Kritik und Lob » the Preakness.Baffert comes into the Haskel

NEW YORK -- Gary Cederstrom and Mike Winters will be the umpiring crew chiefs for this weeks wild-card games.Major League Baseball announced Monday that Cederstrom will work the plate for Tuesdays AL wild-card game between the Baltimore Orioles and Toronto Blue Jays at Rogers Centre. Cederstrom will be joined by Ted Barrett, Eric Cooper, Will Little, David Rackley and Bill Welke.Winters is the plate umpire for Wednesdays NL game between the San Francisco Giants and the New York Mets at Citi Field. His crew includes CB Bucknor, Mike Everitt, Jeff Nelson, Quinn Wolcott and Jim Wolf.Scott Barry and Mark Carlson will serve as replay officials for the wild-card games.For the Division Series, John Hirshbeck (Giants/Mets vs. Cubs), Jeff Kellogg (Dodgers vs. Nationals), Joe West (Orioles/Blue Jays vs. Rangers) and Bill Miller (Red Sox vs. Indians) will serve as crew chiefs.Wholesale Knicks Jerseys . -- Ohio States Urban Meyer has never had any issue acclimating to the biggest stages in college football. Knicks Jerseys China . Each of Houstons starters scored in double figures as the Rockets improved to 2-0 against the Spurs this season, with both victories coming on the road. They also moved within 3 1/2 games of San Antonio (22-7) for the lead the Southwest Division. https://www.cheapknicks.com/ . The Oilers come in having lost five in a row (0-4-1) and 16 of their last 20 games, dropping a 2-1 decision to the Vancouver Canucks on Tuesday. New York Knicks Store . Ibaka equaled a career high with 20 rebounds, adding four blocked shots and 15 points as the Thunder smothered the Milwaukee Bucks offence in a 92-79 victory Saturday night. Fake Knicks Jerseys . Michell Burger, a woman who lives on an estate next to Pistorius gated community, said she and her husband were awoken by the screams in the pre-dawn hours of Feb. 14 last year, when Pistorius killed Reeva Steenkamp by shooting four times through a door in his bathroom.OCEANPORT, N.J. -- Leaving Monmouth Park hours after Triple Crown winner American Pharoahs triumphant return to the races in last years Haskell Invitational, track president Bob Kulina already was thinking ahead.The guy who has been around the Jersey shore track since the early 1970s knew nothing could top the spectacle of American Pharoah: 60,000 fans standing and cheering as the champion charged down the stretch in his first race as the first Triple Crown champion in 37 years.Kulina, though, caught some racing luck for Sundays 49th running of the Haskell: Kentucky Derby winner Nyquist vs. Preakness winner Exaggerator, with Pharoah trainer Bob Baffert in the mix with American Freedom.I have to tell the truth, Kulina said this week. A year ago Sunday driving home, if you told me I was looking at this type of race the year after American Pharoahs Triple Crown and Haskell victory, I would have said `Sign me up now.Theres plenty of storylines:- The Nyquist-Exaggerator rivalry resumes. Nyquist won the first four meetings, including the Breeders Cup Juvenile and the Derby. Exaggerator ended the streak -- and any chance for another Triple Crown try -- by handing Nyquist the only loss of his career in the Preakness.- Baffert has won five of the last six Haskells and is seeking a ninth win in Monmouth Parks showcase race.- Its the first time the top three Derby finishers -- Nyquist, Exaggerator and Gun Runner- are running in the Haskell. Its the first time since 2010 that its Derby winner vs. Preakness winner.- On the local front, trainers and brothers-in-law Eddie Plesa Jr. and Jason Servis will saddle long shots Awesome Slew and New Jersey-bred Sunny Ridge. Sunny Ridge is bred and owned by Dennis Drazin, an advisor to the group that operates the track.You couldnt have asked for a better field or a greater race, Kulina said.While anticipation builds for the 1 1/8-mile Haskell, theres another race for 3-year-olds worth noting on Saturday at Saratoga Race Course -- the $600,000 Jim Dandy. The field includes Belmont Stakes winner Creator, along with one-time Derby favorite Mohaymen, who ran fourth and hasnt raced since.Nyquist was made the 6-5 morning-line favorite for the six-horse Haskell, with Exaggerator next at 5-2. The Derby winner leaves from the rail; the Preakness winner from the outside post.This will bee Nyquists first race since running third in the Preakness on May 21.ddddddddddddHe then developed an elevated white blood cell count and was returned to his home base at Santa Anita. Trainer Doug ONeill now says his colt is ready to go again.Hes doing really well. His last few works have been exceptional, ONeill said. Were coming into this race with a lot of optimism. For a six-horse field, its very deep.Nyquist, owned by J. Paul Reddam, is the reigning 2-year-old champion and has eight wins in nine career starts for earnings of $5.1 million.Exaggerator, trained by Keith Desormeaux and ridden by his brother, Kent, finished 11th in the Belmont but appears charged up again for the Haskell.His entry was a surprise since hes been training at Saratoga, with plans calling for him to run in the Jim Dandy, then the Travers on Aug. 27. The Travers could be next for Nyquist, too.Those kinds of things are always fun, Keith Desormeaux said of the rivalry. Nyquist is a top horse and its always fun to outrun top competition.ONeill called it kind of a shock when he found out Exaggerator was Haskell-bound.Hes such a hard-trying horse and a class horse. His move in the Preakness was stunning, ONeill said. Weve faced him a bunch. We respect him a ton.Look for Nyquist, under jockey Mario Gutierrez, to be on or close to the lead. Exaggerator relishes a late charge to the wire, and splashed his way to victory in the Preakness.Baffert comes into the Haskell quietly, unlike last years Pharoah Fest. American Freedom was the 3-1 third choice, coming in with wins in the Sir Barton Stakes and the Iowa Derby. Gun Runner is 4-1, Awesome Slew 15-1 and Sunny Ridge 20-1.Plesa understands what hes facing in sending out long shot Awesome Slew.I feel like David fighting Goliath in this race when you look at these horses, he said.---The field, from the rail out, is Nyquist (Mario Gutierrez, 6-5), Sunny Ridge (Nik Juarez, 20-1), Awesome Slew (Paco Lopez, 15-1), Gun Runner (Florent Geroux, 4-1), American Freedom (Rafael Bejarano, 3-1) and Exaggerator (Kent Desormeaux, 5-2).---Follow Richard Rosenblatt on Twitter at: http://www.twitter.com/rosenblattap---AP freelance writer Mike Farrell contributed to this report. ' ' '