THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
MONDAY, MAY 7, 2007
SPORTS
KENTUCKY DERBY
5B
Calvin Borel riding Street Sense reacts after winning the 133rd Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Ky., Saturday. Trainers refused to speculate on a sweep of the Triple Crown.
Street Sense wins first leg of Triple Crown
BY BETH HARRIS ASSOCIATED PRESS
LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Trainer Carl Nafziger was chatting up well-wishers at his barn, with Kentucky Derby winner Street Sense tucked safely away after his morning workout.
The winner's garland of red roses was stashed out of sight, making Sunday feel like any other morning at Churchill Downs.
Except Nafzger was busy quieting Triple Crown talk about 14 hours after Street Sense's 2 1/4-length victory.
And the 65-year-old trainer wasn't much for discussing the Preakness that looms in two weeks, either.
"That's not even on the radar now," he said. "Ask me next Monday. Make an appointment."
Street Sense will be in Baltimore on May 19 for the second leg of the Triple Crown. Six times in the last 10 years the Derby winner has gone
on to win the Preakness, setting up a Triple try.
Although initially resistant, Nafzger briefly let his mind wander to a possible sweep of the Derby, Preakness and Belmont.
"As soon as we win the Preakness, we'll go to the Belmont," he said, smiling.
Street Sense will stay at Churchill Downs and train on his home track leading to the Preakness. Nafziger plans to bring the colt to Pimlico three days before the race.
Nafzger has previously saddled two Preakness starters, including second-place Unbridled in 1990. That colt gave Nafzger his first Derby victory.
Hard Spun, the second-place Derby finisher, will challenge Street Sense in the 1 3-16-mile Preakness. Other possible holdovers from the Derby are third place Curlin, fifth-place Sedgefield and Teuflesberg, who finished 17th.
With Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip looking on Saturday, Street Sense picked his way through traffic and roared from 19th place in the 20-horse Derby field to win with powerful acceleration.
"I knew if the horse kicked, hed get there," Nafzger said. "He was long back in the Breeders' Cup, too."
Street Sense won the Breeders' Cup Juvenile six months ago at Churchill, coming from 13th place to win by 10 lengths.
"I've seen him six and 12 lengths off the pace," Nafzger said. "Whatever sets up, that's what I've seen him do."
Street Sense became the first Juvenile winner to come back in the spring and win the roses, ending an 0-for-23 linx.
He also was the first 2-year-old champion to win the Derby since Spectacular Bid in 1979 and the first colt to win with two or fewer prep races since Sunny's Halo in 1983.
"Maybe two preps is what's needed," Nazfager said.
Outside his barn, trainer Larry Jones held Hard Spun as the colt had his feet washed off.
Then they walked a few laps around the barn before Hard Spun went into his stall.
"I'm just so happy I didn't screw it all up," fones said jokingly.
Hard Spun led all the way until Street Sense had taken care of most of the field in the final quarter-mile. Hard Spun came into the Derby on a six-week layoff — one more week than Barbaro had been idled before winning last year.
"We were told we couldn't do it," Jones said, pointing out that Curlin was criticized for having just three career starts and none as a 2-year-old.
"We all got to the races the best way we could," Jones said. "Everyone marched to the beat of their own drum."
Rookie Red helps snap losing streak
MLB
BY JOE KAY
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Homers, fielding highlight comeback plays
CINCINNATI — Add two more homers and two more ovations to Josh Hamilton's inspiring comeback story.
"You can't help but feel good about it," Hamilton said.
Hamilton completed his sensational series with a pair of homers on Sunday, and the Cincinnati Reds snapped their four-game losing streak with a 9-3 victory over the Colorado Rockies.
Even those who can't figure out how to get him out come away feeling good about what they're seeing from the 25-year-old outfielder.
"He's as good a rookie as there is right now," said Josh Fogg, who gave up Hamilton's first homer. "He had a good series, put some good swings on some good pitches, hit the ball hard all series long.
"It's good to see a guy who has battled through adversity and been able to come back and do that — I wish it wasn't against us. But it's good to see a guy that's been able to turn his life around like that."
The NI's rookie of the month for April did it all during the middle game of the series — two singles, a double, a triple, a stolen base and a diving catch in the Rockies' 9-7 win on Saturday night. All he needed for the cycle was a how.
His two-run shot off Fogg (1-3) put Cincinnati in position to salvage the final game of the series. Hamilton's solo drive off reliever Alberto Arias in his next at-bat drew the latest ovation in his comeback from years of drug abuse.
That came a day later.
Hamilton stood on a riser in the dugout and raised his batting helmet to acknowledge the crowd of 27,915, which wouldn't stop paulding until he took a curtain call after his eighth homer.
"An awesome feeling," Hamilton said. "A lot of people don't get that
experience. Just to be back here is a blessing."
The crowd was on its feet again after his over-the-shoulder catch robbed Brad Hawpe in center field in the eighth. Hamilton also threw out speedy Willy Taveras, who was trying to go from first to third on a single.
"A week ago, some people were saying that the league was catching up to him, but I guess not," manager Jerry Narron said. "It's amazing to see him out there doing what he's doing.
"He can be as good as anybody in this game. He's a special talent."
Right-hander Bronson Arroyo (2-2) got his first career victory over the Rockies with a performance of extremes. He shut out Colorado on two hits for the first five innings, then needed 48 pitches to get a pair of outs before leaving in the sixth.
Todd Helton fouled off four two-strike pitches before hitting a single to left field with the bases loaded in the sixth, cutting it to 5-2.
Reliever Kirk Saarloos walked pinch-hitter John Mabry to force in another run.
"I didn't have anything to start the game with," Arroyo said. "Those 48 pitches took a lot out of me. Helton's at-bat really killed me."
The NLs worst bullpen held on.
David Weathers pitched out of a threat in the eighth to preserve the lead and got four outs in all for his sixth save in seven chances Cincinnati's first save since April 15.
Alex Gonzalez and Ryan Freel also homered for Cincinnati, Freel, back in the leadoff spot, also tripled and walked twice, scoring three runs.
Fogg had an uncharacteristically poor showing at Great American Ball Park, where he was 4-1 with a 3.63 ERA in seven previous starts.
>> NBA
Jazz silence Rocket's home crowd, move on to round two
BY CHRIS DUNCAN ASSOCIATED PRESS
HOUSTON — Tracy McGrady leaned over in front of his bench as time ran out, his hands on his knees as he absorbed one more playoff failure.
The young Utah Jazz, meanwhile, embraced one another and quietly celebrated after a 103-99 win over the Houston Rockets on Saturday night that gave them their first playoff series victory since the days of John Stockton and Karl Malone.
Carlos Boozer had 35 points, 14 rebounds and five assists in Game
7 for the Jazz, who became only the seventh team since 2001 to come back from a 2-0 deficit and win a series. They're also just the 19th visiting team to win in 97 Game 7s in playoff history.
McGrady had 29 points and 13 assists, but the seven-time AllStar fell to 0-6 in the playoffs. The Rockets — his Rockets — blew a 2-0 lead for the second time in three seasons. They won twice in Dallas in 2005, then dropped the series in seven games.
The home team had won the previous six games in this series, but all the games at the Toyota Center had
gone down to the wire.
This game was the closest one of all.
This time, Boozer and the Jazz came up with the plays to finally break through.
Deron Williams had 20 points and 14 assists and Mehmet Okur scored 16 and grabbed 11 rebounds to lead Utah, which is in the playoffs for the first time since 2003.
Boozer grabbed two key offensive rebounds in the final 90 seconds, then hit two free throws with 19.9 seconds left to seal the victory and silence the capacity crowd in Houston for the last time.
The jazz will open the second round against Golden State on Monday night in Salt Lake City.
Yao Ming had 29 points and six rebounds and Shane Battier had 16 points and went 4-of-7 from 3-point range for the Rockets, who haven't won a playoff series since 1997.
The teams split four games during the regular season.
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