HORSE RACING
A Kentucky judge has denied Bob Baffert’s request to stay his 90-day suspension but delayed it until April 4 to allow his representatives to seek emergency relief through the state’s Court of Appeals.
Kentucky Horse Racing Commission stewards last month suspended Baffert for 90 days, fining him $7,500, and disqualified Medina Spirit for having the corticosteroid betamethasone in his system when he won the Kentucky Derby last year. Baffert’s appeal to racing officials was denied, but the suspension that was scheduled to begin March 8 was delayed pending a court hearing.
Franklin Circuit Judge Thomas Wingate said Monday that “the court understands the gravity of this ruling” on Baffert and will alleviate the impact by staying implementation of the suspension. He added, “However, absent relief from a reviewing court, the penalties imposed by Stewards Rulings 21-0009 and 21-0010 shall take effect on April 4, 2022.”
Baffert attorney Clark Brewster in a statement expressed disappointment in the court’s decision and said, “Given the importance of the matter, we intend to immediately appeal to the Kentucky Court of Appeals.”
Attorneys for Baffert have argued that the betamethasone in Medina Spirit’s system came from a topical ointment, rather than an injection, which is banned. Racing officials have said no matter the source, it is not allowed on race day.
If upheld, the suspension would begin at the tail end of the qualifying season for the Kentucky Derby scheduled for May 7 at Churchill Downs. It would effectively remove Baffert from participating in the Triple Crown, which includes the Preakness on May 21 and Belmont Stakes on June 11.
OLYMPICS
PARIS 2024: One million tickets for the 2024 Paris Olympics will be sold for 24 euros ($26.50) each with availability for all 32 sports, organizers said.
The Paris proposal to the IOC sets the basic price lower than at the 2012 London Olympics, where the 20 pounds tickets cost more than $31 at the exchange rate then.
“This is something important for us,” Paris organizing committee president Tony Estanguet said. “This is a very strong promise to offer accessibility of everyone to Olympic sports.”
A centralized global sales program unveiled by Paris Olympics organizers calls for pricing nearly half of the 10 million total tickets at no more than 50 euros ($55).
SOCCER
WORLD CUP: The Czech Republic will be without its best attacker for the World Cup qualifying playoff against Sweden after Patrik Schick was ruled out because of injury.
The striker was selected to the Czech squad last week despite having not played since Feb. 18 because of a calf problem.
Schick did not play for Bayer Leverkusen in the German league over the weekend and the Czechs say he will not be linking with the squad.
Goalkeeper Jiri Pavlenka is also out because of injury, the team said, so Milan Heca and Vaclav Jurecka have been called up as replacements.
The winner of the game between Sweden and the Czech Republic on Thursday will face Poland on March 29 for a spot at the tournament in Qatar.
Schick has 17 goals in 33 internationals so his absence is a big blow for Czech Coach Jaroslav Silhavý, whose entire first-choice defense from last year’s European Championship is not available.
• Midfielder Brenden Aaronson will miss the United States’ final three World Cup qualifiers after injuring a knee during pregame warm-ups with Red Bull Salzburg in Austria.
After Aaronson got hurt Sunday, the U.S. Soccer Federation had said he would report to the national team on Monday in Houston.
Seeking to return to the World Cup after missing the 2018 tournament, the U.S. is at Mexico on Thursday, hosts Panama three days later at Orlando, Florida, and closes at Costa Rica on March 30.
AUSTRALIA: Socceroos Coach Graham Arnold has been fined 25,000 Australian dollars ($18,500) for taking a walk on a Sydney beach while he was supposed to be self isolating after testing positive for COVID-19.
Football Australia issued a statement to confirm Arnold had breached New South Wales state COVID-19 isolation protocols after a Sydney radio station reported that the veteran manager had been out walking, unmasked, with his wife and his dog at Narrabeen on the weekend.
GOLF
MATCH PLAY: Sam Burns withdrew from the Dell Match Play one day after outlasting Davis Riley in a playoff to become a back-to-back winner at the Valspar Championship.
The 64-man field at Austin Country Club will be missing four players from the top 12 in the world ranking. Cameron Smith (6) withdrew after winning The Players Championship, Hideki Matsuyama (12) is recovering from an upper back injury and Rory McIlroy (8) previously said he plans to play the Valero Texas Open as his final event before the Masters.
Burns moved to No. 10 in the world with his victory in Florida. He was replaced in the field in Texas by Maverick McNealy. The field is determined by the world ranking from a week ago. Three players moved into the top 64 from their performance last week – Shaun Norris and Dean Burmester in South Africa, Stewart Cink at Innisbrook – but are not eligible.
DOPING
RUSSIA: Russian race walker Yelena Lashmanova has been banned for two years for doping and will be stripped of her Olympic gold medal, the Athletics Integrity Unit said.
Lashmanova won gold in the 20-kilometer race walk at the 2012 London Olympics and also at the world championships in Moscow the following year.
The ban is backdated to March 9, 2021, and all of her results between Feb. 18, 2012, and Jan. 3, 2014, have been disqualified, the AIU said.
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