MONDAY, MAY 5, 2014 SPORTS Miss France wins English 1,000 Guineas

NEWMARKET: The aptly-named Miss her to be ridden but it worked,” Fabre told France supplied master French trainer Channel 4 with a smile. “This means a lot,” Andre Fabre with his first English 1,000 continued the Chantilly trainer. Guineas at Newmarket yesterday. “I trained the dam of the filly and I could Ridden by Maxime Guyon, the well-fan- not be more delighted. She will get further, cied 7-1 chance held off Lightning Thunder that is not a problem. She’ll go for the Prix (14-1) by a neck with Godolphin’s Ihtimal de Diane (French Oaks) next, her dam won half a length back in third, and the heavily- over a mile and a half.” supported 9-2 favourite Tapestry plum last. Referring to Miss France’s slip-up in her Fabre, a 25-time champion trainer in warm-up he added: “I got confident in the France, was adding to his success in the last 10 days after her bad (seasonal) debut. other classic run at the home of British rac- “She worked brilliantly, after that I told ing, the 2000 Guineas, which he claimed the owner we’d go to Newmarket. There with Pennekamp in 1995 and Zafonic two was a question mark after her first run this years earlier. Miss France, a winner at year but I knew that race wasn’t to be Newmarket last season, had been beaten believed.” on her Guineas warm-up last month but Lightning Thunder was coming off sec- despite that reverse was given a confident ond best to the winner for the second time, ride by Guyon. Olly Stevens’ filly finishing bridesmaid to Always up with the leaders headed by her in a Group Three last September. 100-1 outsider Manderley she hit the front Lightning Thunder could take on Miss as the ground began to rise towards the France again at Royal Ascot with Stevens post to hold off her pursuers in tenacious saying: “We’re thrilled, it’s wonderful to be style. here with a filly of this quality. We might go The third French-trained winner of the straight to the Coronation (Stakes).” There fillies classic in the past seven years she first was to be no fairytale third 1000 Guineas had to deal with Ihtimal’s challenge and winner for 80-year-old Clive Brittain with then the late surge of the eventual runner- second favourite Rizeena running well up. “It was the opposite of how I wanted without landing a telling blow. —AFP CHURCHILL DOWNS: In this image taken with a fisheye lens, jockey Victor Espinoza rides California Chrome to win in the 140th running of the Khan dominates Collazo Kentucky Derby horse race. —AP : knocked Luis bleeding from a cut by his right eye and California Chrome shines Collazo down three times on Saturday on his face was swollen. Two judges scored his way to a lopsided decision win he it 119-104, while the third had it 117-106. needed desperately if he hopes to fight “I had to hang in there,” Collazo said. “You at 140th Kentucky Derby Floyd Mayweather Jr. have to take me out, that’s what it’s all In his first fight in more than a year, about.” and stepping up to , Khan Khan, who improved to 29-3, thought CHURCHILL DOWNS: California Chrome won became the oldest man to train the winner of two-man syndicate Dumb-Ass Partners after dominated against a former champion. he was going to be fighting Mayweather the 140th Kentucky Derby in brilliant fashion at a the Kentucky Derby. The son of a bar- overhearing a stablehand say they were fools to Khan lost out to Marcos Maidana as instead of Maidana. He gave up a title bright and sunny Churchill Downs on Saturday, ber, Sherman has spent a lifetime in racing but try and breed from Love the Chase, the unwant- Mayweather’s opponent in the lucrative fight in December to wait for adding another fairytale chapter to America’s found little success on the track. ed dam that has given them Californian Chrome. main event, but made the best out of his Mayweather, but didn’t get picked for most famous and revered horse race. He had never even had a runner in the Derby Many thought they were crazy when they spot at the top of the undercard by beat- the fight despite winning an online poll Perfectly ridden by Victor Espinoza, the three- before this year, though he was an exercise rider turned down a $6 million offer to sell a 51 per- ing and bloodying Collazo. conducted by Mayweather. year-old colt pinned back his ears and sprinted for Swaps when he won the race in 1955. cent share of their star colt after he won the “People want to see that fight “It was very hard because Collazo is clear of his rivals to win the $2.2 million classic Sherman slept with Swaps on a bed of straw on Santa Anita Derby but no one doubts their judg- between me and Floyd,” Khan said. Khan really awkward,” Khan said. In another by one and a quarter lengths. a four-day train trip from the California. ment now. Commanding Curve, a 37-1 longshot, This time he’ll fly home on a chartered jet. The flashy chestnut has now won more than was cautious with Collazo, but used his bout, American J’Leon Love beat charged home late to finish second while Danza, “This has to be the sweetest moment of my life,” $2.5 million from 11 starts and will be worth mil- hand speed from the outside to land Mexican Marco Antonio Periban in a named after “Who’s the Boss” actor Tony Danza, Sherman said. “To be my age and have some- lions more as a stallion after winning the Derby. right hands to the head from the first super middleweight bout. Love won a boxed on for third after trying to stick with thing like this happen, what can you say?” And he is not finished yet. Even before the round on. He dropped Collazo with a 10-round decision on all three ringside California Chrome over the mile and a quarter colt had been draped with the traditional win- right hand in the fourth round, then scorecards to remain unbeaten in 19 journey on the Kentucky dirt. GUARDIAN ANGELS ner’s garland of red rose, his owners declared he dropped him twice in the 10th round. fights. Periban fell to 20-2-1.—AP Wicked Strong, the 6-1 second favourite For Mexican-born jockey Espinoza, it was his would go for the Triple Crown, comprising the Collazo finished the fight, but he was named in honor of the marathon victims, second win in the Derby after he saluted on War Derby, the Preakness Stakes and the Belmont finished fourth after starting from the widest Emblem in 2002. The 41-year-old showed all his Stakes. Only 11 horses, among them Secretariat, barrier but California Chrome was never truly big race experience with a cool and calculated have pulled off the feat that has become the threatened. ride, keeping his mount out of harm’s way holy grail of American racing. The last horse to Unbeaten this season, California Chrome was before unleashing him in the stretch. do it was Affirmed in 1978. installed as the 5-2 favourite after romping to “I never dreamed I’d win a second Kentucky “I think we’re in a pretty good place now,” victories in each of his four previous races, Derby, but here it is,” Espinoza said. “This was a Coburn said. “Our guardian angels have been including last month’s Santa Anita Derby. typical race for him. He ran like he always does. I pretty good to us.” Dale Romans, who trained When the ‘Run for the Roses’ got underway, don’t mess with him too much. I just stretch his the eighth-places horse Medal Count, said he California Chrome broke quickly and settled in legs a little bit and then let him do his thing.” had become a believer after watching California third place. He made his move as the field of 19 California Chrome became just the fourth Chrome first hand. runners turned for home, taking the lead with a horse from the Golden State, and the first since “I didn’t think he fit the profile to win the breathtaking burst of acceleration before the 1962, to win the Bluegrass state’s crown jewel Derby but I’m very impressed the way he came shadows of the iconic Twin Spires as the crowd with a classic rags to riches tale that has already into it, the way he looked, the way he was pre- of almost 165,000 let out a mighty roar. endeared him to the American racing public. pared and the way he ran,” Romans said. Horse racing has been dubbed the “Sport of He was bred for just $10,000, a pittance in a “Now he has a new fan.” Hall of fame trainer Kings” but it is also a sport full of glorious unpre- sport where regally-bred horses change hands Bob Baffert was also gushing about the winner dictability and heart-tugging tales, and there for millions of dollars, by two blue-collar work- after his own horse, Chitu, faded to finish ninth. have been few to match the unlikely rise of ing men who were new to the race game but “You could tell he was comfortable the whole California Chrome. took a gamble on a mare that no one else want- way. He’s for real,” Baffert said. “It’s going to be a His 77-year-old conditioner Art Sherman ed. Steve Coburn and Perry Martin named their great Triple Crown series.”—Reuters Mayweather stops Maidana

LAS VEGAS: Undefeated welterweight Floyd one judge ruling the fight a 114-114 draw while ensuring the bout was fought on his own terms. Mayweather did all his hard work in the second the other two scored the bout 117-111 and 116- By round six, Mayweather was using his foot- half of the bout to overcome a stiff challenge 112 in his favour, but acknowledged he had work to stay off the ropes and control the centre from the fast-starting Marcos Maidana and unify been in a hard battle. of the ring, where he launched powerful hooks two world titles in Las Vegas on Saturday. “This was a tough, competitive fight, what and right crosses to Maidana’s body and head. At the end of 12 bruising rounds, American the fans want to see,” he told a post-fight inter- Even as Mayweather took over, Maidana kept Mayweather (46-0, 26 KOs) was awarded a viewer in the ring. “Normally I go out there, I coming, continuing to throw punches even as LAS VEGAS: England’s Amir Khan (right) connects with a hard right to the head of majority decision victory, adding the hard-hit- box, I move. Finally, I was in a tough, competi- his workrate and accuracy declined. Luis Collazo in their silver welterweight title boxing fight. —AP ting Argentine’s belt tive fight. He’s a tough competitor and we gave When the final bell sounded, he and many of to his title. For the first the fans what they wanted to see.” those in the crowd at the MGM Grand Garden few rounds, however, it looked as if Mayweather Arena felt he had done enough to get the deci- was in serious danger of losing his vaunted FAST START sion. “I definitely feel like I won this fight. Floyd De La Hoya vows to run unbeaten record against a fighter launching a Maidana (35-4, 31 KOs) began brightly, back- did not fight like a man, like I expected him to,” blizzard of punches and trapping the American ing Mayweather to the ropes, landing clubbing Maidana protested. The victory sets Mayweather Golden Boy in dispute against the ropes at every turn. punches from all angles and cutting the up for a possible contest against Britain’s Amir Eventually Mayweather was able to assert American above his right eye following an acci- Khan, who outpointed Luis Collazo on the LAS VEGAS: Declaring himself in the fight would never work with Arum no matter control, nullifying Maidana’s assault and launch- dental clash of heads. Supreme in defence, undercard, although the American appeared of his life as he battles addiction issues, what De La Hoya wanted to do. But he said ing vicious counter-attacks of his own, picking Mayweather was able to block many of his willing to consider suggestions that Maidana Oscar De La Hoya said Saturday he was also he was open to talking to De La Hoya up points with his jab as his opponent sought opponent’s punches and launch short counters had done enough to earn a second shot. “If the prepared to fight to keep control of his about his future in the company. to bulldoze his way in close. Mayweather exud- of his own but through four rounds, Maidana fans want to see it again, we’ll do it again,” he boxing promotion company. “Whatever the future holds hopefully ed confidence while awaiting the decision, with was out-working his more celebrated foe and added.—Reuters The former boxer said Golden Boy we can sort this out the next couple of Promotions is still his company, despite his weeks,” Schaefer said. “My door is always fractured relationship with chief executive open and we’ll see where this goes.” officer Richard Schaefer over his ties to De La Hoya, who went into rehab for a Floyd Mayweather Jr. and De La Hoya’s second time last September on the eve of recent efforts to reconcile with rival pro- Mayweather’s fight against Canelo Alvarez, moter Bob Arum. said he plans to be heavily involved in “I have my vision and I have my plans,” Golden Boy again as he continues his De La Hoya said. “Nobody is going to stop recovery. He said he went to Arum’s Los me from doing this. The company isn’t Angeles house earlier this week to try and called Golden Boy for nothing.” settle any feuds with the promoter who De La Hoya spoke publicly for the first guided his career and is open to doing time about problems in his company, one business with him again. of the two major promoters in boxing, in a “I met with Bob Arum to bury the hatch- hastily called press conference a few hours et,” De La Hoya said. “Down the line, why before Mayweather fought Marcos not for the sake of boxing. There’s a lot of Maidana. great fights that can be made.” Golden Boy has promoted Mayweather, Mayweather said earlier in the week that and Schaefer has built a close relationship he wouldn’t work with Golden Boy if with him and Al Haymon, who manages Schaefer was not running the company. He Mayweather and several top fighters. But also said the door was open for Schaefer to Schaefer says he will never work with work with his company, Mayweather Arum’s Top Rank or have fights between Promotions, if he left Golden Boy. Golden Boy and the rival company. De La Hoya hired Schaefer, who had a De La Hoya indicated he and Schaefer career in banking, when he started Golden have been talking through attorneys, Boy. In recent years Schaefer has been the though he said he planned to shake his public face of the company as De La Hoya hand at the fight and maybe even give him had alcohol and drug issues. a hug. De La Hoya made it clear he was the “I have nothing against Richard but I head of the company and the majority have to look out for myself,” De La Hoya shareholder. He said he wasn’t looking to said. “I have to look out for my company replace Schaefer but didn’t rule it out. “The and I have to look out for boxing.” way I found Richard, the way I did that, I Schaefer, who did not attend the press can do it again,” he said. “It’s no problem for LAS VEGAS: Marcos Maidana (left) from Argentina, throws a left at the head of Floyd Mayweather Jr. in their WBC-WBA welterweight title box- conference, said earlier in the week that he me.”—AP ing fight. —AP