Md. Million champion back to race at Laurel

Saratoga Bob, a half- length winner of the $150,000 Maryland Million Classic in his previous start, makes his return in a $45,000 second-level optional claimer for 3-year- olds and up that serves as the feature of a nine-race program when live racing resumes at Laurel Park today. Owned by Wayne Harrison, Robert Manfuso and trainer Katy Voss, and named for his co-owner and breeder, Saratoga Bob drew Post 3 and is the 5-2 second choice on the morning line in a field of 10 that includes fellow stakes winners Greatbullsoffire and Homespun Hero. Saratoga Bob sat off long shot pacesetter Pal Cal for a half-mile in the 11⁄ mile Classic Oct. 20, then dueled on a slim lead through six furlongs before edging clear in deep stretch and holding off late-running Dothat Dance for his first career stakes win. Overall he has three wins, three seconds and two thirds from nine lifetime starts. The gelded 4-year-old son of Friesan Fire cuts back to 7 furlongs today. He was a front-running four-length maiden claiming winner April 20 at Laurel in his only previous start at the distance. His regular rider, Hall of Famer Edgar Prado, will be aboard at topweight of 125 pounds, giving away three to five pounds to his rivals. First-race post time today is 12:30 p.m. There will be carryovers of $3,932.77 in the 20cent Rainbow 6 (Races 4-9) and $3,367.40 in the $1 Super Hi-5 for Thursday’s opener, a $25,000 maiden claimer for 2-year-olds at 1 mile. day. Frese and her staff signed four five-star recruits that make up the second No. 1 class signed in program history. Guard Ashley Owusu (Woodbridge, Va.), guard Diamond Miller (Somerset, N.J.), guard Zoe Young (Des Moines, Iowa) and forward Faith Masonius (Manasquan N.J.) are all ranked in ESPNW's top 50 recruits and Blue Star Basketball's top 25 recruits in the class of 2019. This is the No. 1 class in the country, as ranked by ESPN and Blue Star Basketball. This is the 13th top 10 recruiting class signed by Frese in her 17 years under Maryland. Frese brought in the top recruiting class in 2016 and she signed the nation's No. 2 recruiting class in 2007, 2010 and 2018. Over the last four years, Frese and her staff have signed the No. 1 class twice (2016, 2019) and No. 2 class once (2018). MORE WOMEN: UMBC ended the game on a 12-1 run to win, 57-52, over Coppin State (0-3). Dominika Skrocka led the Retrievers (5-0) with 11 points. ... Bairesha Gill- Miles and Ksenia Popovich each scored 13 points, but UMES (0-4) lost 57-55 to host Richmond (1-3). The Spiders went on an 18-7 run to start the second half. MEN: Randolph-Macon sophomore Buzz Anthony (Archbishop Spalding) has been selected as the first ODAC Player of the Week of the season. Anthony was the Most Valuable Player of the MMI Tip- Off Tournament this past weekend, hosted by Hood. Anthony averaged 14.5 points, 6.5 assists, 5.0 rebounds and 3.5 steals in a pair of victories for the Yellow Jackets. ... Forward Jalen Smith (Mount Saint Joseph) was named Big Ten Freshman of the Week after leading the Maryland men’s basketball team to a pair of victories to open the 2018-19 season. Smith averaged 15.0 points, 9.0 rebounds and 1.5 blocks in 25.0 minutes of action in the wins against Delaware and Navy. Smith is the first Terrapin to receive conference freshman of the week honors in the opening week since Joe Smith in 1993. ... Visiting Mount St. Mary’s fell to 0-3 after losing 98-75 to Marshall (3-0). The Thundering Herd outscored the Mount, 50-38, in the second half. — COLLEGE FOOTBALL: Alabama NT Quinnen Williams, Kentucky LB Josh Allen, LSU S Grant Delpit, Michigan LB Devin Bush and Clemson DT Christian Wilkins are finalists for the Bronko Nagurski Trophy, given to the nation’s top defensive player. OLYMPICS: A majority of voters in Calgary, Alberta, said “no” to a potential bid for the 2026 Winter Olympics in a nonbinding election Tuesday. Calgary, which hosted the Winter Olympics in 1988, would leave Stockholm and a combined bid from two Italian cities as the only remaining contenders for the 2026 games. SOCCER: Fulham hired Claudio Ranieri as manager. He replaces Slavisa Jokanovic, who was fired with the English Premier Club team buried in last place. Ranieri, 67, led long-shot Leicester City to the league title in 2016. ... Akram Afif scored four minutes from time to lead 96th-ranked Qatar to a shocking 1-0 upset of No. 8 and World Cup quarterfinalist Switzerland in a friendly in Lugano, Switzerland. TENNIS: Top-ranked Novak Djokovic of Serbia beat No. 3 seed Alexander Zverev of Germany 6-4, 6-1 at the ATP Finals in London. Djokovic, a five-time champion of the seasonending event, improved to 2-0 in round-robin play and advanced to the semifinals after No. 5 seed Marin Cilic of Croatia needed three sets to edge No. 8 John Isner 6-7 (2), 6-3, 6-4. ... Former Wimbledon finalist Agnieszka Radwanska of Poland announced her retirement after a 13year career. Radwanska, 29, won 20 WTAtitles. She lost to Serena Williams in the 2012 Wimbledon final.