HORSE RACING
Pharoah has timed run
For the first time since his Preakness runaway, American Pharoah was asked to do some serious exercise, and it looked like he was having fun. With trainer Bob Baffert watching, his Triple Crown contender had his first timed workout for the 147th Belmont Stakes, breezing a half-mile in 48 seconds under Martin Garcia on Tuesday morning over a fast track at sunny Churchill Downs. Garcia yelled, "Whoa, buddy, whoa!" as he pulled him up. Baffert, who arrived Monday night from California, said: "He had a lot of energy, and I really like the way he went. Today he was pretty spectacular out there. I could tell he was really enjoying it. When the horse is enjoying it, your work is done." The leggy, long-striding bay colt galloped out two extra furlongs in 12.40 and 12.80 seconds, according to clockers. His first three splits were 12.20 seconds (an eighth of a mile), 24 seconds (quarter-mile) and 35.80 seconds (three-eighths) before going a final furlong in 12.20. "I'm really happy with what he did," Garcia said. "He came back like it was nothing. He loves to run. Before, he was green and really didn't know what was going on. He's getting more mature, and he likes it. He's learning really well." Baffert was scheduled to return to California last night before backtracking to Louisville for the weekend. Baffert said the Zayat Stables' superstar will have another half-mile work on Sunday or Monday, his last serious training move for the Belmont. He is scheduled to arrive Tuesday afternoon at Belmont Park, four days before the 1-mile Triple Crown finale.
BASKETBALL
Korver's surgery today
Atlanta Hawks guard Kyle Korver will have surgery today on the right ankle he injured in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference finals. Korver went to New York on Tuesday to get a second opinion from a specialist and it was determined he'll need an operation to repair his ankle. Hawks Coach Mike Budenholzer did not say what damage Korver has in his ankle and there is no timetable for his return. The NBA's best three-point shooter in the regular season, Korver was injured when he was scrambling for a loose ball and his ankle was rolled on by Cleveland's Matthew Dellavedova. Korver made 221 three-pointers this season, helping the Hawks win 60 games and get to the conference finals for the first time since 1993-94. Korver made a three-pointer in 51 consecutive games this season. He holds the league record with 127 consecutive games.
• Houston Rockets center Dwight Howard will not be suspended for Game 5 of the Western Conference finals against the Golden State Warriors after the NBA decided to uphold his flagrant 1 foul. NBA President of Basketball Operations Rod Thorn says in a statement Tuesday night that Howard was trying to free himself from Andrew Bogut when Howard "recklessly hit him in the face with an open hand." Thorn says the contact was deemed unnecessary by game officials and the league doesn't "see a reason to modify that call." Howard received a flagrant 1 foul early in the third quarter after throwing an elbow at Bogut's head after the Warriors center made contact with him. Howard could have been suspended for tonight's game by accumulation of flagrant foul points if the NBA upgraded it to a flagrant 2. The Warriors lead the series 3-1.
• Milwaukee officials, leaders of the Wisconsin state Legislature and the president of the Milwaukee Bucks all said Tuesday they're close to reaching a deal to pay for a new $500 million arena for the NBA team. The goal is to announce a deal today, said Rep. John Nygren, co-chairman of the Legislature's budget-writing committee. Nygren's committee is finalizing the state budget this week and intends to include a Bucks financing component. Talks have been ongoing for months to come up with a way to pay for the arena that's part of a planned $1 billion entertainment district in downtown Milwaukee. Without a new stadium by 2017, the NBA has said it will buy back the team and relocate it. No one has said publicly what the terms of any deal would look like. But Assembly Speaker Robin Vos said after Tuesday's meeting that the state's contribution would be "significantly less" than the $220 million Gov. Scott Walker initially proposed in January. Republicans in control of the Legislature have said they want the state portion to be only around $150 million. Current and former Bucks owners have committed $250 million for the new arena, with the city and county putting in the remaining $30 million. There is no concrete funding proposal from the county, while the city has come up with about an $18 million package and argued it's already spent millions getting the proposed site ready for construction.
FOOTBALL
9 gone from Chiefs' OTA
The Kansas City Chiefs kicked off the third phase of the offseason workout program Tuesday with the first set of voluntary organized team activities, with nine players missing. The biggest name absent from the practice field didn't come as a surprise. All-Pro outside linebacker Justin Houston, who has yet to sign a non-exclusive franchise tender, was not present as he seeks a long-term contract. The 26-year-old Houston also did not report April 20 for the start of the offseason workout program, following the same path he took in 2014 while entering the final year of his contract. That missed time a year ago didn't hurt Houston, who went on to a third consecutive Pro Bowl selection after establishing a franchise-record and league-high 22 sacks.
• The California Highway Patrol has released audio from the 911 call that led to the arrest of NFL defensive end Ray McDonald on suspicion of child endangerment and domestic violence. A woman, who is identified as the mother of the alleged victim, tells a dispatcher that McDonald is drunk during a 911 call about 5:41 a.m. Central on Monday. McDonald was later arrested at a San Jose, Calif., home on suspicion of assaulting a woman who was holding the couple's baby. The caller says she wasn't at the home but that her daughter told her to call police, according to the recording. Later in the day, the Chicago Bears released McDonald. The arrest follows a pattern of similar incidents. McDonald's agent, Tom Condon, has not returned multiple calls seeking comment.
BASKETBALL
Lawyers hired to investigate mistreatment
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — The University of Illinois hired a Chicago law firm Tuesday and asked it to launch a second investigation into accusations of mistreatment made by the parents of former women’s basketball players.
The investigation will be handled by Pugh, Jones & Johnson, and will focus on accusations that Coach Matt Bollant and now-former assistant coach Mike Divilbiss verbally abused players and created racial tension on the team, university spokesman Robin Kaler said.
Those allegations were initially investigated by the school, which said no laws or university or NCAA policies were violated.
Chancellor Phyllis Wise, the top official at the Urbana-Champaign campus, and Athletic Director Mike Thomas made the decision to bring in the law firm “because of the seriousness of the allegations,” Kaler said.
“They are serious and we have decided to bring in an external firm to continue and finalize the preliminary review,” she said.
Wise would not comment, and Thomas could not be reached for comment.
The decision follows a letter last week signed by the families of the three players who made the initial complaints and four more who said they objected to the university’s initial, internal investigation. At least one family has said it may take legal action.
Players’ families on Tuesday either declined comment or did not return calls from The Associated Press.
Accusations that women’s basketball coaches pressured one of the players, Taylor Gleason, to play with a broken toe and that another, Jacqui Grant, was pressured to play through mononucleosis are being investigated separately by another law firm that is also looking at the football program. Former offensive tackle Simon Cvijanovic has accused football Coach Tim Beckman and some staff members of pressuring him to play hurt and misleading him about an injury.
The university isn’t sure when either investigation will be completed, Kaler said.
Divilbiss left the university earlier this month in what it described as a mutual agreement.
Sports on 05/27/2015