By JENNA FRYER
AP Auto Racing Writer
CONCORD, N.C. (AP) – In a race built on brave, bold moments, Kyle Busch used one to win NASCAR's annual All-Star race and its $1 million prize.
Busch used an aggressive three-wide pass for the lead Saturday night to take the All-Star event for the first time.
"It was now or never," Busch said.
Although the race does not count in the standings, it was Busch's first Cup victory of the season and first at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Busch also won the Truck Series race Friday night, but the victory Saturday was the first time he's ever been to victory lane at Charlotte in a Cup car.
His winning ways in lower divisions often gives fans a sour taste, but Busch was cheered as he excitedly pumped the checkered flag.
"I think they were just glad to see a new winner," he joked.
Busch dove low around Brad Keselowski and Jimmie Johnson on the restart to take the lead on the final 10-lap sprint. This year's format pitted 10 drivers against each other for 10 final laps with the money on the line.
"I wouldn't take anyone else but Kyle Busch on a restart," said crew chief Adam Stevens.
Clean air was the difference and Busch was untouchable once out front.
"We have never won in Charlotte in a Cup car and we finally did that," Busch said from victory lane. "We won a million dollars. There is reason to celebrate big. We are relieved, eluded and excited."
Kyle Larson, winner of the first two 20-lap segments and the clear car to beat, finished second. He was stymied by a slow final pit stop that prevented him from restarting as the leader.
"My pit crew has been awesome all year. We came down pit road the leader and three people passed up. That was pretty much the difference," Larson said. "With 10 laps, track position is huge and we just didn't have it at the end. We had the best car out there for sure."
He was highly disappointed and said finished second "sucks (expletive)."
Johnson won the second segment to advance, but let the win get away on the restart for the finale.
"I drove too hard," Johnson said. "I saw a million dollars out the windshield and I drove too hard."
NASCAR, Charlotte track president Marcus Smith and Goodyear officials hoped the introduction of a "bonus tire" would liven the race. The idea was that the softer tire - which was faster - could be used once at any time during the race.
Ryan Blaney and Daniel Suarez, who both raced their way into the event in an earlier qualifier Saturday, along with Chase Elliott, winner of the fan vote, all opened the race with the softer tires. It made little difference as the first segment was more like a 20-lap parade, with little action and Larson leading flag to flag.
The mandatory pit stops after the segment were a disaster for Matt Kenseth, who developed an oil leak and went to the garage.
Martin Truex Jr. was among the five drivers who took the softer tires on the pit stop, but a penalty by his team sent him to the rear of the field for the start of segment two. The softer tires had minimum influence, and no one had anything for Larson anyway. He again led the entire segment, then took his softer tires for the third segment.
Larson wasn't the leader at the start of the second segment because Clint Bowyer and Blaney took only two tires on the pit stop to jump to the lead. Bowyer's was a gamble because he had the softer tires on his car already, and the rule required that all four softer tires be put on the car at once.
In making just a two-tire stop, Bowyer found himself with a pair of primary tires and a pair of soft tires. NASCAR had to decide if that was legal, which it was because Bowyer had placed the four soft tires on at the same time.
"I read the entry blanks and everything before I got here, and it's not in there," said crew chief Mike Bugarewicz.
The move didn't work and Bowyer plunged into the field, and he failed to advance into the final round. Blaney couldn't hold the lead either and Johnson won the stage to earn the automatic berth into the finale.
Meanwhile, Keselowski had planned to use the softer tires in the third segment, but developed a vibration during the caution period. His team took the tires off, intending to use them in the final segment, but NASCAR refused. The tires had to be brand new when put on the car, and NASCAR ruled that even used only under caution, the tires were no longer allowed.
Larson and Johnson locked in the first two spots in the finale as stage winners, and Busch, Kevin Harvick, Kurt Busch, Jamie McMurray, Denny Hamlin, Keselowski, Elliott and Joey Logano rounded out the final 10. They earned the spots based on average finishing position.
Johnson won the race off pit, Keselowski stayed out on old tires, and Kyle Busch pounced on the restart. No driver in the final segment used the softer tires.
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More AP Auto Racing: racing.ap.org
By BETH HARRIS
AP Racing Writer
BALTIMORE (AP) – Cloud Computing caught Classic Empire in the final strides Saturday to win the Preakness by a head.
The 13-1 long shot was one of five fresh horses in the race that didn't run two weeks ago in the Kentucky Derby.
Derby winner Always Dreaming and Classic Empire dueled for most of the race before Classic Empire stuck his nose in front midway on the far turn. It looked as if Classic Empire would go on to win, but Cloud Computing ran him down on the outside.
Always Dreaming faded to eighth in the 10-horse field on a cool and cloudy day at Pimlico. A record crowd of 140,327 was on hand.
Ridden by Javier Castellano, Cloud Computing ran 1 3/16 miles in 1:55.98 and paid $28.80, $8.60 and $6. It was just the dark brown colt's fourth career start, the fewest of any horse in the race, and only his second win.
Classic Empire returned $4.40 and $4, and 31-1 shot Senior Investment was another 4 3/4 lengths back in third and paid $10.20.
New York-based trainer Chad Brown earned his first victory in a Triple Crown race. Castellano won for the second time. He rode Bernardini to victory in the 2006 Preakness.
Castellano comes from a racing family, with a father, uncle and brother who have been jockeys.
"We've been working for a long time for this moment," he said. "It's great for the family."
The 142nd Preakness had been billed as a match race between Always Dreaming and Classic Empire, and it was from the start.
They broke out of the starting gate next to each other and the fight was on. Always Dreaming took a slight lead with Classic Empire on his flank.
Meanwhile, Cloud Computing was back in third as Castellano watched the duel unfold in front of him.
Always Dreaming was the first to throw in the towel, surrendering the lead to Classic Empire midway around the final turn.
"We didn't have an excuse," said Todd Pletcher, who trains Always Dreaming. "We were in a position we expected to be, and I think the turnaround was a little too quick. He ran so hard in the Derby and today just wasn't his day."
Always Dreaming lost for the first time in five races this year. He'd won his first four by a combined 23 1/4 lengths.
Classic Empire and Julien Leparoux went into the stretch with three-length lead, seemingly on his way to the winner's circle.
At that point, trainer Mark Casse thought he was headed there, too.
"Of course," he said. "But I thought I was going to win a lot of times before, so it doesn't shock me."
But Classic Empire also paid a price for putting away Always Dreaming. Classic Empire fought on to the finish line, but couldn't hold off a fresh horse in Cloud Computing.
"Certainly I'm not going to dispute the fact that I brought in a fresh horse as part of our strategy," Brown said. "Our horse is very talented, too. Classic Empire and Always Dreaming are two outstanding horses, and our strategy was, if we are ever going to beat them let's take them on two weeks' rest when we have six (weeks), and it worked."
After Cloud Computing ran third in the Wood Memorial, Brown and the owners decided the colt would benefit from skipping the traffic-choked conditions in the 20-horse Kentucky Derby. He was coming into the Preakness after a six-week break.
The victory was especially sweet for co-owner Seth Klarman, who grew up a few blocks from Pimlico. He turns 60 on Sunday. He and William Lawrence have been buying and racing horses together since 2006.
Klarman, who races as Klaravich Stables, is a minority owner of the Boston Red Sox.
Lookin At Lee, the Derby runner-up, was fourth. Gunnevera was fifth, followed by Multiplier and Conquest Mo Money. Hence was ninth and Term of Art last.
By The ACC
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. (theACC.com) – No. 3 seed North Carolina scored six runs in the first inning and never looked back as the Tar Heels earned an 8-4 win over No. 6 seed Syracuse in the last quarterfinal of the 2017 ACC Softball Championship at North Carolina’s Anderson Stadium.
Six Tar Heels combined for North Carolina’s seven hits on the night. Brittany Pickett earned the win for the Tar Heels while pitching the complete game and striking out seven on the night.
The Tar Heels didn’t waste any time getting runs on the board and scored six in the bottom of the first inning.
Syracuse’s Faith Cain made it 6-1 with a solo home run in the top of the second. The Orange added another run when Alicia Hansen doubled to right and drove Jessica Heese home to make it 6-2 in the top of the third.
Pickett, a National Freshman of the Year finalist, jacked her 12th homer of the season to push the Tar Heels’ lead to five runs, 7-2, in the bottom of the third.
The game was delayed due to severe weather in the area in the middle of the fourth inning. The delay lasted 72 minutes before play resumed at 10:10 p.m.
Once play resumed, the Tar Heels added one to the ledger in the bottom of the fifth to go ahead 8-2 before Syracuse’s short-lived rally in the top of the seventh.
Friday’s semifinal games include No. 1 seed Florida State against No. 5 seed Notre Dame at 1 p.m., and No. 3 seed North Carolina versus No. 7 seed NC State at 3:30 p.m. Both games will air on the ACC’s Regional Sports Networks, while Saturday’s title game will be carried live on ESPN.
NORTH CAROLINA QUOTES
UNC head coach Donna Papa on playing again after almost two weeks off and opening with a six-run first inning:
“I think they were really focused coming out. They were kind of hungry because we haven’t played in almost two weeks. We really stressed keeping everything simple and having fun and that’s what we did. We were really loose and it showed when we went up to the plate. It was a great way to start – when you start with that many runs in the first inning, your pitchers can relax a little bit, your defense can relax a little bit and if there were any nerves, it helps you get through that.”
Papa on the benefits of hosting the ACC Tournament and of playing after the end of exams
“We’ve been pretty successful playing at home, so it’s very advantageous. They can sleep in their own beds. Families are around and they have a little more free time in the day because they’re not coming from class. I think it’s a big advantage to be at home.”
Papa on advancing to face NC State on Friday
“State is a very good hitting team and I think we’re a good hitting team so it’s going to be a great battle. You’ve got four teams left now that can see the light at the end of the tunnel. Dean Smith always said, “Survive and advance,” and that’s really what you’re doing this time of year. You play one game at a time. You can’t look ahead at all.
UNC freshman pitcher Brittany Pickett on the benefits of playing at home
“We’re here, we get to sleep in our own beds. We’re comfortable here, knowing this is our place.”
UNC sophomore catcher Katie Bailiff on the break between the end of the regular season and the start of postseason play
“Having those two weeks to take exams and have a few days off really helped us prepare and get rested.”
SYRACUSE QUOTES
Opening Statement from Head Coach Mike Bosch:
“Obviously we got ourselves behind the first inning. We got behind 6-0 – that’s a big uphill battle to climb at that point with a lot of game left. I thought we chipped away and held them there, but those six runs were too much to come back from.”
Bosch on if he thought the team played well after the first inning:
“After the first inning, it was 4-2. We had four runs and they had two. The game is seven innings. The first inning we came out and walked a couple people. We tried a pitching change. The pitching change didn’t help. The movement wasn’t there and they 8-9 batters got a couple RBI for them. Once our pitching settled in a little bit, our offense had to pick it up after that. Unfortunately, only four after that. Our kids competed. They could have rolled over a little bit and got down on themselves after that first inning, but I thought that they competed hard after that first inning.”
Bosch on the season as a whole:
“I thought our season was another step forward for us. I thought we became more competitive. Obviously our win total was the best we’ve had in five years. I think the program is in an upward movement meaning that I’ve seen good things from where we’ve gone in the last two years, and I think next year will be another step forward for us. That’s where you want to go. You want to keep improving as a program and I think that’s what we did this year. I think the foundation is set for a pretty good 2018.”
By BETH HARRIS
Associated Press
LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) – A trainer and jockey accustomed to success. A headstrong horse with a mind of its own. Together, they harnessed their collective talents to win the Kentucky Derby.
Always Dreaming splashed through the slop for a 2 3/4-length victory Saturday, giving Todd Pletcher and rider John Velazquez their second victories in the race but their first together.
The New York-based duo has teamed up often over the years and is the sport's leading money winners. On their own, they were a combined 2 for 63 coming into America's greatest race.
Joining forces, they were unbeatable on a cool and rainy day at Churchill Downs.
"We have had a great relationship for a long time now, and we have won a lot of races together," Pletcher said. "This is the one we wanted to win together."
Sent off at 9-2 odds, Always Dreaming made it the fifth straight year that a Derby favorite has won, equaling the longest stretch since 1892-1896.
He was followed across the finish line by a pair of long shots: 33-1 Lookin At Lee and 40-1 Battle of Midway.
Always Dreaming ran 1 1/4 miles in 2:03.59 on the first off-track since Orb won in 2013. He paid $11.40, $7.20 and $5.80.
"This is the best horse Todd and I have ever come to the Kentucky Derby with," Velazquez said. "Being behind me for 24 years together, a long time for him to still trust in me and give me the opportunity, it's not very often it happens in this business."
Lookin At Lee returned $26.60 and $18.20, while Battle of Midway was another five lengths back in third and paid $20.80 to show.
Pletcher won his first Derby in 2010 with Super Saver; Velazquez won the following year with Animal Kingdom.
Rarely one to show his emotions, Pletcher admitted being teary-eyed behind his sunglasses.
Going into his 17th Derby, Pletcher saddled the post-time favorite for the first time. Much had been made of his 1 for 45 Derby record.
"It's becoming a little more respectable now," said Pletcher, whose 48 starters tied D. Wayne Lukas for the most in Derby history. "It felt like I really needed that second one."
Velazquez used his colt's speed out of the gate to get good position early in a chaotic start that saw several horses, including McCraken and Classic Empire, banged around. He steered Always Dreaming into an ideal trip behind pacesetter State of Honor, with mud flying in all directions on a surface that resembled creamy peanut butter.
"We got wiped out at the start. McCraken came and nearly knocked us," said Mark Casse, who trains Classic Empire. "The track is impossible."
On the final turn, Always Dreaming took command as State of Honor faded. Despite chasing a quick early pace, Always Dreaming was still full of run. No other horses threatened him down the stretch and Velazquez furiously pumped his right arm as they crossed the finish line.
"I got a good position with him early and then he relaxed," Velazquez said. "When we hit the quarter pole, I asked him and he responded. He did it himself from there."
Pletcher had his hands full in the days leading up to the Derby when the colt's behavior was less than a dream.
He was fractious in the morning, refusing to relax.
"I was nervous watching him gallop," the trainer said.
Turns out the dark brown colt knew best.
He channeled his aggression into a determined effort on a track turned into goo by on and off rain before the race.
"I think he really came in here and knew it was game time, and he was ready to go," Pletcher said. "The most important thing to do is bring the best horse to the Derby, and that's what we were able to do."
Always Dreaming earned his fourth straight victory, proving that his five-length win in the Florida Derby was no fluke.
By winning the Derby, he accomplished something his sire Bodemeister couldn't do. Bodemeister finished second in the 2012 race.
The victory was worth $1,635,800.
Always Dreaming's primary ownership is comprised of Brooklyn Boyz Stables and Teresa Viola, whose Brooklyn-born husband Vincent owns the NHL's Florida Panthers.
"There's no feeling like this," Vincent Viola said.
Classic Empire finished fourth, followed by Practical Joke, Tapwrit, Gunnevera, McCraken, Gormley and Irish War Cry. Hence was 11th, followed by Untrapped, Girvin, one-eyed Patch, J Boys Echo, Sonneteer, Fast And Accurate, Irap, and State of Honor.
Pletcher also trains Tapwrit and Patch.
Thunder Snow, the Dubai-based entry, didn't finish. He broke poorly out of the starting gate and began bucking. He was caught by the outrider and walked back to the barn on his own.
By GARY B. GRAVES
AP Sports Writer
LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) – Left without a horse in the Kentucky Derby, Bob Baffert sought to make the most of his lone entry in the Kentucky Oaks.
Abel Tasman rewarded the Hall of Fame trainer with a surprising victory that made Baffert and son Bode strike a pose in celebration.
Abel Tasman rallied from last and charged late to win the Oaks by 1 1/4 lengths Friday and give Baffert the victory with his lone entrant in the weekend marquee races at Churchill Downs.
As Miss Sky Warrior charged past favorite Paradise Woods through the far turn, Abel Tasman and Daddys Lil Darling also began making their moves on the sloppy track. Abel Tasman got clear in the stretch to win the $1 million race for 3-year-old fillies and make up for her distant second to Paradise Woods in the Santa Anita Oaks.
"About halfway down the backside, man, she got it all together and she made it up quick," jockey Mike Smith said as the filly was draped in a garland of pink lilies. "I knew we were alive then, and once we straightened up it was a matter of keeping her held together, staying busy and she did it all."
Celebratory dabs from the Bafferts soon followed.
"That was just a release," the trainer joked. "We don't dab for every stakes race."
The Bafferts' impromptu gesture was fitting, considering Abel Tasman was far back at one point before regrouping to reshuffle the running order in the 14-horse field entering the stretch.
The Kentucky-bred bay filly also had to atone for losing by 11 lengths to Paradise Woods at Santa Anita last month. That filly's dominating performance offset a relatively short resume compared to several of her challengers and made her the even-money choice.
Baffert himself praised Paradise Woods earlier this week and agreed that she was the filly to beat, though also he liked his horse's chances as well with Smith aboard. Abel Tasman and Farrell were the co-third choices at 5-1.
Smith credited blinkers with improving Abel Tasman's focus, which showed as she overcome the slow start, rain and mud flying in her face. Once she got clear in the middle by the eighth pole, her second Grade 1 win and fourth career victory in seven starts was assured.
"That stretch was so long here and I thought it was going to be forever to get the finish line," said Baffert, who also credited Smith's handling. "It (winning) never gets old. It's exciting, especially when you're not the heavy favorite to sneak in there and win one like that."
Abel Tasman ran 1 1/8 miles in 1:51.62 and paid $20.40, $9.20 and $6.40.
Daddys Lil Darling returned $11 and $6.60, and Lockdown paid $18.40.
Paradise Woods and Miss Sky Warrior, the 9-2 second choice, finished 11th and eighth, respectively.
"She just wasn't herself today," said Paradise Woods' jockey, Flavien Prat. "She never ran on a sloppy track before and she didn't run good today, so maybe that had something to do with it."
By BETH HARRIS
AP Racing Writer
LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) -- Classic Empire has been made the early 5-1 favorite for the Kentucky Derby, with just four of the 20 horses listed at single digits.
The colt will break from the No. 14 post on Saturday. Just two horses have won the Derby out of there. The last was Carry Back in 1961.
Trained by Mark Casse, Classic Empire won the Arkansas Derby and was last year's champion 2-year-old.
Always Dreaming and McCraken are the co-second choices at 5-1. Trained by Todd Pletcher, Always Dreaming drew the No. 5 post, which has produced nine Derby winners, most recently California Chrome in 2014. Blue Grass Stakes winner McCraken will break from the No. 15 hole.
Irish War Cry is listed at 6-1 odds and drew the No. 17 post. No horse has ever won from that post.
By HANK KURZ Jr.
AP Sports Writer
RICHMOND, Va. (AP) -- Joey Logano smiled as if he'd stolen something and got away with it, and that wasn't far from the truth.
Logano passed distracted and dominant Penske Racing teammate Brad Keselowski on one restart and then pulled away on another with about 20 laps to go to win the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race at Richmond International Raceway on Sunday.
"We were just fast enough to break through and kind of steal a win," Logano said. "We had a decent car. We were in the lead when the caution came out there and we looked like we were in pretty good shape, and then, obviously, to have the good pit stops and all that, I don't know if you'd call that stealing. We didn't get lucky. We were able to just do what we know how to do."
Logano, who qualified fifth but had to start 37th after making a transmission change, grabbed the lead when Keselowski had to make a defensive move to keep Kyle Busch from passing him on the inside. His 18th career victory came in his 300th career start.
"I was driving my guts out out there," Logano said in Victory Lane. "That's all I had. We won with a car that may not have been a winning car, so that's something to be very proud of as a team. That means the execution was there and we were able to put ourselves in position to race there hard at the end. Brad was the fastest car. He was so fast."
Keselowski got stuck behind some slower cars on the final restart, letting Logano pull away by nearly 2 seconds.
"I think what we needed was about 10 more laps," Keselowski said. He led six times for 110 laps
On the final restart, Logano had to get around Kyle Larson and five others who stayed on the track when everyone else pitted. He made quick work of that challenge and pulled away while Keselowski and Denny Hamlin got caught in traffic dueling for the second position.
"That's part of how this racing deal works, and the fastest car doesn't always win," Keselowski said.
Keselowski, who had the dominant car for the second half of the race, held on for second, followed by Hamlin, Ricky Stenhouse Jr. and Kevin Harvick. Dale Earnhardt Jr., in his first race since announcing he will retire at the end of the season, finished 30th.
"We just didn't have the speed that the other cars had," a frustrated Hamlin said. "We finished right where we should have."
Ryan Newman, Jimmie Johnson and Dale Earnhardt Jr. all took a chance when the rest of the field started making green-flag stop with about 80 laps to go. The three stayed out hoping for a caution flag that would allow them to get new tires and remain up front.
Johnson eventually pitted, and then he brought about the caution when he side-swiped Earnhardt into the wall in the backstretch, making the gamble pay off for Newman, who was likely to be passed shortly thereafter by the hard-charging Keselowski.
"I just have to try to figure out if I just didn't hear it being told to me or if it wasn't told to me," Johnson said. "I just feel terrible, obviously. Man, I'm surprised our cars even kept rolling after that because I just body slammed him into the wall and I could have easily not heard the clear or something else happened. I don't know, but that's the last thing you want to have happen with a teammate."
Newman couldn't cash in, however, failing to be a factor at the end and finishing 7th.
Pole-sitter Matt Kenseth led the first 163 laps, winning Stage 1, and raced in the top 10 until a flat tire with 35 laps to go.
NO SMILE FROM KYLE
Kyle Busch was fuming after NASCAR flagged him for a commitment line violation with 22 laps to go, dropping him to the back of the field. It was his second penalty of the day following an earlier one for speeding entering the pits. That also put him to the back of the field, and he'd finally made it back into contention when the second one ruined his day. He finished 16th.
MIXED BAG
Richmond moved the race from its typical Saturday night start time to Sunday afternoon, with mixed results.
"The day race changes this track dramatically, and I think it makes it really racy," Keselowski said. '"'I think it's great. I think some of the best racing here is during the day, but it's hot and I know it's hard for some of the fans to be up in the stands and go through all that."
With temperatures in the low 90s, the crowd was sparse.
UP NEXT
The series goes from one extreme to the other as it follows back-to-back short track events with a restrictor plate race at 2.66-mile Talladega Superspeedway in Alabama.
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