his first Breeders’ Cup win since his first starter 30 years ago.
Ridden by Joel Rosario, Accelerate covered 1 1/4 miles in 2:02.93 and paid $7.40, $6 and $4.40.
Gunnevera returned $21.80 and $11.80, while Thunder Snow paid $8 in redeeming himself at Churchill Downs after a last-place finish in the 2017 Kentucky Derby.
Baseball
RANGERS TURN TO WOODWARD >> The Texas Rangers have hired Los Angeles Dodgers third base coach Chris Woodward as their manager, six weeks after Jeff Banister was fired.
The team said he received a three-year contract with a club option for 2022. He is to be introduced at news conference Monday.
Woodward was interviewed this week after the National League champion Dodgers finished their season in the World Series for the second straight year. NATIONALS SIGN RELIEVER >> The Washington Nationals signed former St. Louis reliever Trevor Rosenthal to a one-year contract with a conditional option for 2020.
Golf
BIRDIE RUN PUTS DECHAMBEAU
IN VEGAS LEAD >> Bryson DeChambeau birdied four of the last six holes for a share of the lead with Peter Uihlein in the Shriners Hospitals For Children Open in Las Vegas.
DeChambeau shot a 6-under 66 to match Uihlein at 16-under 197 at TPC Summerlin. The leader after each of the first two rounds, Uihlein had a 68.
DeChambeau has four PGA Tour victories, winning three times last season. Uihlein is winless on the PGA Tour.
Lucas Glover was a stroke back after a 61 that he capped with his second eagle of the day. He eagled the par-5 13th on his opening nine, and closed with another eagle on the par-5 ninth. Glover was a stroke off the course record set by J.J. Henry in 2014 and matched by Rod Pampling in 2017. Chip Beck shot a tournament-record 59 in 1991 at Sunrise.
Jordan Spieth remained 8 under in his season debut, shooting even-par 71.
LI IN FRONT IN TURKEY >> Li Haotong shot an 8-under 63 in the Turkish Airlines Open to take a three-shot lead over defending champion Justin Rose and Alexander Levy into the final round in Antalya, Turkey.
Li had a 17-under 196 total at Regnum Carya Golf and Spa Resort. The Chinese player eagled the par-4 10th and had six birdies all on the first 12 holes. He won the Dubai Desert Classic in January for his second European Tour title.
The second-ranked Rose Joel Rosario, right, rides Accelerate to victory in the Breeders’ Cup Classic on Saturday.
had a 69, and Levy shot 66. Rose would return to No. 1 in the world with a victory.
Thorbjorn Olesen was four strokes back after a 69. Danny Willett (69) and Sam Horsfield (68) were 12 under, and Thomas Aiken (66) and Tommy Fleetwood (68) were another shot back. LEE LEADS BY THREE >> Minjee Lee shot an 8-under 64 to take a three-shot lead after the second round of the Japan Classic in Shiga.
Lee, seeking her second LPGA title this year, had eight birdies in a bogeyfree round at the Seta Golf Club to improve to 13-under 131, three-strokes ahead of local favorite Sakura Koiwai, who offset a long bogey with seven birdies for a 66.
Nasa Hataoka, also of Japan, shot a 69 and was tied for third with compatriot Momoko Ueda and South Korean golfers Jiyai Shin (69) and Hee-Kyung Bae (67) four strokes back.
Overnight leader So Yeon
Ryu struggled with her game and shot a 73 that included three bogeys and a pair of birdies.
Motorsports
CUSTER WINS XFINITY RACE >> Cole Custer regained the lead after the final restart with two laps to go, pushing past rookie driver Tyler Reddick to win the NASCAR Xfinity race at Fort Worth, Texas, and locking in a chance to race for the series championship.
It was the first win of the season for the 20-year-old Custer, who maintained control after he and Reddick made hard contact while racing to the checkered flag.
Reddick did take over the series points lead from retiring driver Elliott Sadler, who finished eighth and dropped to second in points.
There are three championship-contending spots for Homestead that will be decided next week at Phoenix.
The restart came after the 13th caution, the most ever in an Xfinity race at Texas. The final charge to the finish left Custer with a winning margin of .162 of a second, the third-closest at the 11/2-mile track.
Custer led four times for 16 laps. Reddick led a four times for 54 laps. Austin Cindric, another playoff contender, finished third. MONSTER ENERGY CUP QUALIFYING >> Martin Truex Jr. qualified 13th for today’s AAA Texas 500 at Fort Worth, with Chase Elliott the only of the eight championship contenders behind him in 16th.
The four Stewart-Haas drivers were the top four qualifiers among the eight contenders, with Clint Bowyer on the front row after qualifying second, with teammates Kevin Harvick and Aric Almirola in the second row and Kurt Busch starting seventh. Joey Logano qualified eighth, and Kyle Busch 10th.
HULMAN GEORGE DIES >> Mari Hulman George, the “quiet pioneer” of auto racing who was instrumental in the expansion of Indianapolis Motor Speedway and became known to millions of fans over the years as the one who ordered countless drivers to start their engines before races, has died. She was 83.
Boxing
BURNETT CARRIED OUT OF RING >> Ryan Burnett needed oxygen after being carried out of the ring with an apparent hip injury in his World Boxing Super Series bantamweight quarterfinal against Nonito Donaire in Glasgow, Scotland.
Burnett, from Northern Ireland, took a count of seven in the fourth round after being injured. He looked in distress when he returned to his corner, and failed to come out for the fifth round as he lost for the first time in 20 fights.
Donaire, a 35-year-old former world champion at four weights, will take on WBO champion Zolani Tete in the semifinals next year.
Tennis
KHACHANOV ADVANCES TO PARIS FINAL >> Karen Khachanov continued his strong recent form by beating Dominic Thiem 6-4, 6-1 to reach the Paris Masters final.
The unseeded Khachanov broke Thiem to lead 5-4 and served out the first set.
The players swapped breaks at the start of the second set before Khachanov reeled off the next five games, clinching victory on his first match point.