Times staff, wires
Saturday, April 9, 2011
HORSES
UNCLE MO LOSES IN STUNNER AT WOOD
NEW YORK — The sight of Kentucky Derby favorite Uncle Mo being passed by not one, but two horses in the stretch of the Wood Memorial silenced the hundreds of fans gathered at the rail at Aqueduct ready to cheer him on to another victory.
Uncle Mo, a 1-10 favorite, finished third Saturday behind winner Toby's Corner and Arthur's Tale in one of the biggest upsets in the 87-year history of the Grade 1 race.
"I'm as depressed now as I am after (losing) a $25,000 claimer," Uncle Mo's owner Mike Repole said. "That's why you have to run the races, whether you are 1-9 or 9-1, or whatever the winner was. … The horse didn't fire today."
With John Velazquez aboard, Uncle Mo controlled most of the $1 million, 11/8-mile race until turning for home.
MORE HORSES
T.B. Derby winner fades in Illinois Derby
Tampa Bay Derby winner Watch Me Go finished sixth as the 2-1 favorite in the Grade III $300,000 Illinois Derby at Hawthorne. He earned $3,000 in graded earnings after starting the day ranked 18th with $232,500. The Kentucky Derby on May 7 is limited to 20 starters. Joe Vann, a 5-1 shot, won with Florent Geroux aboard.
TAMPA BAY DOWNS: Jamie Ness trainee Sneaking Uponyou broke the Oldsmar track's oldest record in the Sprint, and Manicero set a mark in the Sophomore to highlight six $75,000 stakes races. Sneaking Uponyou ran 6 furlongs in 1 minute, 8.69 seconds, topping the record of Bootlegger's Pet (1974). Manicero clocked 7 furlongs in 1:22.13 to eclipse Sir Shackleton (2006).
SANTA ANITA DERBY: Midnight Interlude, a 13-1 shot, defeated Comma to the Top to win the $1 million race with Joe Talamo aboard.
OAKLAWN: Win Willy rallied to take the $350,000 Grade II stakes in Hot Springs, Ark., beating Misremembered by a length.
ELSEWHERE: A.P. Indy, the 1992 horse of the year and a top stallion, was retired by Lane's End Farm.
TENNIS
Wozniacki reaches final at Family Circle
No. 1 Caroline Wozniacki broke Jelena Jankovic five times in a 6-4, 6-4 semifinal win at the Family Circle Cup in Charleston, S.C. Today Wozniacki plays unseeded Elena Vesnina, who beat Peng Shuai 7-6 (7-4), 6-3.
U.S. CLAY COURT: American Ryan Sweeting, a wild-card entry, reached his first ATP final and faces Japan's Kei Nishikori today in Houston.
ET CETERA
GREYHOUNDS: Magic Finch overtook Uss Gazillionair in the final yards to win the $80,000 Distance Classic, Derby Lane's richest stakes at St. Petersburg. She paid $10.80 to win.
SWIMMING: Michael Phelps won his third event at the Michigan Grand Prix in Ann Arbor, beating former Florida star Ryan Lochte in the 100 backstroke.
Don Jensen, Times correspondent; Times wires
