Kritik und Lob » And with Harang throwing well and mixing his pitch

The Breeders Cup always has been intended to take the breath away.In the beginning, it was the money, more purse money than American racing ever had seen before. As it evolved, it was the competition, international in scope, dizzy with intensity. At one point, it became the action and how astounding it was to see just how much people wanted to bet, upward of $150 million over a two-day show.Now, in a social environment so completely attuned to the cult of personality, the Breeders Cup is all about the stars. Its not enough just to brag about going to the Breeders Cup. There have been 32 of them. The novelty has worn off. Now, the question is, Who did you see? And if the answer is, I saw Zenyatta, or Wise Dan, or Goldikova, or American Pharoah, then youve got their attention.This year, the main attraction is California Chrome, a horse of such universal appeal that even the opposition saves room to root.You cant help it, said trainer Jimmy Jerkens, who will try to beat California Chrome with the longshots Effinex and Shaman Ghost in the $6 million Breeders Cup Classic. Hes just such a neat horse, and a great story.No question, when California Chrome shows up, he tends to suck all the air out of the room. The 1-1/4 miles on dirt is right up his alley, and his six races this year -- from the winter in Dubai to his final rehearsal at Santa Anita -- have unfolded as if hewing to a script already chiseled in stone.However, by the time California Chrome takes the track late Saturday afternoon against Travers winner Arrogate, Met Mile winner Frosted, Jockey Club Gold Cup winner Hoppertunity, and Santa Anita Handicap winner Melatonin, the story of the 2016 Breeders Cup already may have been written by the half-dozen world-class fillies and mares who have made this party something to remember.Never before has the Santa Anita Park backstretch been home to such depth of female talent. A stroll through the stables is like walking a wing of the Louvre, with masterpiece after masterpiece staring down from the walls.Fridays $2 million Distaff has been predicted to be the best race ever run in the U.S. on a weekday that wasnt a holiday. No one really did the research, but it sounds about right for an event that attracted champions Songbird, Beholder, and Stellar Wind as well as the multiple Grade 1 winners Curalina, Im a Chatterbox, and Forever Unbridled.Songbird and Beholder each have one foot in the Hall of Fame, while Stellar Wind spent the last three months defying the conventional thinking that there could be yet another filly of similar caliber on the West Coast. Yes, the Distaff should be run on a Saturday on network TV alongside the Classic -- especially this Distaff -- but thats an argument well save for another day. Anyway, Zenyatta won the same event on a Friday, so at least this years winner will be in good company.If the true test of a great filly or mare is her ability to defeat males at the highest levels, then the three on the marquee for Saturday have passed with flying colors.Found is the durable daughter of Galileo who runs for Coolmore and trainer Aidan OBrien. She upset Golden Horn in the Breeders Cup Turf at Keeneland last year, the same Golden Horn who was acclaimed European Horse of the Year, and she is back to defend her title on Saturday, with a purse of $4 million on the line.Found is also making her 10th start of the season and her third in the last five weeks, after winning the Arc de Triomphe on the first Sunday in October and finishing second to likely European Horse of the Year Almanzor in the Champion Stakes on Oct. 15. By finishing first, second, or third in the Turf, Found will pass Zenyattas $7.3 million as the all-time leading earner among females with at least one start in North America. It is assumed, however, that they didnt send her to California to finish second or third.If Found gets points for her international adventurism, save some credit for Miss Temple City and the Graham Motion crew. They have on their hands a long, full-figured filly who has stood the gaff of trips abroad in each of the last two years for dates at Royal Ascot.She was a competitive fourth in both tries -- no shame in that -- while back home in the States, Miss Temple City manhandled males in both the Makers 46 Mile and the Shadwell Turf Mile at Keeneland. Among her victims in the Shadwell were Ironicus, Tourist, What a View, and stablemate Ring Weekend, all of them trying her again on Saturday in the $2 million Breeders Cup Mile.Fillies and mares do not win the Mile all the time, it just seems like it. Royal Heroine was first out of the box in 1984, followed by Miesque (1987-88), Ridgewood Pearl (1995), Six Perfections (2003), and the era of Goldikova (2008-10).Then came Tepin, whose performance in the 2015 Mile at Keeneland capped a championship season that began in relative obscurity, with an allowance-race win at Gulfstream Park coming after a seven-month layoff.That was then. Now Tepin reigns as a bona fide American hero, the winner of the Queen Anne Stakes at Royal Ascot last June and the Woodbine Mile in her return to competition in September. Earlier this week, trainer Mark Casse stood admiring the mare in the corner stall of her temporary Santa Anita barn as she dropped in her straw, scratched an itch, and then jumped up to playfully charge her webbing.Guess she shipped okay, he deadpanned. This was Tepin. All she ever does is ship okay.You know, this is really a deep Breeders Cup across the board, but especially with the mares, Casse said. And a lot of that is because people have kept these good ones in training. Beholder is 6, Tepin is 5. They could have been bred by now.Casse broke his personal Breeders Cup drought by winning two of the 13 races last year with Tepin and Catch a Glimpse, who runs on Saturday in the Filly and Mare Turf.Weve got seven running in Breeders Cup races, and I think four of them have a legitimate shot, Casse said. Someone asked me if Id be happy if I could only win one. It didnt take me long to answer. Of course, I would. Who wouldnt? Denver Nuggets Store . Despite dominating possession, Schalke needed an own goal from Nicolas Hoefler for the breakthrough a minute before the interval. The Freiburg midfielder misjudged Jefferson Farfans corner and bundled the ball into his own net. Wholesale Nuggets Jerseys . The home side created most of the chances but struggled to break down Braunschweigs resilient defence, resulting in the Bundesligas 1,000th scoreless draw. https://www.cheapnuggets.com/ . Anthony Calvillo, through 20 CFL seasons, was frequently invincible and largely stoic in the heat of competition. But underneath the professional exterior he was, and is, compellingly human. Denver Nuggets Gear . The Court of Arbitration for Sport ruling "puts an end to my dreams of being a top player," the 27-year-old Troicki said in a statement. "I worked my entire life for it, and it has been taken away from me in one afternoon by a doctor I didnt know," said Troicki, whose ranking peaked at No. Nuggets Jerseys 2019 .In my heart and mind Im competing for India, luge competitor Shiva Keshavan told The Associated Press in an email interview. Every day Im flooded with messages from Indians all over the world telling me they are supporting me. CINCINNATI, Ohio -- Aaron Harang got on the mound where he started 112 games with the Reds and had another pleasant night in Cincinnatis familiar muggy air -- even got some applause from fans, too. Made him feel right at home. Harang went six innings in the ballpark where he still holds the strikeout record, and Nick Franklin and Michael Saunders homered on Friday night, leading the Seattle Mariners to a 4-2 victory over the Reds. "I made many a start on that mound," said Harang, who had never pitched against the Reds at Great American Ball Park. "I got back out there and it felt like old times." Harang (4-7) limited his former team to a pair of runs and six hits, including Joey Vottos 15th homer. Oliver Perez struck out the side in the ninth for his second save. The Mariners are making their second visit to Cincinnati and their first to Great American Ball Park, which opened in 2003. In their other trip, they swept a three-game series at Cinergy Field in 2002. The Mariners are 9-1 all-time against the Reds. Seattle and Cincinnati will always have one notable baseball connection: Ken Griffey Jr., who grew up in Cincinnati, developed into one of the majors best with Seattle, and returned to his hometown in a trade before the 2000 season. Griffey finished his career in 2010, when he retired from the Mariners. Now, theres another. Harang pitched for the Reds from 2003-10, starting five season openers. He holds the record for most career strikeouts at Great American with 598, including his four on Friday night. The 35-year-old pitcher has kept in touch with several former Reds teammates and some of his former neighbours. When Homer Bailey threw his second career no-hitter on Tuesday night in Cincinnati, Harang got to watch part of it on television in Texas and sent along congratulations. "This is my second home," he said. The only time he felt out of place was when he warmed up in the visitors bullpen by the right-field line. "I was a little nervous when I first went out there today," he said. "It was an awkward feeling coming out from the other side of the field." He got over the awkward feeling fast. "It has to bee a big deal for him," Mariners manager Eric Wedge said.dddddddddddd "He spent a lot of years here, had a lot of good years here. The fans appreciated him. He went out and threw a good ballgame." Not so for Mike Leake (7-4). Franklin hit a two-run homer in the first inning. Saunders had a solo homer and a sacrifice fly off Leake, who lasted five innings. Leake originally was scheduled to pitch on Thursday against San Francisco, but got pushed back a day because of a rainout. Leake had allowed only nine earned runs in his last nine starts, going 5-1 with a 1.31 ERA. That stretch of fine pitching ended quickly. Brad Miller, batting leadoff for the first time, hit Leakes third pitch for a triple to right-centre. Franklin homered on the next pitch. "Those first two balls, theyve got two runs," Reds third baseman Todd Frazier said. "Youre surprised. They came out swinging. And with Harang throwing well and mixing his pitches and hitting his spots, thats a win." Saunders led off the second inning with his fifth homer. He hit a sacrifice fly in the fourth for a 4-0 lead, the most runs Leake had allowed in a game since May 8. Miller also tripled down the right-field line in the fifth but was stranded at third. Hes the first Mariner to have two triples in one game since Carlos Guillen in 2003 and the 13th overall, according to STATS LLC. Seattle slugger Raul Ibanez extended his hitting streak to 11 games with a single. NOTES: The Reds honoured Homer Bailey on the field before the game for his second career no-hitter on Tuesday night against San Francisco. Jim Maloney, who also threw two no-hitters for the Reds, joined in the festivities and threw a ceremonial pitch to batterymate Johnny Edwards. ... Franklins homer gave Seattle 20 in the first inning this season, most in the majors. ... Saunders had been out of the lineup the last six games with a finger injury. ... Mariners OF Michael Morse, on the 15-day DL since June 22 with a strained right thigh, plans to run the bases on Saturday to test the leg. Hes close to starting a rehab assignment. ... The Reds wore white Fourth of July caps that were made for Thursdays game. ------ ' ' '