A horse named Coach Pope, after Kentucky basketball head coach Mark Pope, picked up his first win in a Maiden Special Weight race at Churchill Downs during the first weekend of the track's September Meet.
The 2-year-old colt, who entered the race as a 1/1 favorite, pulled away to win by 1½ lengths. Coach Pope completed the one-mile race on a fast track in 1:35.77.
Ridden by Jose Ortiz — who won the Kentucky Derby and Belmont Stakes aboard Golden Tempo, as well as the Kentucky Oaks with Always a Runner — Coach Pope broke well and raced close before breaking away after the final turn, passing Fullback and Justification.
Congrats to KennyMcPeek & jose93_ortiz & Coach Pope sired by the legendary Tapit on a massive 12.5 length victory ChurchillDowns today!
AND CATS up by 4 at half! Let's Go! pic.twitter.com/lG7GxRomh9
The colt is trained by Kenny McPeek and owned by Gainsway Stable, Shamrock Stables and Michael J. Mackin.

#coach #race

On Saturday, Lazio will be aiming to preserve their perfect Serie A record when they host fellow undefeated AC Milan.
This will be Gennaro Gattuso's biggest test to date as Biancocelesti manager, as he prepares to host the club he called home for 14 years. The Calabrian will be engaged in a thrilling tactical battle against his opposite number Ruben Amorim, who is enjoying a positive start to his maiden year in Italian football. Nevertheless, the outcome will be determined by the 22 men on the pitch.
Hence, it's time to take a closer look at some of the most interesting duels that are expected to take place all over the pitch when Lazio and Milan lock horns at the Stadio Olimpico.
Among Lazio's seven summer signings, Danilho Doekhi was probably the least exciting arrival, as the fanbase was quick to label him as a depth player rather than a protagonist. Perhaps this will be the case once Josip Sutalo is up and running, but in the meantime, the Dutchman has been solid at the back, forming a good understanding with Oliver Provstgaard.
Danilho Doekhi (Photo by Marco Rosi – SS Lazio/Getty Images)

#lazio #take

Six years after an agonizing loss in the US Open final, Alexander Zverev says "everything is different" as he returns to the ***** le match in Flushing Meadows.
The top-seeded German held off a battling Karen Khachanov 6-3, 7-6 (9/7), 7-6 (8/6) on Friday to reach his third straight Grand Slam final.
Zverev admits his US Open near miss against Dominic Thiem in 2020 left scar tissue, but all the doubts have finally been dispelled with his maiden major at the French Open.
He followed that with a runner-up finish at Wimbledon, and even though he knows he'll be in hostile territory on Sunday -- taking on either American Ben Shelton or compatriot Frances Tiafoe -- he relishes the challenge.
"I think a lot has happened," he said. "I've played in a lot of other finals. I've played a lot of big matches since then.

#alexander

Ella Beatty opened up about growing up in the "most loving" family, which happened to have three of Hollywood's biggest stars
Ella followed in the footsteps of her parents, Warren Beatty and Annette Bening, when she decided to become an actor
Fans in the comments remarked how similar Ella looks to Warren's older sister Shirley MacLaine
Ella Beatty is reflecting on her famous family — and some fans can't believe her resemblance to her famous aunt.
Ella, 26, opened up about her family in a Sept. 10 interview with Extra. She is the daughter of legendary actors Annette Bening and Warren Beatty. Warren, 89, followed in the footsteps of his older sister, Shirley MacLaine (who adapted her mother's maiden name for her stage name), when he got into acting. MacLaine, now 92, appeared on Broadway in the early 1950s as Warren was studying in New York City at the Stella Adler Studio of Acting.

#ella #annette

Alexander Zverev is enjoying a historic 2026 season, having won his maiden Grand Slam ****** le at Roland-Garros and recently reaching the US Open semifinals. The German top seed showed no signs of fatigue as he reached all four Grand Slam semifinals in a single season for the first time in his career.
Zverev will now face Russia's Karen Khachanov, who advanced to the semifinals after Alexander Blockx retired while trailing 6-2, 7-5, 3-2. As the two will battle for a place in the final, let's take a look at their biggest support system: their family, including their kids.
Zverev has kept his personal life, especially his kids, largely private. He welcomed his daughter, Mayla, in March 2021 with his former girlfriend, Brenda Patea. Following an out-of-court settlement in 2024 that ended their highly publicized legal dispute regarding domestic abuse, the two now share joint custody and focus on co-parenting.
Despite his fame, Zverev makes a conscious effort to keep Mayla away from the public eye. "I want her to be a normal child, growing up with a normal life," Zverev said of his approach. "I try to keep her out of social media, all the Instagrammie stuff."

#slam #mayla #season #life

Sept. 11 (UPI) -- Ready or not, here it comes: The official "Road to the Kentucky Derby" series starts Saturday with the $300,000 Grade III Iroquois Stakes at -- where else? -- Churchill Downs.
And -- who else? -- six-time Derby winner Bob Baffert trains the 8-5 favorite, Salahudin.
Salahudin, an Uncle Mo colt, won his first start by 2 lengths July 17 at Ellis Park going 6 1/2 furlongs. He stretched out to 7 furlongs in the Ellis Park Juvenile on Aug. 9 and won that by 4 1/2 lengths.
The 1-mile Iroquois Stakes has nine entries. Blessed Flyer also is 2-for-2 and won the Bashford Manor at Churchill Downs June 28 for trainer Mike Tomlinson. He Is No Lie finished second in the Bashford Manor, and then was fourth in the Grade III Best Pal at Del Mar. The others are maiden winners.
Also on the weekend agenda are five Breeders' Cup "Win and You're In" races in North America and five more in Ireland.

#park

Four years after plying their trade in the semi-professional fourth division of German football, newly promoted SV Elversberg welcome defending Bundesliga champions Bayern Munich on Sunday.
Elversberg, a village with a population of just 13,000 and no train station, became the smallest in German league history to host a top-flight side this season.
The minnows have not been awed by the bright lights, either. Elversberg have won two from two this season, including a 3-2 win over 2023-24 double winners Bayer Leverkusen to open their maiden top-flight campaign.
Club technical director Josef Welzmueller credited hard work rather than wizardry for their achievement.
"I know that it sounds like magic or like a fairytale," Welzmueller told AFP this month, "(but) we did it step by step, and it didn't feel like a fairytale, to be honest."

#like #german

Plymouth Argyle boss Tom Cleverley says he is pleased with the start youngsters Tegan Finn and Caleb Roberts have made to their loans at Torquay United.
The duo made their debuts in Tuesday night's 4-0 win at Maidenhead United.
Roberts started the game while Finn scored and had an **** ist after coming on as a substitute.
"I've had good reports for the pair of them from the game," Cleverley said.
"It's a very good level that they're playing and they've got expectations to be in the top six, maybe even the top two or three.

#roberts

Great Britain's Neal Skupski and his American partner Christian Harrison are through to the US Open men's doubles final after beating top seeds Henry Patten and Harri Heliovaara.
The Australian Open champions secured a 7-6 (7-4) 6-2 win in an hour and 23 minutes and are yet to drop a set at this year's tournament.
Liverpool-born Skupski, 36, is hoping to claim his fifth Grand Slam **** le and third in the men's doubles.
After success at Wimbledon in 2023 with Wesley Koolhof and in Australia earlier this year alongside Harrison, Skupski once again has a maiden triumph at Flushing Meadows in his sights.
He and fellow Briton Joe Salisbury missed three championship points when they lost last year's final.

#neal #christian

Ayyoub Bouaddi has handled everything thrown at him since joining Manchester City with remarkable composure - though his leisurely strolls may need rerouting after recent events.
The Moroccan midfielder has been able to traverse the city center's sidewalks over recent weeks, moving about unnoticed and unrecognized despite sealing an £85 million ($117 million) transfer from Lille. However, the teenager with a distinctive look can't remain incognito much longer after delivering an impressive performance in his maiden start for the Blues.
City shelled out a premium price for Bouaddi - exceeding what rival clubs were prepared to pay - because they were confident he could slot directly into a squad that lost Rodri and Bernardo Silva from their engine room during the summer window. The 18-year-old has been gradually integrated but entered the lineup for the UEFA Champions League fixture in Porto, replacing £116 million ($155.2 million) signing Elliot Anderson.
-Credit:NurPhoto, NurPhoto via Getty Images
While more experienced teammates around him struggled, Bouaddi provided a steadying influence from kickoff and moved effortlessly across the turf to give Enzo Maresca's squad command of proceedings. The manager was all smiles when questioned about the player postgame and joined a growing roster of those who've encountered Bouaddi in praising him as an exceptional prospect.

#manchester #lille

Elversberg have two wins from two as they enjoy a dream start to their maiden Bundesliga campaign, but they will be without head coach Vincent Wagner for their Matchday 3 clash against reigning champions Bayern Munich after the DFB rejected the club's appeal following his sending off against Borussia Mönchengladbach.
A statement from the DFB read: "In its ruling, the DFB sports court stated that, according to the referee, coach Wagner had approached him from a considerable distance, even though the fourth official had previously instructed him to stop. Wagner intended to complain to the referee and confront him. This account, the sports court stated, is corroborated by the available television footage. Therefore, the sending off was a factual decision by the referee, which is generally binding on the sports court."
Additionally, the sports court found "no evidence of an obvious error by the referee". Therefore, as reported by Kicker, Wagner will only be able to watch the game from the stands.
Wagner's sending off for a second bookable offence came with two yellow cards in quick succession. The first, triggered by Hugo Bolin's goal that put Gladbach 2-1 ahead. Wagner's argument that Tim Kleindienst had put the ball out for a throw-in, which initiated the counter-attack leading up to the goal, and thus a throw-in should have been awarded to Elversberg instead. Then, Wagner attempted to speak to referee Petersen after he blew the half-time whistle but, already on a yellow for the previous complaint, was subsequently shown a second yellow card.
GGFN | Daniel Pinder

#court #coach

Callum O'Hare "can't wait" to make his home debut after a hectic welcome to Wrexham since completing his deadline-day move from Sheffield United.
The 28-year-old got up in the early hours on Tuesday morning to seal his switch to the Racecourse Ground before Wrexham's trip to Millwall.
O'Hare then raced to London on the train, arriving hours before kick-off to make the squad, but remained an unused sub as Wrexham won 3-0 at the Den.
Then came his first Welsh derby. He was thrust in from the start by Phil Parkinson, even though he had not yet trained with all of his new teammates.
And O'Hare very nearly capped off a whirlwind few days with his maiden Wrexham goal on debut at Swansea, but the former Coventry man dragged his chance wide.

#hours #united

NEW DELHI: The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is taking a long-term view of Vaibhav Sooryavanshi's astonishing rise, with secretary Devajit Saikia revealing that the board is closely monitoring the 15-year-old and wants to ensure his early success translates into a long and distinguished international career.

Sooryavanshi's rapid emergence was among the matters discussed at Thursday's high-level BCCI review meeting in Mumbai, which was attended by Saikia, India Test and ODI captain Shubman Gill, T20I captain Shreyas Iyer, head coach Gautam Gambhir, Centre of Excellence (CoE) head VVS Laxman and other senior officials.

The teenager has already gone from being an IPL sensation to becoming India's youngest men's international debutant, and the BCCI is now determined to ensure that his development is handled carefully rather than allowing the weight of expectation to derail his progress.

"We want Vaibhav Sooryavanshi or any player of his stature to continue and serve like Sachin Tendulkar did for the country or other players who in the past became legends," Saikia said.

"So we look at Vaibhav in a very serious manner. He's monitored from every angle and every step he is taking forward in his international career. The BCCI is taking a very close look at his future."
Saikia made it clear that the BCCI's objective is not simply to maximise Sooryavanshi's immediate impact but to build a career that can last for years.

"You see, the BCCI can be proud that we are promoting a player of the age of 15 years who is already making his mark in the international scenario and we are very cautious that every right step he should take forward so that it should not be a one series or one year wonder," he said.

The comparison with Tendulkar was particularly significant. Like Sooryavanshi, Tendulkar was thrust into the international spotlight as a teenager before going on to enjoy one of the longest and most successful careers in the history of the game.

The BCCI secretary stressed that Sooryavanshi's progress would be closely tracked at every stage.

"We want Vaibhav's relevance, or any player of his stature, to continue and serve as Sachin Tendulkar did for the country or other players who in the past became legends," Saikia said.

The teenager's rapid rise has given the board plenty of reason for optimism. He was India's youngest-ever men's international debutant after earning his maiden call-up following a sensational IPL 2026 campaign with Rajasthan Royals.

Sooryavanshi scored 776 runs in 16 matches at a strike rate of 237.30, including a century and five fifties, while his 72 sixes set an IPL record for a single season. He subsequently won several awards, including the Orange Cap, Most Valuable Player, Emerging Player, Super Striker and Super Sixes honours.

He also made an immediate impact for India against Zimbabwe, scoring 151 runs in three matches as India completed a 3-0 sweep and claimed his maiden Player of th

The Philadelphia 76ers are going to need rookie Labaron Philon Jr. to step in and produce right away as the No. 22 pick in the 2026 draft. The Sixers selected Philon with the expectation that he will be the lead guard for the second unit alongside Anfernee Simons.
In order to prepare for what's to come in his maiden season, Philon has spent a majority of the offseason in the gym looking to work on his craft and get the much-needed reps he needs in the gym to show what he can do on a regular basis.
In the latest video footage of the Rico Hines Runs at UCLA, Philon continues to impress and show his skill alongside fellow Sixers teammate VJ Edgecombe.

#philon #sixers #alongside

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The 2026 FIBA Women's Basketball World Cup has arrived, taking place over the next couple of weeks in Berlin, Germany.
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#stone #fiba #berlin #maiden

An Olympic rower has recalled the "frightening" moment he feared a motorboat rider was going to "ram" him on the River Thames.
Jack Beaumont, who won silver in the men's quadruple sculls at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021, said he had been training when he saw a motorboat collide with a rowing boat near Maidenhead Rowing Club at around 7.15am on Sunday.
He said that after trying to intervene, the man driving the motorboat then began "shouting and swearing" and "threatening" him.
A man aged 67, from Windsor, was arrested after the alleged incident.
He has since been released on conditional police bail while the investigation continues, Thames Valley Police said.

#motorboat #rowing #beaumont

Derek McInnes said after Sunday's win at Pittodrie that he'd enjoyed his team's performance for the first time this season and it was easy to understand why.
It was really the first instance of Rangers displaying the required desire, hunger, guts - call it what you will - to claim an all-important maiden league victory. Dropping points again simply wasn't an option.
The win gave McInnes and the players a bit of breathing ***** e and you could tell at full time what it meant to people like Lawrence Shankland to get that monkey off their collective back.
The attitude shown in that game is the bare minimum demanded by the supporters and they will hope to see that added to by some exciting, attacking football as the season progresses.
On the transfer front, with just a couple of days left in the window, the manager referred to bringing one more player in, widely thought to be the striker Kevin Kelsy.

#time #season #derek #dropping

South Africa continued their strong run in the Namibia T20I Tri-Series with another convincing victory over Zimbabwe, securing a comfortable 43-run win in the fourth match at the Namibia Cricket Ground on Tuesday.

Lhuan-dre Pretorius narrowly missed out on a maiden T20I century but produced a career-best 94 to set up South Africa's second victory over Zimbabwe in the tournament. The opener's sensational knock came off just 51 ******* and featured 12 fours and three sixes.

Pretorius was named Player of the Match after helping South Africa post 185/7 before their bowlers completed the job by dismissing Zimbabwe for 142 in 17.4 overs.
Put into bat, South Africa made an aggressive start, with Pretorius anchoring the innings and playing a key role in two partnerships of more than 50 runs for the first two wickets.

He found an able partner in Dewald Brevis, who struck 41 off 27 ******* , as the Proteas built a strong platform. Zimbabwe did manage to fight back with regular wickets towards the latter stages, but South Africa had already done enough damage to reach a competitive 185/7.

Pretorius fell six runs short of a century, but the opener insisted the team victory mattered more than his individual milestone.

"Yeah, that's fine. I'm just glad we got over the line. Milestones will come and go, and yeah, it wasn't meant to be today, but I was just glad because we said at the 14-over mark we wanted to get to 200, and I knew if I got the team to 200 I'd get to the milestone. But yeah, I think milestones come and go, and today was not meant to be, but we won, so it's good," Pretorius said.
Zimbabwe needed 186 for victory but struggled to maintain momentum after a promising beginning from Brian Bennett.

Their powerplay was derailed by a double-wicket maiden from captain Bjorn Fortuin, and South Africa struck again soon after the fielding restrictions ended.

Duan Jansen produced a decisive burst, taking three wickets in four ******* across two overs to leave Zimbabwe in serious trouble.

Captain Sikandar Raza offered some resistance with 45 off 33 ******* , while Newman Nyamhuri added 27 with some aggressive hitting. But the pair could only reduce the eventual margin of defeat as Zimbabwe were bowled out for 142.

Fortuin was the standout bowler, finishing with 4/24 from 3.4 overs, while Jansen claimed 3/21. The pair shared seven wickets between them as South Africa repeatedly struck at crucial moments.

The result gives South Africa their second win over Zimbabwe in the tri-series, with Pretorius' near-century and a disciplined bowling performance combining to secure another comprehensive victory.

#south #pretorius

Rain delayed the start play on the outside courts on Wednesday at the US Open, where top-seeded Alexander Zverev and women's fourth seed Coco Gauff headlined first-round action.
The weather won't be a factor for Zverev and Gauff, who are scheduled to play the night session on the covered Arthur Ashe Stadium.
Germany's Zverev, who followed up his maiden Grand Slam **** le with a runner-up finish to Jannik Sinner at Wimbledon, will take on 89th-ranked Italian Lorenzo Sonego while two-time Grand Slam champion Gauff faces Turkey's Zeynep Sonmez.
Play started on Ashe with former Australian Open champion Madison Keys taking on Alina Korneeva.
Under the roof on Louis Armstrong fifth-seeded French Open men's finalist Flavio Cobolli took on Argentine Francisco Comesana and women's fifth seed Mirra Andreeva -- the Roland Garros champion -- faced Indonesia's Janice Tjen.

#zverev #gauff #grand #seeded

After all the weather delays at the Belfry, getting the Husqvarna British Masters through 72 holes was quite an accomplishment. Hats off to tournament officials and greenkeepers.
They packed so much into the final day, the DP World Tour will probably get a hefty bill for excess baggage.
The final group, for instance, shoehorned 31 holes into an exhausting Sunday as Saturday's third round spilled over.
In fact, the closing 18 holes began before round three had even finished as the field tried to get home and dry ahead of predicted storms in the area later in the afternoon. There was no redraw either for the closing circuit, with speed being the order of the day
This golfing marathon became a sprint for the line. Joe Dean certainly got a shift on as he surged up the order to claim his maiden victory on the DP World Tour in thrilling style.

#closing #belfry

BENGALURU: In 118 minutes and 81 ******* , Vaibhav Sooryavanshi offered a glimpse of the raw talent that has made him one of Indian cricket's most sought-after prospects. The southpaw backs his big-hitting ability irrespective of the format and his fearless approach was on full display as the East Zone opener smashed 92 (7x4, 7x6) against Central Zone on Day 2 of their Duleep Trophy semifinal at the BCCI Centre of Excellence here on Monday.

At 15 years and 157 days, Sooryavanshi became the youngest player to score a 50 in the tournament, breaking Central Zone's Laxman Singh's record of 16 years and 23 days, set in January 1969.

The innings was more than just a record. Since his Ranji Trophy debut in 2024, the teenager had managed 215 runs from nine first-class matches. While he has built strong credentials in white-ball cricket, the longer format remains a stern test. Sooryavanshi was in no mood to let a red-ball challenge pass without making a statement.

The first session was all about his attacking display. After getting off the mark with a risky single, the left-hander struck his first boundary with a stylish square drive. That was merely an appetiser, as he repeatedly looked to score in the V against the pacers, including Yash Thakur, whom he deposited over the bowler's head for his first six. His 18 singles were as much a sign of maturity as his seven sixes were of his power.

His domination helped East Zone race to 64 in the first 10 overs. On 40, Sooryavanshi was handed a reprieve when Yash Rathod dropped a straightforward catch off Saransh Jain. The batter made the most of it, bringing up his half-century off 42 ******* with a six over long-on.

What stood out was not just the power, but the range. One particular ******* ault on pacer Aryan Pandey was striking. Charging down the track, Sooryavanshi smashed the ball straight back over the bowler's head for his fourth six.

Such was his command that it seemed to matter little who was bowling. Off-spinner Saransh Jain, who recently made his India Test debut, was dealt with equal confidence, conceding a four and a six as Sooryavanshi raced towards the nervous nineties in the 25th over.

However, he was left distraught when another attempt at a maximum landed in Arshad Khan's hands at deep mid-wicket off Harsh Dubey, leaving him eight runs short of his maiden first-class hundred.

Along with Abhimanyu Easwaran's 69, Sooryavanshi's 92 formed the backbone of a 161-run opening stand that helped East Zone reach 266, exactly matching Central Zone's first-innings total. Central were 45/3 at stumps.
Brief scores: Central Zone 266 & 45/3 in 20 overs (Mukesh ******* ar 2-14) vs East Zone 266 all out in 57 overs (Abhimanyu Easwaran 69, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi 92; Aryan Pandey 3-43, Yash Thakur 3-66, Harsh Dubey 4-66).

#central

Luke Shaw poured praise on Kobbie Mainoo after the youngster's 'phenomenal' display against Ipswich Town yesterday.
Manchester United secured their first win of 2026/2027 in emphatic fashion by defeating the newly-promoted Tractor Boys 5-2 at Old Trafford.
(Photo by Naomi Baker/Getty Images)
Mainoo made his maiden start of the term after being limited to an off-the-bench cameo in the opening-day defeat to Hull City.
Michael Carrick was keen to restore the youngster to his rightful spot in the starting XI this time around, and opted to deploy Mainoo alongside the experienced Youri Tielemans – rather than 22-year-old Andrey Santos.

#LUKE #ipswich #united

NEW YORK — Alex Eala has been filling tennis stadiums all over the world this past year, buoyed by more than 11 million overseas Filipinos. Packed crowds in Australia, Dubai, Toronto, and this week, New York, have felt "Eala Mania," decorating relatively docile tennis crowds with Philippine flags and "Laban Alex!" signs.
Eala is a complete anomaly for her country. No other Filipina had even made the top 250 before her, and she's already cracked the top 20 before the year's final major following her maiden WTA ***** le at the DC Open earlier this month. The 21-year-old even has current stars already labeling her the future of the sport.
Her unprecedented ascent has led Filipino fans to fly across the country to see her play. One group even planned their college reunion around her first appearance at the Cincinnati Open a few weeks ago.
But because of the nomadic nature of tennis, Eala is barely able to witness how she's impacting the other 117 million Filipinos in her home country.
"I think because I'm always traveling and I'm on tour, I'm quite out of touch sometimes with what my impact is back home, for the good and the bad. I think that's why I said a couple of times that when I went back home, it really opened my eyes," Eala said in response to a question from FOS at the Cincinnati Open.

#tennis #country #cincinnati

SARATOGA SPRINGS - Three Brand Racing, let's ride.
The very first race on Saturday's Travers Day card at Saratoga Race Course brought a unique brand of excitement when Club Reign, ridden by Edgard Zayas, ran a maiden special weight field of six other 2-year-olds off their feet en route to a six-length victory.
The performance was impressive, but the connections brought the hype. Club Reign was the first-ever starter for co-owner Three Brand Racing, the new racing enterprise of recently retired Super Bowl-winning quarterback Russell Wilson.
As Wilson, music star Ciara - the former NFL QB's wife - and the couple's three children celebrated with their partners, there was plenty of hype in the winner's circle.
"Man, what an exciting day," a jubilant Wilson said. "We're so excited for Three Brand Racing and, obviously, Club Reign. What a blessing. We were so fired up about this horse. We felt like we had a tremendous athlete in this horse. (He's) our first one for me and Ciara and our team, our Three Brand Racing team, and to come out here and to win in Saratoga - and he won by a lot. He's a fast horse."

#club #reign #first

A 3-year-old trained by Cherie DeVaux died Friday after suffering a "cardiac event" while warming up to breeze at Saratoga Race Course.
According to the state Gaming Commission's Equine Death and Breakdown database, Stirring Words was warming up for a workout Friday when the colt "staggered" and "collapsed on the track surface." According to the database, Stirring Words "suffered a cardiac event (and) expired."
A 3-year-old colt trained by DeVaux and owned by Lael Stables, Stirring Words made three lifetime starts, most recently finishing eighth in a maiden special weight race on July 18 in Saratoga. That was Stirring Words' first start in nearly eight months.
Stirring Words died the day before Travers Day, a card that features two of DeVaux's top stars with Golden Tempo in the Travers and Englishman in the Jerkens.
The death of Stirring Words is the first racing- or training-related fatality recorded on the state database at Saratoga in more than a month, and just the third since the 2026 summer meet began on July 3.

#race

After going behind twice in the first-half, Wolfsburg picked up three points away from Karlsruhe on Saturday afternoon. Tobias Strobl's side are living up to expectations as they now collect seven points from their first three 2. Bundesliga encounters.
Shio **** uda scored the first goal Wolfsburg conceded in the division in his maiden 2. Bundesliga appearance of the season. However, Alexander Bernhardsson immediately levelled the score in his first league game for Wolfsburg.
Louey Ben Farhat could still leave Karlsruhe in the next few days, but his **** ist to the captain Marvin Wantizek put the hosts back in front as the first 12 minutes produced three goals.
The visitors took the lead before the break thanks to Fabian Reese and Vini Souza as the first 45 minutes had more goals than yesterday's Hertha's victory over Eintracht Braunschweig. The promotion candidates added two late goals to run out 5-2 winners at the end.
The captain Hauke Wahl and Reese scored the goals as four of Wolfsburg's strikes came from summer signings. The former Hertha BSC attacker already registered three goals and an **** ist in the opening three matchdays of the 2. Bundesliga season.

#scored

Ahead of the 2026 US Open, five Last Word on Tennis writers – Ilemona Onekutu, Shane Black, Amanda Bergman, Zain Mustafa, Coby Spratte – made their US Open predictions. Let's dive in.
I know picking a guy whose best US Open is R2 sounds risky, but Fils just won his first Masters 1000 in Cincinnati, crushing Tiafoe 6-3 1-6 6-0. His serve is a weapon (94.3% holds), paired with athleticism and a heavy forehand. He's 10-0 in deciding sets this year and 8-0 against Americans.
At 22, he's the youngest French Masters 1000 champion ever—and peaking as the draw opens up. After missing eight months with a stress fracture, he's reached the Doha final, Miami and Madrid semis, and won Barcelona and Cincinnati. In a tournament where Sinner is out, Alcaraz is rusty, and Djokovic is 39, I'm not saying it's likely—but I'm saying it's possible, and that's more than you can say for almost anyone else.
All eyes are pointed on Carlos Alcaraz, and rightfully so. I don't believe his team would have him play this event if he wasn't 100 percent healthy (wrist injuries are no joke; look at Dominic Thiem). That said, just because he is healthy does not mean he will have the consistency to win 21 sets.
In steps Alexander Zverev. The 29-year-old German got the Grand Slam monkey off his back at the French Open. He followed that up with a Wimbledon runner-up. Even before his ***** le in Paris, Zverev was a final eight mainstay at majors. With the pressure removed from looking for that elusive maiden slam, paired with his hunt for year-end No. 1, he is going to be very tough to beat in New York.

#open

Bengaluru: While the Indian cricket team made its Asian Games debut in Hangzhou in 2023, its first appearance at a multi-sport event came at the 1998 Commonwealth Games. In Kuala Lumpur, a star-studded side featuring Sachin Tendulkar, Anil ***** ble, VVS Laxman and Harbhajan Singh bowed out in the league phase. Twenty-five years later, Laxman returned to the multi-sport arena, this time as coach, guiding India to gold in Hangzhou.

Now, as the Shreyas Iyer-led Indian team prepares to defend its ***** le at Korogi Athletic Park in Aichi Prefecture, ***** an beginning with the quarterfinals on Sept 28, Laxman spoke exclusively to TOI of the unique appeal of multi-sport events, India's Asian Games campaign and the experience of being part of the cricket team's journey from its first CWG appearance to maiden Asian Games gold.

"My first experience of a multi-discipline event was at the 1998 Commonwealth Games. The whole experience of being part of the Indian contingent feels really great, and that kind of experience every young cricketer should get. It's great that I've had that opportunity both as a player and coach," said the head of cricket at the BCCI Centre of Excellence.

Recalling the Hangzhou experience, the former batting great said, "Obviously, it's not like your mainstream cricket series or tournaments that we've been part of since we started playing for the country. The Asian Games was a great experience and exposure because not often do we get to visit the Games village, meet a sportsperson from other disciplines, interact with them, see how they train and prepare. A group of us went to support the Indian badminton team, which was fantastic."

India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka are the seeded teams making the quarterfinals directly, with Afghanistan, ***** an, Nepal, Hong Kong, Malaysia and Oman fighting for the other four knockout berths.

While India will start favourites, they can ill afford to take the other teams lightly, with Nepal giving them a run for their medal in the previous edition before India won by 23 runs to make the semifinals.

India will play a match against ***** an and train in Tokyo for three days before heading to the host city. Laxman pointed to the match against Nepal and said, "One thing which we have learnt playing the game is never underestimate your opponent."

Beyond the game, Laxman believes it is about knowledge sharing.

"Given the experience and the exposure the Indian cricketers have, at the end of the match it's also about sharing that experience with players from other countries. After Nepal ran us close in the previous edition of the Asian Games, their coach invited me to talk to the team, which was an opportunity to share knowledge. It's not just me, but that's the way the entire group of players will approach the experience," Laxman stated.

#experience #nepal #hangzhou

India head coach Gautam Gambhir praised his team for displaying the character and mental strength required in Test cricket after Shubman Gill's side secured a 1-0 series victory over Sri Lanka. India had a chance to complete a 2-0 sweep after winning the series opener in Galle, but Sri Lanka mounted a spirited fightback in Colombo to force a draw despite being asked to follow on.
Following the conclusion of the series, Gambhir took to social media to acknowledge India's performance while also highlighting the impact of Sri Lanka batter Sonal Dinusha.

"Test cricket needs character, patience and mental toughness that's shown by our boys! Special shoutout to Sonal Dinusha for his exceptional performance," Gambhir wrote on X.
Dinusha was the central figure in Sri Lanka's resistance. He scored centuries in both innings of the Colombo Test, including an unbeaten 133 in the second innings, frustrating India's efforts to wrap up the match.
India made a dominant start after choosing to bat first in Colombo. Devdutt Padikkal led the charge with a superb 117, while Dhruv Jurel remained unbeaten on 115. Rishabh Pant added 63 and captain Gill contributed 50 as India amassed 503/9 before declaring. Asitha Fernando was Sri Lanka's most successful bowler, finishing with four wickets.

Sri Lanka were dismissed for 290 in their first innings, but Dinusha once again stood out with a composed 103. Pasindu Sooriyabandara also played an important role, scoring 80, while India's Prasidh Krishna and Manav Suthar claimed three wickets each. Asked to follow on, Sri Lanka were in serious trouble at 218/6 and India appeared to be closing in on another victory. Dinusha, however, refused to give India an opening.
Dinusha joined forces with Keshara Nuwantha to produce a crucial 112-run partnership. Nuwantha's 46 came from 150 deliveries as the pair absorbed pressure and consumed valuable overs. Sri Lanka's lower order then provided further support, allowing Dinusha to remain at the crease until the close.

He finished unbeaten on 133 from 264 ****** , with eight fours and two sixes, as Sri Lanka reached 429/9 to secure the draw. The result ended India's hopes of a clean sweep but secured them a 1-0 series victory.

India had established their series advantage in the opening Test at Galle, where they secured a 165-run victory. Manav Suthar was the star of the contest, claiming his maiden 10-wicket haul in Test cricket, while Padikkal played a pivotal role with a 167 in India's first innings.

#dinusha #lanka #victory

Como will add two high-profile Italian players late in the window, as they have completed their chase of Moise Kean and also struck a deal with Milan for Samuele Ricci. The Lariani and the Viola went back and forth throughout the summer. The transfer has finally come together, Fabrizio Romano reports (via SOSFanta).
The striker did what he could to accelerate the talks, showing up late and skipping one practice to make his intentions known. He's transferring on a €10M loan with a €25M obligation to buy and €5M add-ons. The Gigliati will get the €40M package they were looking for. The 26-year-old had two mixed seasons in Tuscany, registering 25 goals in his maiden one but just 9 in 2025/2026 amid a few injuries.
Como didn't stop at Kean, as they also reached an agreement for Ricci. He's joining on a temporary basis and with a simple €22.5M acquisition clause. They will cover his entire salary for this campaign and pay a €1.5M fee. The midfielder is leaving San Siro after just one season, where he was mostly a deputy and amassed 34 appearances, one goal, and 4 ******* ists.
The Viola are trying to acquire Joshua Zirkzee from Manchester United to fill the void.
They needed more depth due to the busier schedule, and they didn't mess around with the level of their acquisitions. Money isn't infinite even for them, as they had to get creative with the formulas. Fabregas has made a lot of players thrive. They'll be a threat for the very apical positions if the former returns to his old glory, as they are already brimming with offensive talent.

#viola