HORSE RACING
Charlatan to miss Kentucky Derby
Undefeated Charlatan will miss the rescheduled Kentucky Derby this fall after being sidelined by a minor ankle issue. Trainer Bob Baffert said Saturday that the colt has a filling, or swelling, in a front ankle. As a result, Charlatan will not be ready to race in time for the Kentucky Derby on Sept. 5, but Baffert said the Preakness on Oct. 3 is a possibility. The coronavirus pandemic has forced the rescheduling of the Triple Crown series. It begins with the Belmont on June 20. Charlatan is 3-0 in his career. He won a division of the Arkansas Derby on May 2 and is currently the subject of a potential medication violation. Published reports say the colt tested positive for the Class 2 medication lidocaine after the race in Hot Springs. Baffert is awaiting results of a split sample test. If Charlatan is disqualified from his victory, he would lose the 100 qualifying points for the Kentucky Derby that went to the winner.
Honor A. P. wins Santa Anita
Honor A. P. won the $400,000 Santa Anita Derby by 2 3/4 lengths on Saturday to move into the Kentucky Derby picture. Ridden by Hall of Famer Mike Smith, Honor A. P. ran 1 1/8 miles in 1:48.97 and paid $6.40, $2.60 and $2.20. The West Coast's major prep for the Kentucky Derby was run without spectators or media at Santa Anita because of the coronavirus pandemic. Authentic returned $2.20 and $2.10, while Rushie was another 1 1/4 lengths back in third and paid $3.40 to show. Honor A. P. earned 100 qualifying points for the Kentucky Derby. That moved him into second, two points behind leader Tiz the Law, on the Derby leaderboard that determines the 20-horse field for the race.
GYMNASTICS
World champion dies at 64
Kurt Thomas, the first U.S. male gymnast to win a world championship gold medal, has died. He was 64. Thomas' family said he died Friday. He had a stroke May 24, caused by a tear of the basilar artery in the brain stem. After competing in the 1976 Montreal Olympics, Thomas won the floor exercise in the 1978 world championships in Strasbourg, France, for the first U.S. men's title. In the 1979 worlds in Fort Worth, he successfully defended the floor exercise title and won the horizontal bar. Thomas lost a chance for Olympic gold when the United States boycotted the 1980 Olympics. He then turned professional, starred in the 1985 movie Gymkata and worked as a TV commentator.
MOTOR SPORTS
Enfinger makes late run
Taking advantage of a late caution, Grant Enfinger passed local favorite Austin Hill on the final lap to win the NASCAR Truck Series race in overtime Saturday at Atlanta Motor Speedway. Hill appeared to be cruising to his first win of the year, building a 4 1/2-second lead after several miscues ruined Kyle Busch's chances of winning for the sixth time in 12 truck races in Atlanta. Suddenly, everything changed. Cup star Chase Elliott lost control on worn-out tires coming off turn 2 with three laps to go, sending all the leaders to the pits for tires and setting up a green-white-checkered finish. Hill was out front when the green flag waved, but Enfinger got a good run on the leader on the next-to-last lap, costing him some speed. Then, after taking the white flag, Enfinger slid by on the outside to take the lead for good going through turns 1 and 2. He claimed his second victory of the interrupted season, having also won at Daytona in the February opener. Busch, who led a race-high 37 laps, wound up 22nd. Pole-sitter Christian Eckes took third.