The Pat Summerall Classic golf tournament is still accepting teams and individuals who want to be part of the fun-in-the-sun tournament June 15 at Chenal Country Club.
An updated list of gifts was near mind-boggling.
Wilson Sports has donated more than $8,000 worth of golf equipment and other gifts, including tennis rackets for the teams finishing last. Other prizes include flat-screen TVs, gift baskets from ASU, Arkansas and UCA, use of a suite for an Arkansas Travelers game, numerous restaurant gift cards and rounds of golf at some of Arkansas' other beautiful courses.
The Arkansas Sports Hall of Fame puts on this tournament, a four-man scramble, and entry is $1,600 per team or $400 per person.
Every golfer gets a welcome bag, and every team plays with a celebrity.
The day will finish off with a cash bar, hors d'oeuvres and a talk by NFL official Walt Coleman, who is an outstanding speaker.
The Arkansas Sports Hall of Fame has an open membership. For more information on joining or to enter a team, call (501) 663-4328.
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Watching the Preakness Stakes last Saturday was very similar to watching the Rebel Stakes at Oaklawn Park earlier this year.
American Pharoah won by 6 lengths on a sloppy track at Oaklawn, going wire to wire for an easy victory.
He duplicated that in the Preakness but won by 7 lengths.
The only question surrounding American Pharoah is why is his name spelled "pharoah" instead of "pharaoh."
Owner Ahmed Zayat claims that The Jockey Club, which approves or disapproves submitted names for thoroughbreds, made the mistake, but it was later reported by a Jockey Club official that the name was submitted electronically.
Apparently the Zayats had a name-that-colt contest, and whomever suggested "American Pharoah" misspelled it and it wasn't corrected before the name was submitted.
The name met the Jockey Club's No. 1 rule, which is that names must be 17 letters or less, with spaces and punctuation marks counting as letters. It also met all 16 of the other rules, so there was no problem approving it.
The victories by American Pharoah in the Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes, after winning the Arkansas Derby, prove that some tracks made mistakes by moving their major prep races back a week this year.
This early in a 3-year-old's campaign, three weeks is usually plenty of time to get back to 100 percent. If Pharoah doesn't win the Belmont, it may be the distance of 1 1/2 miles more than running a third route race in five weeks.
Trainer Bob Baffert obviously seems to like Oaklawn's operation and its turf because he has won four of the past five Rebel Stakes and two of the past four Arkansas Derbies.
As the industry leader, it won't be surprising if more trainers don't consider the Rebel and Arkansas Derby for the prep races for their Kentucky Derby hopefuls.
Incidentally, Zayat has accepted $20 million for American Pharoah to stand stud at Coolmore Stud when his running days are over.
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Arkansas racing fans have almost taken American Pharoah as deeply into their hearts as they did Smarty Jones in 2004.
The difference might be Smarty was at Oaklawn for the entire season, instead of just flying in for the big races.
However, there is another connection for American Pharoah few know about. His mom, Littleprincessemma, is owned by Arkansans Frank Lyon Jr. and his wife.
Mares don't attract as much money in breeding as the studs, but it would stand to reason if someone wants to breed to Littleprincessemma, the price has gone up in the past few weeks.
Sports on 05/21/2015