ARAB TIMES, MONDAY, MARCH 29, 2021 SPORTS 14

Viola’s Known Agenda prevails in Florida Derby Mystic Guide wins 25th edition of Dubai World Cup DUBAI, United Arab Emirates, March 28, (AP): American challeng- er Mystic Guide provided Godolphin with victory in the 25th edition of the Dubai World Cup . Mystic Guide recorded a third suc- cessive victory in the Meydan show- piece in the owners’ blue silks, and their ninth in all following Thunder Snow’s back-to-back triumphs in 2018 and ‘19. Mike Stidham’s 4-year-old, sent off the 6-4 favorite with Luis Saez onboard, prevailed by 3 3/4 lengths from Japan’s Chuwa Wizard. “It’s a totally different atmosphere here, and horses have to be able to handle it,” Stidham said. “It’s not easy for an American horse to come over and do it.” Godolphin’s Magny Cours, trained in France by Andre Fabre, was third. Meanwhile in Florida, Known Agenda owner Vincent Viola kept asking trainer Todd Pletcher the same question over the last few days. “Do you think we really have a shot in the Florida Derby?” Pletcher kept telling him the an- swer was yes. And the horse left no doubt.

HORSE RACING

Known Agenda ran away from the fi eld in the Florida Derby on Satur- day, and might keep on going all the way to Churchill Downs to start the Triple Crown season. Jockey Irad Horses gallop into the fi rst turn in $750,000 Group 2 UAE Derby over 1900m (9.5 furlongs) in Dubai, the United Arab Emirates, on March 27. (AP) Ortiz Jr. guided Known Agenda to the win in the Grade 1, $750,000 nowhere near the front as the group he’s almost certainly headed back to In other full-point Derby prep race at Gulfstream Park, picking headed into the fi rst turn, though the Kentucky Derby. Plus, he leads races: up 100 Kentucky Derby standings settled in along the rail and simply the group that bred Known Agenda Long-shot Rebel’s Romance points - which will be more than waited for an opening. – so this win was doubly signifi cant ($26.10) rolled to an easy win in enough to qualify him for that race By the time he found open space, to him. Saturday’s UAE Derby at Dubai, in fi ve weeks. it was too late. Known Agenda “How does it feel? You feel unde- earning 100 points in the Ken- “Well, that’s certainly the hope,” moved into the lead around the top serving, quite frankly,” Viola said. tucky Derby standings and es- Pletcher said. of the stretch and then took off, win- “Todd has been very patient with sentially clinching a spot in the Pletcher won the Florida Derby ning by 2-3/4 lengths in a margin this horse from the moment he got field - though it remains unknown for a record sixth time, and Known that probably could have been bigger him, very confi dent.” if owner Sheikh Mohammed Bin Agenda covered the 1-1/8 miles on if Ortiz asked. Viola had to be talked out of a Rashid Al Maktoum and trainer the dirt in 1 minutes, 49.45 seconds. “Greatest Honour was one of the plan to send Known Agenda to the Charlie Appleby will send him He returned $12.80 for the win, top horses in the country and he was Santa Anita Derby, simply because over. Panadol was second and New $6.60 to place and $3.20 to show. in the race, so we were going to fi nd he didn’t think the horse was ready Treasure was third. Soup and Sandwich was second out what we’ve got,” Ortiz said. for the Florida Derby. Like The King ($16) survived and heavily favored Greatest Hon- Soup and Sandwich picked up 40 He was thrilled to be wrong. an objection that was made pos- our – who came into the race with Derby standings points, and Greatest “You couldn’t write it any differ- trace and prevailed in the Jeff Ruby more than enough points to get into Honour got 20. ently,” Viola said. “Everything Todd Steaks at Turfway Park, also earning the Kentucky Derby - settled for Viola also owns the Florida Pan- described to me when they were in 100 points toward qualifying for the third. Greatest Honour ran into traf- thers, who are well on their way to the gate actually happened in the Kentucky Derby. Sainthood was sec- fi c coming out of the gate and was the Stanley Cup playoffs, and now race.” ond and Hockey Dad was third.

Mystic Guide’s trainer Michael Stidham and jockey Luis Saez hold the tro- phy after winning $12 million Group 1 Dubai World Cup over 2000m (10 Ngannou knocks out Miocic, furlongs) in Dubai, the United Arab Emirates, on March 27. (AP) Kagiyama takes silver at worlds claims UFC title Chen wins 3rd straight worlds, beating Olympic champ Hanyu

Luque submits Woodley; O’Malley floors Almeida STOCKHOLM, March 28, (AP): Na- four-rotation jumps with what NBC than Chen already has established him- analyst Johnny Weir dubbed “techni- , March 28, ed his ascent by winning every round self as one of America’s greatest fi gure cal wizardry.” But there was more to it: of their first bout in . skaters. His performance Saturday lift- an intensity, even a ferocity, as if Chen (AP): has The loss staggered the confidence ed him into the company of history’s was conquering each quad rather than been the next big thing in of a once-dynamic fighter. He barely best worldwide. simply completing them. Plus a bal- the UFC heavyweight divi- threw a punch in his next bout, an In becoming the fi rst American since ance of artistry and technique that has sion for several years. Just embarrassing loss to . Scott Hamilton to win a third consecu- improved since 2017, when Chen won But Ngannou impressively tive World Figure Skating Champi- his fi rst of fi ve successive U.S. titles. about everyone believed regained his confidence later in 2018 onships men’s title, the 21-year-old Even the look on his face at the con- greatness was within the and kicked off a run of four consecu- Chen also outskated two-time Olympic clusion of his free skate was intensely powerful Cameroonian tive knockout victories against veter- champion Yuzuru Hanyu of Japan. focused rather than celebratory. an heavyweights, putting him back in And Chen believes he has been - and Besides, Chen had to await Hanyu’s challenger’s reach if he line for Miocic. can be - even better. performance, which was, for the Japa- could ever put his prodi- In the Vegas cage, Ngannou was “I wouldn’t say this is my best free nese star, rather pedestrian. He opened gious talents together. far too much for Miocic, the fire- program ever,” he said. “But it’s one up on two jumps, had sloppy landings fighter from who has been I will defi nitely remember forever and on others, and seemed to know it was All that potential was realized in not nearly enough when he shook his on top of the division for four of the cherish, being able to skate like that six sensational minutes Saturday and skate this piece here at worlds.” head before taking a bow and leaving night when Ngannou took the belt last five years. Miocic’s heavyweight the ice. reign has been the best in the history Russia completed its medals run away from the most accomplished when Victoria Sinitsina and Nikita Hanyu, whose artistry is unmatched of a notoriously tumultuous UFC fi ghter in the division’s history. Katsalapov took the ice dance gold. among today’s men, might not have division, and he most recently won Anna Shcherbakova won the women’s been at his best physically. In this early Jan 21, 2018 fi le photo, Stipe Miocic lands a right hand against the final two fights of his trilogy with competition, and Anastasia Mishina Francis Ngannou during a heavyweight championship mixed martial arts to cement his heavy- and Aleksandr Galliamov earned pairs bout at UFC 220 in Boston. (AP) weight supremacy. gold. FIGURE SKATING In the co-main event of this pay- Ngannou stopped Stipe Miocic round with superior striking and tive about it, being happy about my Chen was dynamic in easily surpass- with ferocious punches early in the per-view show at the UFC Apex gym ing short program winner Hanyu and “Coming into this competition I ground work, but there was nothing improvement.” on the promotion’s corporate cam- have been working a lot on my quad second round to claim the heavy- quiet about the finish. The violence was exactly what stamp himself as the man to beat at weight title at UFC 260. pus, former welterweight champion next year’s Beijing Olympics. Hanyu axel and so I have overworked my Ngannou knocked down Miocic 22 Ngannou’s fans and coaches expected Tyron Woodley lost his fourth con- struggled mightily Saturday and fell to body,” he said. “So it is important to Ngannou (11-2) avenged his blow- seconds into the second round with a when the long-anticipated changing of out loss to Miocic in 2018 by demon- secutive fight when Vicente Luque third place behind 17-year-old country- get my body well. I want to go back crisp left hand to Miocic’s face, but the guard atop the heavyweight divi- submitted him with a D’Arce choke man Yuma Kagiyama, who took silver to practicing it again. I want to be the strating everything he has learned in the champion ate several punches to sion finally happened in this rematch the ensuing three years. The first UFC late in the first round. in his fi rst senior worlds. very fi rst person to land it cleanly in an heavyweight champion from Africa get up. Miocic backpedaled away and of two highly likable fighters. Woodley (19-7-1), who reigned “The fact I’m able to be here at this offi cial competition.” even landed a right hand that stung Ngannou tried to call his mother in over the 170-pound division for near- world championships after this unprec- That won’t happen for a while with flattened Miocic (21-3) twice early in the major events of a truncated sea- the second, finally buckling the Ngannou, but the challenger loaded Cameroon immediately after the ly three years until edented year, it’s amazing. I’m elated up a picture-perfect left hook that fight, but said he couldn’t get through took his belt in March 2019, looked right now,” Chen said. “I just tried to re- son concluded. It’s possible Chen and champ’s knees and ending the bout 52 Hanyu won’t face off again until De- seconds into the round. bent Miocic’s legs at a gruesome to her because everyone was “going sharp early and landed some strong ally remind myself to enjoy being here. angle and put him on the canvas crazy” celebrating his win. shots before he was staggered and I don’t know how many more world cember’s Grand Prix Final - or perhaps “Man, it’s amazing,” Ngannou even until the Olympics. said. “The feeling of it is just great. again, where Ngannou landed one The 34-year-old Ngannou is a for- finished by Luque (20-7-1), who has championships I’ll get to be at. Doing finishing hammer fist. mer aspiring boxer who discovered won 13 of his last 15 fights. that, I was able to be a lot more calm.” Kagiyama couldn’t sit still awaiting Imagine something you’ve been wait- his marks after a personal best by 11 ing for your entire life, and struggling “When the journey is longer, the mixed martial arts after he left Earlier, bantamweight Sugar Sean Last year’s event was canceled be- O’Malley overcame an enormous cause of the COVID-19 pandemic. points in which he landed three quads to have it. Sometimes I felt like I was reward is always more appreciated,” Cameroon for France in his mid-20s. and, despite a couple of bobbles, was a Ngannou said. “I’m sure I would have He rose rapidly through his new sport early mental mistake for a vicious No one has had the jumping mastery drowning and I had to struggle back, of Chen. His “Quad King” reputation solid second to Chen in the free skate. but now we’re here.” been happy three years ago, but I with his fearsome power and growing third-round finish of Thomas Almeida. is well founded, and he landed his fi ve Kagiyama leaped and ran in place in the Ngannou won a fairly quiet first think now, I have a different perspec- all-around skill, but Miocic interrupt- O’Malley, the thrilling fighter with kiss-and-cry zone, then sat and practi- rainbow-dyed hair, floored Almeida cally danced in his seat as the magni- in the first round with a head kick and tude of his achievement hit home. a big punch - but instead of finishing “When I go back to Japan, I want Tsitsipas makes 4th round in Miami his opponent on the ground, O’Malley to practice more because today I have anticipated a stoppage and walked seen so many things I need to work MIAMI, March 28, (AP): For tennis break point. American, fueled the buzz building away before realizing the fight hadn’t on,” he said. “So with that takeaway up-and-comers like Stefanos Tsitsipas, Tsitsipas will next face No. 28 Kei regarding his potential by rallying past I want to go back on the ice immedi- the draw at the Miami Open began to Nishikori, who outlasted Aljaz Bedene No. 17-ranked Fabio Fognini 1-6, 6-4, been stopped. ately.” look a lot less daunting even before the 7-6 (6), 5-7, 6-4. 6-2. Fognini is the highest-ranked play- When he floored Almeida again in Hamilton won four successive tournament began. Two other title contenders, No. 4 An- er Korda has beaten. the third, O’Malley briefly tried to worlds from 1981-84. Since then, three Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer drey Rublev and No. 6 Denis Shapoval- In women’s play, top-ranked Ash walk away again before pouncing others (Canada’s Kurt Browning and withdrew because of injuries, and No- ov, advanced in night matches. Barty and three-time champion Victo- and throwing a final punch that Patrick Chan, Russia’s Alexei Yagu- vak Djokovic decided against making ria Azarenka advanced to a round of 16 bounced Almeida’s head off the can- din) have gotten three in a row. the trip from his native Serbia. They showdown. vas. Chen has not lost a competition stayed home with their 58 Grand Slam TENNIS Barty beat Jelena Ostapenko 6-3, The UFC is headed to Jacksonville since the 2018 Olympics, when per- trophies. 6-2 and had a much easier time than in for its next pay-per-view show next haps the worst short program of his The No. 2-seeded Tsitsipas is among Rublev failed to convert three match the previous round, when she saved a month because Florida officials will career doomed him. He rallied with a those with the best chance to take ad- points in the fi nal game and then had match point to beat qualifi er Kristina allow White to sell every seat in an spectacular free skate to climb from vantage, and he looked the part against to sit for a one-hour rain delay before Kucova. That was Barty’s fi rst match arena, but the promotion still wel- 17th place to fi fth. Damir Dzumhur, winning 6-1, 6-4. closing out his victory over Tennys away from her native Australian since comed a few dozen fans to the Apex. Nathan Chen of the USA stands on He’s been unmatched since, winning Ranked a career-high No. 5, Tsitsi- Sandgren, 6-1, 6-2. Shapovalov also February 2020. The crowd included Cincinnati the podium after winning the gold at worlds, nationals, Skate Americas pas improved to 15-4 this year – and endured a rain interruption in the third She kept Ostapenko on the move and Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow, medal during the Men Free Skating and Grand Prix Finals. And the quads 2-3 lifetime against Dzumhur. The set before fi nishing off Ilya Ivashka 6-7 on the defensive, pulling in the former Megan Fox, Kourtney Kardashian, Program at the Figure Skating World keep on coming, though he chuckled 22-year-old Greek used his serve to (5), 6-4, 6-4. French Open champion and moving Travis Barker and former UFC own- Championships in Stockholm, Swe- when Hanyu mentioned a 4 1-2 rota- dominate Dzumhur, who never had a Sebastian Korda, a 20-year-old her from side to side. ers Lorenzo and Frank Fertitta. den, on March 27. (AP) tion quad axel.