By Compiled from Times wires
Published May 9, 2003
The final decision is in - Kentucky Derby runner-up Empire Maker will skip the Preakness next week and return for the Belmont Stakes on June 7. After several days of hedging, trainer Bobby Frankel said owner Juddmonte Farms made the final call to keep the beaten Derby favorite out of the second leg of the Triple Crown.
"They don't want to run him back in two weeks," Frankel said Thursday from Hollywood Park.
Frankel will try to beat Derby winner Funny Cide in the Preakness with Peace Rules, third in the Derby, or rising star Midas Eyes, winner of the Derby Trial.
Without Empire Maker, the Preakness field stands at six, which would be the smallest since 1979 when Spectacular Bid won in a five-horse field.
MORE HORSES: St. John's men's basketball coach Mike Jarvis has been elected to the board of trustees for the New York Racing Association. ... Carnie's Dancer rallied to beat Drama Queen by 1 length in the $49,000 allowance feature at Belmont Park.
BOXING: Lewis sues King
Lennox Lewis claims promoter Don King made death threats against one of Mike Tyson's friends and bribed another in an effort to get Tyson to back out of a deal to fight Lewis in a heavyweight title rematch.
Attorneys for Lewis filed suit in a New York court seeking $385-million for what they said was a plot by King to snatch Tyson away from his promoters to get the ex-champion to fight for him again.
The suit claims King cost Lewis $10-million by keeping Tyson off of a June 21 fight card in Los Angeles and another $25-million by stopping him from signing a deal for an eventual rematch.
TENNIS: Kafelnikov is back
Still working his way back from a leg injury, Yevgeny Kafelnikov beat third-seeded Carlos Moya 6-4, 7-6 (7-4) to reach the Italian Open quarterfinals in Rome. Kafelnikov all but retired before having surgery in December for a circulation problem in his leg. Fourth-seeded Roger Federer breezed past Tommy Robredo 6-1, 6-1 to extend his tour-high total to 34 match wins. ... Kim Clijsters beat Fabiola Zuluaga 7-5, 6-3 to advance to the quarterfinals of the German Open in Berlin. Saddlebrook's Jennifer Capriati also advanced to the quarters with a 6-2, 6-3 victory over 17th-seeded Nathalie Dechy. ... Amy Frazier and Anna Kournikova advanced to the quarterfinals of the Cloister Cup with second-round victories on Sea Island, Ga.
SOCCER: U.S. Mexico tie
Eleven months after the United States knocked the Mexicans out the World Cup, the teams played a scoreless tie in an exhibition game in Houston. Mexico used just two players who started in the 2-0 second-round loss last June 17 in South Korea, and the Americans started just four. ... D.C. United midfielder Dema Kovalenko was suspended for one game and fined $1,000 by MLS for a tackle that broke Dallas' Ronnie O'Brien's leg. ... The final of this year's FIFA Under-17 World Championship will be played on artificial turf in Helsinki, Finland, a first in international play.
ET CETERA
BASKETBALL: Michigan State's Tom Izzo was selected to coach the U.S. men's team in the Pan American Games in August. Washington coach Lorenzo Romar and Missouri coach Quin Snyder will be assistants.
CYCLING: Jan Ullrich's team was suspended by the International Cycling Union for failing to pay its riders. The ban won't be lifted until the team provides guarantees it will meet its financial commitments for the rest of tear.
