Baffert to sit out Kentucky Derby
Veteran trainer Bob Baffert says he is unable to enter a competitive horse in the Kentucky Derby.
BOB BAFFERT won't be saddling a horse in Saturday's Kentucky Derby for the first time since 2008.
The Hall of Fame trainer said yesterday that Govenor Charlie would not run. His other possibility, Code West, also won't compete in the Derby at Churchill Downs.
Sunland Derby winner Govenor Charlie was 11th on the points leaderboard that determines the 20-horse field for the 1 1/4-mile race. Code West was ranked 21st.
Baffert hasn't been on the Derby sidelines since 2007 and '08. He has won the race three times, but not since 2002.
Govenor Charlie galloped yesterday for the first time since April 11, a layoff caused by a foot bruise and soreness in his hind end.
"You cannot have any kind of hiccup," Baffert said. "We want to be competitive and if you're not competitive, my clients don't want to be in there. We're just going to watch and good luck to everybody else."
Baffert said Govenor Charlie could be pointed toward the May 18 Preakness, while Code West is a possibility for the Belmont Stakes on June 9.
In other horse racing news:
* Another horse racing doping investigation has been opened in Britain after trainer Gerard Butler admitted to giving horses a product that contained anabolic steroids. Last week, another trainer, Mahmood Al Zarooni, was banned for 8 years after he admitted to administering anabolic steroids to 15 horses in his care.
College Football *
Penn State will play Big Ten rivals Michigan and Ohio State in prime time in consecutive games next season. The Nittany Lions will host Michigan at 5 p.m. on Oct. 12 in their homecoming game. The Nits will visit Ohio State at 8 p.m. Oct. 26. Both games will be nationally televised.
* Stanford quarterback Josh Nunes is retiring from football after he injured his throwing arm in February and missed spring practice. Stanford also announced that fullback Geoff Meinken was not going to return for a fifth year of eligibility because of a knee injury. Nunes started nine games last season before being replaced by Kevin Hogan.
Sport Stops *
The Interfax news agency reported that former Russian Olympic official Akhmed Bilalov, who was forced to quit in a scandal over preparations for the 2014 Sochi Winter Games, has been diagnosed with high levels of arsenic in his blood.
* The course at Muirfield will be lengthened by 158 yards for this year's British Open. The changes mainly deal with new tees at the second, fourth, ninth, 14th, 15th, 17th and 18th holes. There has also been some reworking of bunkers, and the 10th fairway has been moved to accommodate a bigger practice range. Muirfield is hosting the British Open for the 16th time since 1892.
* Major League Soccer's referees and their assistants are unionizing. The match officials said they had voted to certify the Professional Soccer Referees Association (PSRA) as their collective bargaining agent in a vote conducted under the rules of the National Labor Relations Board. Referees, linesman and fourth officials are included in the bargaining unit.