Associated Press
NEW YORK ó A feisty Big Brown was back in his barn after a final workout Tuesday for the Belmont Stakes, and Rick Dutrow Jr. wasted no time zeroing in on the crack in the colt’s left front hoof.
No blood.
“I didn’t see any,” the trainer said, promptly relaying the good news to hoof specialist Ian McKinlay by phone.
Big Brown ran five furlongs in 1:00.03 with Dutrow and co-owner Michael Iavarone looking on near the finish line, where they expect Big Brown to be proclaimed a Triple Crown champion on Saturday.
No such celebration has taken place at this track since 1978, when Affirmed dueled with Alydar and captured thoroughbred racing’s highest honor.
“We’re as happy as we can be,” Dutrow said. “There’s not any issues with our horse. He does whatever you would want him to do.”
– LOUISVILLE, Ky. ó Eight Belles will be interred at the Kentucky Derby Museum, near the grave sites of four Kentucky Derby winners.
The 3-year-old filly broke two ankles after finishing second to Big Brown in the Kentucky Derby on May 3. She was euthanized on the track.The track said Tuesday it will plant a tree in honor of Eight Belles and her remains will be buried at its base. TRACK
DENVER ó Antonio Pettigrew gave up his Olympic gold medal Tuesday, two weeks after the sprinter admitted in court that he cheated to win at Sydney in 2000.
During last month’s trial involving former track coach Trevor Graham, Pettigrew came clean about using banned substances EPO and human growth hormone from 1997 to 2003. Graham, his one-time coach, was found guilty of lying to federal investigators about his relationship to a steroids dealer.
Pettigrew’s decision to give up the gold for the 1,600-meter relay was expected, and it came only a day after one of his teammates, Michael Johnson, also said he was giving back his relay medal in response to what Pettigrew had admitted.
The gold medal is one of five Johnson won in his standout career. He still holds the world record in the 200 and 400 meters. Pettigrew’s testimony means that three of the four runners in the finals on the U.S. relay team have been tainted by drug
NBA
NEW YORK ó Prosecutors say disgraced NBA referee Tim Donaghy should get a break at his sentencing for coming clean about his role in a gambling scandal.
A letter from the the U.S. Attorney’s office credits Donaghy with voluntarily providing information that led to indictments and guilty pleas.
The letter says the 41-year-old defendant met with investigators four times to brief them on how he took cash payoffs from gamblers and even bet on games himself.
– CHICAGO ó Sacramento Kings assistant coach Chuck Person is set to have a second interview with the Chicago Bulls for their vacant head coaching job.