AUTO RACING
Cindric goes back-to-back
Austin Cindric dominated Friday night to sweep the NASCAR Xfinity Series doubleheader at Kentucky Speedway in Sparta, Ky. A night after racing to his first career oval victory in an overtime finish, the Team Penske driver was even stronger in the No. 22 Ford Mustang in the 300-mile race. Cindric was third in the first stage, won the second and stretched it out in the final segment. He trailed briefly on the final restart, then sliced through two cars out of Turn 2 and rolled to victory by 2.262 seconds over points leader Chase Briscoe in the No. 98 Ford. Just after Cindric celebrated his victory with a burnout, drivers Harrison Burton and Noah Gragson argued before throwing punches in a fight that lasted several moments before they were separated. Justin Haley was third, followed by fellow Chevy drivers Ross Chastain and Justin Allgaier. The 21-year-old Cindric, son of Team Penske President Tim Cindric, won twice last year on road courses at Watkins Glen and Mid-Ohio. On Friday night, he led the final 43 laps and 130 of 200 overall. Gragson again showed early strength in taking the 45-lap first stage, his third segment win in two nights on the 1.5-mile oval.
HOCKEY
NHL set to restart Aug. 1
Hockey became the latest sport to finalize a return during a global pandemic after NHL owners and players approved an agreement Friday to resume the season -- and with it an assurance of labor peace through September 2026. Games are scheduled to begin Aug. 1 in Toronto and Edmonton, Alberta, with coronavirus cases in the U.S. pushing the league into Canada for the summer and fall until the Stanley Cup is awarded in late September or early October. Training camps open across North America on Monday, which is also the deadline for players to opt out of participating with no penalty. The return-to-play plan, tentatively approved by the NHL and NHL Players' Association on Monday, was ratified by the league's board of governors and with majority approval from players following a three-day voting period, ending Friday. Along with it, the two sides also formally approved a four-year extension of the collective bargaining agreement.
HORSE RACING
Track placed on probation
The California Horse Racing Board on Friday put Los Alamitos on probation for 10 days while the track develops a plan to address an increase in horse deaths. The board voted 5-1 remotely in an emergency meeting to allow the Orange County track to continue racing during the probation. Commissioner Wendy Mitchell was the lone dissenter. According to the board, 19 horses have died from racing or training at the track in 2020, including eight since May 26. Los Alamitos was the only track in California allowed to continue operating during the early stages of the coronavirus pandemic. It runs night racing Friday through Sunday featuring mostly quarter horses with some thoroughbred racing mixed in. The meet from June 26-July 5, which featured strictly thoroughbreds, did not have any fatalities, the CHRB said. Hall of Famer Bob Baffert is among the trainers who keep a division of horses at Los Alamitos to train or race before sending them to Santa Anita or Del Mar.
