HORSE RACING-PREAKNESS
Derby winner American Pharoah rolls to Preakness win
BALTIMORE (AP) β American Pharoah pulled away for a convincing win at the Preakness Stakes in a driving rain.
The Kentucky Derby winner seemed unfazed by sloppy track and thunder in the background on the way to his sixth straight win.
The Bob Baffert-trained horse needs a win in the Belmont Stakes June 6 to become the sport’s first Triple Crown winner since Affirmed in 1978.
Jockey Victor Espinoza took American Pharoah to a seven length win over Tale of Verve. Divining Rod finished third in the eight-horse field.
HORSE RACING-PREAKNESS SUNDAY
Preakness could be moving
BALTIMORE (AP) β There could come a time in the next few years when the Preakness is held on a Sunday at Laurel Park.
Maryland Jockey Club general manager Sal Sinatra says the owners of Pimlico Race Course and Laurel Park are considering moving the second jewel of the Triple Crown to Sunday to increase interest and attendance.
Sinatra says the change to Sunday could come as early as next year. A move to Laurel Park would likely occur later.
INDY 500-QUALIFYING
Rain postpones Indy qualifying
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) β Rain has washed out the first qualifying session for the Indianapolis 500. The weather will force a double session on Sunday.
Each car will make one qualifying run, with the top 30 locked into the starting grid. The nine fastest qualifiers will take part in an afternoon shootout for the pole position.
NHL PLAYOFFS-SCHEDULE
Rangers win opener
NEW YORK (AP) β Dominic Moore scored with 2:25 to play and the New York Rangers defeated the Tampa Bay Lightning 2-1 in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference finals.
The game-winning goal came just 30 seconds after Moore stepped out of the penalty box, and it capped another nail-biter for the Rangers, who have played 15 consecutive one-goal games in the postseason.
Derek Stepan also scored for New York and Henrik Lundqvist made 23 saves.
Ondrej Palat tied the game on a power-play goal early in the third period for Tampa Bay. Lightning goalie Ben Bishop had 28 saves in losing to the Rangers for the first time in nine games.
Game 2 will be played at Madison Square Garden on Monday night.
HOCKEY-WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP
Russia, Canada reach title game
PRAGUE (AP) β Sergei Bobrovsky turned aside 35 shots to lead Russia to a 4-0 win over the United States in the ice hockey world championship semifinal. NHL goal scoring champ Alex Ovechkin scored one of four, third-period goals to propel the Russians into the title game against Canada. Ovechkin was playing in the tournament for the first time since Washington was eliminated in the Stanley Cup playoffs.
Taylor Hall and Jason Spezza scored in Canada’s 2-0 semifinal win over the Czech Republic. Mike Smith made 23 saves to boost Canada to the title game for the first time since 2009.
MLB-RESULTS
Peterson slams first major league homer
UNDATED (AP) βRookie Jace Peterson hit a grand slam for his first major league home run to lead Atlanta to a 5-3 win over Miami.
The Braves overcame another tape-measure shot by Giancarlo Stanton to remain undefeated in five games this year at Marlins Park. Stanton hit one into the upper deck in center field, five rows in front of the 502-foot sign.
The Marlins’ Dee Gordon, who leads the majors in batting, went 1 for 5 with two RBIs, dropping his average to .425.
Elsewhere:
β Brian Dozier homered and Minnesota took advantage of a rare Tampa Bay error to beat the Rays 6-4. Kurt Suzuki drove in the go-ahead run in the seventh after Twins reliever Kevin Jepsen made a wide throw to load the bases. Entering Saturday, Tampa Bay was tied for the fewest errors in baseball with 13.
PGA-WELLS FARGO
Rory charging ahead
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) β Top-ranked Rory McIlroy flew up the leaderboard with a course record 11-under 61 to take the lead at the Wells Fargo Championship. His 18-under total puts him four shots ahead of Webb Simpson who shot a 68.
McElroy had five birdies in a front-nine 31 and birdied six of the first seven holes on the back. That gave him nine birdies in a 10-hole stretch.
McIlroy set the previous record of 62 at Quail Hollow in his 2010 victory, and Brendon de Jonge matched it last year.
He’s on pace to shatter the tournament record of 16 under set by Anthony Kim in 2008.
LPGA-KINGSMILL
UCLA’s Lee leads
WILLIAMSBURG, Va. (AP) β Alison Lee has built a four-shot lead on the back nine in the third round of the LPGA Tour’s Kingsmill Championship. The 20-year-old UCLA student has three top-25 finishes in her rookie season. One of those in second is Paula Creamer who’s 5-under 66 has her in the clubhouse a 9-under par.
CHAMPIONS TOUR-REGIONS TRADITION
Maggert takes lead
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (AP) β Jeff Maggert birdied the final two holes in heavy rain for a 4-under 68 and sole possession of the lead after the third round of the Champions Tour’s Regions Tradition.
Maggert moved to 14 under, one shot in front of Kevin Sutherland who shot a 69. Two-time champ Fred Funk posted a 67 and trails by four.
NASCAR-ALL-STAR RACE
Stars come out in Charlotte
CONCORD, N.C. (AP) β NASCAR’s Sprint All-Star Race is tonight with its unique format of 110 laps for 165 miles. It’s done in four 25-lap segments and a 10-lap finale with only green-flag laps counting in the last segment.
Greg Biffle and Clint Bowyer (BOY’-ur) raced their way in to the $1 million All-Star event, and Danica Patrick won the fan vote to complete the field for tonight’s race.
Kyle Busch is racing for the first time tonight since breaking his right leg and left foot in the Xfinity Series opener at Daytona.
TENNIS-ITALIAN OPEN
Federer to face Djokovic for Italian title
ROME (AP) β Roger Federer will renew his rivalry with Novak Djokovic (NOH’-vak JOH’-kuh-vich) in the Italian Open final on Sunday.
Federer dispatched Swiss countryman Stan Wawrinka (vah-VRINK’-ah) 6-4, 6-2 in less than an hour in the semifinals. Top-ranked Djokovic posted his 21st straight win by beating David Ferrer 6-4, 6-4.
SOCCER-ENGLAND-FASTEST HAT TRICK
Mane strikes quickly
SOUTHAMPTON, England (AP) β Sadio Mane netted the fastest hat trick in Premier League history, as Southampton beat Aston Villa 6-1. He scored three goals in 2 minutes, 56 seconds. That bested the old mark of 4:33 set by Liverpool’s Robbie Fowler in 1994.
