MONDAY, OCTOBER 5, 2015 SPORTS Pharoah ‘cruising’ in final workout SANTA ANITA: Triple Crown winner when the horse would be shipped there. American Pharoah was “just cruising”, said “I don’t have a ship date right now,” he trainer Bob Baffert, as the 3-year-old com- said. “I was going to maybe ship him pleted his final Santa Anita workout on Monday, but we postponed that. We”re Saturday before he ends his stellar career at going to wait.” this month’s Breeders’ Cup Classic. Asked whether American Pharoah With Martin Garcia on board, American would be sent directly to Keeneland or Pharoah breezed through five furlongs in Churchill Downs, Baffert replied: “We don’t 59.80 on the iconic race track in Arcadia, know yet.” California, in a workout brought forward by American Pharoah entered the pan- 24 hours because of rain forecast for yester- theon of U.S. thoroughbred racing’s all-time day. greats by winning the Belmont Stakes wire- “He looked good,” Hall of Fame trainer to-wire in June to become the first horse to Baffert, 62, told a group of reporters. “I’ve capture the coveted ‘Triple Crown’ in nearly never seen him look bad working. “He went four decades. around there like he always does, just cruis- In winning a seventh straight race, ing. He did it the right way. He did it with- American Pharoah became the 12th horse out any effort. He’s right on schedule. and first since Affirmed in 1978 to sweep “I was going to work him tomorrow, but the Kentucky Derby, Preakness Stakes and we just moved it up a day because of the Belmont Stakes. weather.” Santa Anita-based American After making his farewell racing per- Pharoah is preparing for the $5 million formance in the Breeders’ Cup Classic, the Breeders’ Cup Classic, which will be run at muscular son of 2009 Kentucky Derby run- Keeneland in Lexington, Kentucky, on Oct. ner-up Pioneerof the Nile will then retire to 31, though Baffert was not yet certain stud.—Reuters Ferrer wins Malaysian Open BEIJING: Flavia Pennetta of Italy prepares to serve against Han Xinyun of China during their match of the China Open tennis tournament. —AP KUALA LUMPUR: David Ferrer beat his fel- sensations after my elbow injury are now low Spaniard Feliciano Lopez 7-5 7-5 in the very good.” final of the Malaysian Open yesterday to Ferrer had not lost to Lopez since 2009 Pennetta struggles in China capture the 25th title of his career and his but his streak looked to be in danger of fourth this year. ending when he made a slow start and Appearing in his 50th ATP career final, went down an early break. BEIJING: US Open champion Flavia Pennetta first-round match at the Wuhan Open last week. Kvitova said. “I’m kind of sleepy all day long. It’s the 33-year-old Ferrer won the hard-fought But Ferrer quickly broke back and struggled in her first match since winning her Top-ranked Serena Williams is also skipping the just weird.” match against his good friend and Davis clinched the opening set when he broke maiden Grand Slam, needing nearly 2 1/2 hours China Open and season-ending WTA Finals to In the men’s draw at the China Open, No. 1 Cup team mate to add the Malaysian title second-seeded Lopez again in the 12th to beat Chinese wild card Han Xinyun 7-5, 4-6, rest and recover from injuries after falling just Novak Djokovic is competing for the first time to his previous tournament wins this year game. In the second set, Ferrer again made 6-4 in the first round of the China Open yester- short in her bid to win the Grand Slam at last since winning his 10th major title at the U.S. in Doha, Rio and Acapulco. the vital break in the 12th game, sealing a day. month’s US Open, losing to Roberta Vinci in the Open. He typically plays some of his best tennis “I feel very happy, because I have never straight-sets win. “Feliciano is a good tennis Top-seeded Simona Halep of Romania semifinals. during the late-season Asian swing, capturing played so well at this tournament,” said player, but an even better person,” said retired from her match against Spain’s Lara Han broke the third-seeded Pennetta early in the China Open title five of the past six years Ferrer, who was the top seed. “I played my Ferrer. “I wish him all the best for the rest of Arruabarrena with a recurring Achilles injury the third set to take a 2-0 lead, but the Italian and the Shanghai Masters in two of the past best match of the week in this final, and my the season.”—Reuters while trailing 5-4 in the first set. It was one of rallied to win six of the next eight games to three years. four retirements among the women on the sec- close out the match. Pennetta had 41 winners “The record that I have in these tournaments ond day of the tournament. to 35 unforced errors and broke Han’s serve in China gives me a lot of obvious motivation to “I thought that it’s getting better and I can eight times. come back,” he said Sunday. play,” Halep said. “But no. I don’t want to force Pennetta rose to a career high No. 6 in the “It’s been a long season, no question about (it).” Halep hopes to be fit in time to play the world after defeating Vinci to win the US Open it, a lot of matches played,” Djokovic said. WTA Finals in Singapore in a few weeks. “I need last month when she announced her retirement “People are asking me if maybe it’s smarter to treatment and I need break, for sure,” she said. at the end of the season. skip this Asian swing so I can be well-rested for Fourth-seeded Agnieszka Radwanska Also, Sara Errani of Italy upset second-seeded Europe and for (ATP) World Tour Finals because advanced when Coco Vandeweghe quit after Petra Kvitova 7-5, 6-4 and Sloane Stephens of I’ve played much. But I don’t feel like that’s the dropping the first set 6-3, and seventh-seeded the United States defeated ninth-seeded right decision to do.” Carla Suarez Navarro of Spain moved on when Karolina Pliskova of the Czech Republic 6-3, 6-2. Rafael Nadal, who has dipped to No. 7 in the Lesia Tsurenko of Ukraine retired after also los- Kvitova reached the final of the China Open rankings, will be looking to end his disappoint- ing the first set 6-3. Kazakhstan’s Zarina Diyas last year, losing to Sharapova, but couldn’t get ing season with a strong showing in Beijing and also retired after dropping the first set against past the first hurdle this time around. She only next week’s Shanghai Masters. “I don’t feel that I Puerto Rico’s Monica Puig 6-4. converted four of 17 break points and dropped am suffering on court as I did the first six, seven Defending champion Maria Sharapova with- her own serve six times. “It was the kind of months of the season,” he said Sunday. “I feel drew before the tournament began with a left game which I really had to be ready physically that I am more under control of my emotions on forearm injury that forced her to retire from her and mentally and everything, and I just wasn’t,” court. So that’s a very big advance for me.”—AP Olesen wins at St. Andrews ST ANDREWS: Talented Danish youngster Thorbjorn Olesen kept his nerve down the stretch to win the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship yesterday at St Andrews for his third victory on the European Tour. The 25-year-old becomes the youngest Dane to win three EPGA events, as he protected his overnight three-shot lead to come home two strokes clear of American pair Brooks Koepka and Chris Stroud. He fired a solid one-under final round 71 to finish on 18-under for the tourna- ment and is the first Danish player to win the prestigious event. Five players were a further shot back on the Old Course in eastern Scotland including Thailand’s Kiradech Aphibarnrat, Sweden’s Joakim Lagergren, Chris Wood of England, Frenchman Benjamin Hebert and Austrian Bernd Wiesberger. “It feels very special and I’m very emotional right now,” said Olesen as he cradled the giant trophy awarded to the champion. “It’s been a really tough year but it’s unbeliev- able to win here at St Andrews and something that dreams are made off,” added the Dane, who will see his world ranking catapult to about number 75. “I started badly but when I won my first tournament I started badly as well so I just told myself to be patient and keep making pars. Then I sank that amazing (50ft) putt on 15 which ST. ANDREWS: Danish golfer Thorbjorn Olesen holds the Dunhill Cup on the iconic Swilken gave me a cushion. Bridge after winning the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship. —AP “Sixteen and 17 are two tough golf holes and it was breezy and cold but I played them well, concluded the Dane. The diminutive Olesen major are a tie for sixth at the 2013 Masters and made two good shots and two good putts at 17, (1.75m/5ft 9in), who hails from Fureso, some a share of ninth at the 2012 British Open at Royal so it was nice to go to the 18th with a two-shot 20km from Copenhagen, tied for second at this Lytham & St Annes.