ARAB TIMES, MONDAY, MARCH 22, 2021 SPORTS 14

Midnight Bourbon settles for 2nd place, Mandaloun fi nishes 3rd Hot Rod Charlie wins Louisiana Derby by 2 lengths NEW ORLEANS, March 21, (AP): Stakes at Santa Anita. mostly empty clubhouse and grand- competing at 1 1/4 miles at Churchill Hot Rod Charlie led wire to wire to “How could it possibly not feel stand at Fair Ground Race Course be- Downs on May 1 after he didn’t tire win the $1 million Louisiana Derby as good as anybody could ever feel. cause of crowd restrictions related to when challenged by Midnight Bour- by two lengths over Midnight Bourbon We’ve got a horse in the Kentucky the coronavirus pandemic. bon down the stretch. and earn 100 points toward qualifi ca- Derby,” said Greg Helm of Roadrun- Trained by Leandro Mora and with “It was very impressive,” Rosario tion for the Kentucky Derby. ner Racing, who is part owner of Hot jockey Joel Rosario aboard, Hot Rod said. “It looked like the horse came on It was the fi rst graded stakes victory Rod Charlie. “We’ve been struggling Charlie went off at 7-1 and ran 1 3/16 the outside, he was able to fi ght back after some narrow misses for the Cali- with him to be fi rst every time and he miles in 1:55.06. He paid $7.80, $4.40 and just not let the horse go by.” fornia-based horse, who’d fi nished sec- comes in right when we need him.” and $3.60. Rosario also noted that Hot Rod ond in last years TVG Breeder’s Cup Ju- The major prep race for Triple Rosario said the race demonstrat- Charlie doesn’t need to get out in front venile and third in the Robert B. Lewis Crown hopefuls was run in front of a ed Hot Rod Charlie’s prospects for early to stay in the race. “He can do anything,” Rosario said. “Last time we ran him, he came from a little bit off the pace. I think he can run anywhere.” The Steve Asmussen-trained Mid- night Bourbon, with Joe Talamo aboard, earned 40 points and paid $7.20 and $4.40. “We got a perfect trip and turning for home I had a lot of horse and I Kuwait’s rally driver Meshari Al-Thifeeri and his Qatari navigator Nasser Al- thought we had it,” Talamo said. “We Kawari pose with their trophies after fi nishing second of the (T4) category just got out-fi nished. Hats off to the of the 2021 Jordan Baja rally. winner, he ran huge and fought back on me.” Kuwait’s Al-Thifeeri fi nishes HORSE RACING

Long-shot O Besos, who went off 2nd in ’21 Jordan Baja rally at 28-1, fi nished third and paid $7.80 and earned 20 points toward Kentucky KUWAIT CITY, March 21, (KUNA): eral rating to third position in the Derby qualifi cation. Kuwait’s rally driver Meshari Al- T4 and second in overall world cup “He answered that distance ques- Thifeeri and his Qatari navigator competition. tion today. He galloped out in front,” Nasser Al-Kawari came in second He expressed hope for being of the (T4) category as part of the crowned champion in this year’s trainer Greg Foley said, adding that 2021 Jordan Baja rally competition. entering O Besos in the Kentucky The completion is the fourth edition in this category. Derby seems like a realistic considera- round of the 2021 FIM Bajas World This progress is a motivation for tion now. “We sure have to think about Cup. further success in the champion- it. The biggest thing was would he go Speaking to KUNA, Al-Thifeeri ship, which includes the best com- that far.” said today’s result jumped his gen- petitors in the world, he noted. Morning line favorite Mandaloun, who went off at 6-5 and already has qualifi ed for the Kentucky Derby, in “He was fl at and we’re disap- see. It’s frustrating but it’s part of it. In this image provided by Hodges Photography, Hot Rod Charlie (right), with Joel Rosario aboard, leads the fi eld part because of his victory in the Risen pointed. There’s no other way to say I can’t ask him to train any better and into the stretch on his way to winning the 108th running of the $1,000,000 Grade II Louisiana Derby horse race at Star Stakes, was third in the fi nal turn it,” trainer Brad Cox said. “I have no I don’t think I would have done any- the Fair Grounds Race Course, on March 20, in New Orleans. (AP) but faded to fi nish sixth. excuse right now, we’ll just have to thing different. We’ll just regroup.” Penn State fi nishes 2nd Allgaier holds off Truex to win Lee becomes 3-time champ on bad knee, Iowa wins team title ST. LOUIS, March 21, (AP): Iowa won of Stanford won 6-2 over No. 3 Jake NASCAR Xfi nity race in Atlanta its fi rst NCAA wrestling team title since Wentzel of Pittsburgh in what could 2010, and Hawkeyes star Spencer Lee have been the Cardinal program’s fi nal took his third individual title competing match. on a badly injured knee. Stanford announced in July that Burton takes 3rd Mo’unga, Crusaders Already one of Iowa’s greats, Lee wrestling and 10 other sports would further burnished his image in the be dropped to save money. Wrestling HAMPTON, Ga., March ‘thrash’ Blues 43-27 state’s wrestling lore when he revealed alumni organized a fundraiser in an at- after his 7-0 victory over Arizona tempt to endow the program, and as of 21, (AP): AUCKLAND, March 21, (AP): All State’s Brandon Courtney that he tore Saturday they had raised $12.5 million. snatched the lead after Blacks fl yhalf Richie Mo’unga scored the anterior cruciate ligament in one of The Enterprise Center crowd, lim- Martin Truex Jr. made a a try among 28 points Sunday as de- his knees eight days earlier. ited because of the pandemic, chanted fending champions the Crusaders beat The 125-punder outscored his oppo- “Keep Stanford Wrestling” as Griffi th mistake on pit road, and the Auckland-based Blues 43-27 in a nents 59-8 in St. Louis to become the exited the mat, and he wore a hoodie then held off his furious match between unbeaten teams in Su- seventh Iowa wrestler, and fi rst since bearing the same message. charge at the end to win per Rugby Aotearoa. 1998, to win three national titles. His Other fi nals: Mo’unga added to his try with fi ve match against Courtney was the only 133: No. 2 Roman Bravo-Young of the NASCAR Xfi nity Se- penalties and four conversions as the one this season in which he didn’t earn Penn State scored a quick takedown ries race at Atlanta Motor Christchurch-based Crusaders repelled bonus points. in overtime for a 4-2 win over No. 1 Speedway. a strong challenge from the Blues to For Iowa, Lee’s performance was Daton Fix of Oklahoma State. Fix, who move clear atop the table in the New the highlight of an evening session that last month came off a one-year suspen- Allgaier’s celebration was saw its other two fi nalists lose. marred by a scuffl e on pit road Zealand domestic competition. sion for testing positive for a banned The Crusaders led 17-8 after a tight Iowa went into the fi nals already substance, also lost an overtime match between and Dan- fi rst half and stretched that lead in the having secured its 24th team champi- in the 2019 fi nal. iel Hemric, whose cars had gotten NASCAR driver Justin Allgaier poses with a trophy after he wins a NASCAR face of a strong Blues’ challenge in the onship following strong performances 141: No. 2 Nick Lee of Penn State into each other on pit road during Xfi nity Series at on March 20, in Hampton, Ga. (AP) second spell. in the medal round. The Hawkeyes the race. Mo’unga’s boot was instrumental ended up with 129 points. WRESTLING Hemric came over to confront Allgaier said. “They made some great in his career,” Gragson said. “I’ll just in keeping the Crusaders ahead after Since winning its fi rst team title in Gragson while he was doing an inter- adjustments on pit road.” move on, keep on fi ghting. Man, what halftime. 1975, Iowa had not gone so long with- view. Gragson took several swings, Truex started from the 18th posi- a day.” , as the Blues challenged their lead out winning another. avenged his loss to No. 1 Jaydin Eier- but appeared to miss before crew tion in his Toyota Hemric blamed Gragson for the pit- with tries to Kurt Ecklund and Hoskins Penn State, which had won four man of Iowa in the Big Ten fi nals two members and offi cials stepped in to but needed only seven laps to claim road incident. Sotutu. straight team titles and eight of the last weeks ago, scoring a takedown 19 sec- separate the drivers. Neither was hurt. the lead in his his fi rst Xfi nity Series “There’s a hole in the nose of my As a match between unbeaten teams nine, came in second with 113.5 points. onds into overtime for a 4-2 win. race since the fi nal event of the 2010 car and he got popped in the eye,” and involving the best players in New All four of the Nittany Lions’ fi nalists 149: No. 2 Austin O’Connor won season at Homestead. said Hemric, who fi nished ninth. Zealand, Sunday’s match became a won. ’s fi rst title since 1995 CAR RACING Truex had 13 victories in the NAS- “From where I stand, we’re in good “state of the union” assessment of the One of the most emotional moments when he held off a takedown attempt CAR feeder series, the most recent shape.” current state of All Blacks rugby. of the tournament came when eighth- by Ohio State’s top-seeded Sammy Truex, racing in the second-tier coming on April 29, 2006, at Tal- ’s day ended with a spec- seeded 165-pounder Shane Griffi th Sasso at the edge of the mat as time series for the fi rst time since 2010, ladega. tacular spin. He lost it coming out of ran out. Buckeyes coach Tom Ryan dominated the fi rst two stages and “I had a lot of fun,” said Truex, who turn four and plowed into the grass at challenged, contending Sasso, down seemed headed for an easy victory won series championships in 2004 the head of pit road, his splitter digging 3-2, should have been awarded the two until he got caught speeding on pit and ‘05 to propel his move to the Cup into the ground to send turf fl ying. points. Video review upheld the offi - road. series. “Obviously, we were really Berry was able to climb from his cial’s ruling of no takedown. The 2017 Cup champion had to strong in the fi rst two stages. Then car, which sustained heavy damage. 157: No. 3 David Carr of Iowa State I screwed up and sped on pit road. I A big wreck on the fi nal lap of the won 4-0 over fourth-seeded Jesse Del- drop to the back of the fi eld as a pen- lavecchia, the fi rst fi nalist in Rider pro- alty, but he quickly snaked his way probably gave away any chance for fi rst stage collected Gragson and sev- eral top cars. gram history. Carr’s fi rst national title through the fi eld. Truex got within a the win.” came 40 years after his father, Nate, half-second of the lead in the closing Gragson, who bounced back from Brandon Jones got a good run along won the fi rst of his three for the Cy- laps, but Allgaier pulled away for a an early wreck to take a fourth-place the wall coming off turn two, power- clones. 1.449-second victory in his JR Mot- fi nish, was caught off guard by Hem- ing past Brett Moffi tt running in the 174: Third-seeded Carter Starocci orsports . ric’s confrontation. middle of a three-wide pack. of Penn State won 3-1 in overtime The victory was a big relief for “I don’t know why he’s mad,” As Jones surged by, Moffi tt tried against No. 1 Michael Kemerer of Allgaier, who struggled mightily Gragson said. “I was behind him to tuck in behind him but appeared to Iowa. Starocci had lost 7-2 to the pre- through the fi rst four races before fi n- coming into pit road and he’s in our clip Jones’ back bunker, sending him viously unbeaten Kemerer in the Big ishing eighth last week at Phoenix. pit box, so I had to come around him. into a spin that also damaged the cars Ten fi nal. He used that momentum to take the I’m not really sure why he was there.” of Gragson, A.J. Allmendinger and 184: No. 1 Aaron Brooks fi nished a checkered fl ag for the 15th Xfi nity Gragson took a verbal shot at Hem- series leader . perfect season with a 3-2 win over No. victory of his career ahead of Truex. ric, who has yet to win in any of NAS- Like Gragson, Allmendinger also 2 Trent Hidlay of North Carolina State. was third. CAR’s top three series. fought back from the early trouble to Iowa’s Spencer Lee, (right), takes on Arizona State’s Brandon Courtney A stalling call cost Hidlay a point in “We didn’t start off the day like we “I would feel bad if I was in his take a strong fi fth-place fi nish. Cin- during their 125-pound match in the fi nals of the NCAA wrestling champi- the third period, and Brooks staved off wanted to, but the guys persevered,” shoes, too, based on what he’s done dric settled for 13th. onships on March 20, in St Louis. (AP) Hidlay’s late takedown attempt.