Update on the latest sports
RACING-MEDINA SPIRIT-BAFFERT
Medina Spirit drug test confirmed; Baffert suspended 2 years
LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) — Bob Baffert is on track to have his record seventh Kentucky Derby victory taken away and won’t be able to run any horses in the prestigious race for the next two years.
Churchill Downs on Wednesday suspended the Hall of Fame trainer for two years after an additional drug test of Medina (meh-DEE’-nah) Spirit confirmed the presence of the steroid betamethasone in the Kentucky Derby winner’s system.
Disqualification of Medina Spirit could be next. If that happens, Mandaloun would be elevated as the winner of the Derby.
Churchill Downs says it reserves the right to extend Baffert’s suspension if he has any other violations in other states. Baffert has had five in the past 13 months.
Previously, New York banned Baffert indefinitely and prevented him from entering any horses in the Belmont Stakes.
The chairman of horse racing’s future governing body says the failed drug test of Kentucky Derby winner Medina Spirit shows the need for a uniform set of rules and penalties. In his first public comments since being appointed chairman of the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority’s board, Charlie Scheeler says making racing a safe, clean and fair sport is “quite a steep climb.”
NBA PLAYOFFS-EMBIID OUT
76ers’ Embiid to miss Game 5 with meniscus tear in knee
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid (joh-EHL’ ehm-BEED’) has a small lateral meniscus tear in his right knee and will miss Game 5 of the playoff series against the Washington Wizards. Embiid isn’t scheduled to have surgery and the Sixers will treat his injury with physical therapy. Embiid had an MRI on Tuesday and is considered day to day.
The Sixers lead the Wizards 3-1 in the first-round Eastern Conference series.
Tonight’s night’s Game 5 in Philadelphia will be in front of an expected first full house of the season.
NBA-CELTICS SHAKEUP
Stevens replacing Ainge as team president in Celtics shakeup
BOSTON (AP) — The Boston Celtics are beginning their offseason with a shakeup of the front office and coaching staff.
Team president Danny Ainge (aynj) has retired and coach Brad Stevens has moved into the front office.
The moves came the morning after Boston’s season ended with a loss to the Brooklyn Nets in Game 5 of their first-round playoff series. Boston’s staff was informed Wednesday morning.
Ainge won NBA titles with the Celtics in 1984 and ’86 and took over as the team president in 2003. He was voted the league’s top executive in 2008, when Boston won its 17th championship — a league record that has since been matched by the Los Angeles Lakers.
Ainge is the only Celtic to win a championship as a player and a general manager.
Elsewhere in the NBA:
— The Detroit Pistons have hired John Beilein (BEE’-lyn) as a senior adviser for player development. Beilein is a former coach at Michigan, where his teams made nine trips to the NCAA Tournament in his 12 seasons. The Pistons say they are counting on Beilein to help develop their young roster under head coach Dwane Casey.
COLLEGE BASKETBALL-DUKE-KRZYZEWSKI
AP source: Duke’s Krzyzewski to coach last season in 2021-22
UNDATED (AP) — A person familiar with the situation says Duke Hall of Fame basketball coach Mike Krzyzewski (shuh-SHEF’-skee) will coach his final season with the Blue Devils in 2021-22.
The person tells The Associated Press that former Duke player and associate head coach Jon Scheyer would then take over as Krzyzewski’s successor for the 2022-23 season.
The person spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because the school hasn’t commented publicly on the decision. An announcement is expected later Wednesday.
The 74-year-old Krzyzewski has led Duke to five national championships, most recently in 2015. With 1,170 victories, he is the winningest coach in men’s college basketball history.
MLB-SCHEDULE
Baez, Rizzo lead surging Cubs past Padres 6-1
UNDATED (AP) — Javier Báez lined a two-run homer, Anthony Rizzo had two doubles among three hits and the surging Chicago Cubs beat the San Diego Padres 6-1 on for their third straight win and ninth in 10 games.
Baez’s shot to the left-field bleachers was his 14th homer and third in three games, and it capped a three-run seventh that allowed Chicago to put it away.
Rizzo drove in two runs in the fifth with his first double to snap 1-1 tie and posted a second-straight multi hit game after missing the previous six with back tightness.
Elsewhere in the majors:
— Wednesday’s series finale between the Philadelphia Phillies and the Cincinnati Reds has been postponed because of rain. The game will be played on June 28, which had been an off day for both teams. The Phillies must travel to Cincinnati for the single game after a road series at New York. The Reds will tack it to the front of a six-game homestand. Rain also postponed the Cleveland Indians’ game against the Chicago White Sox. The teams will play a split doubleheader on Sept. 23.
MLB-NEWS
Nationals’ Strasburg placed on 10-day IL with neck strain
ATLANTA (AP) — The Washington Nationals have placed right-hander Stephen Strasburg on the 10-day injured list with a neck strain. The 32-year-old Strasburg flew to Washington to be examined after he complained of tightness in his shoulder and neck in Tuesday night’s 11-6 win over the Braves.
Strasburg’s injury adds more stress to an already thin Nationals rotation. Left-hander Jon Lester was to start Wednesday night’s game against the Atlanta Braves on only three days’ rest.
This is Strasburg’s second stint on the injured list this season. He was shut down from April 15 until May 21 with right shoulder inflammation.
NFL-NEWS
NFL pledges to halt ‘race-norming,’ review Black claims
UNDATED (AP) — The NFL is pledging to halt the use of “race-norming” in the $1 billion settlement of brain injury claims and to review Black claims for any potential race bias. The practice had made it harder for Black players to show a deficit and qualify for an award. Wednesday’s announcement comes after a pair of Black players filed a civil rights lawsuit over the practice and NFL families dropped 50,000 petitions at the federal courthouse in Philadelphia. Lead players lawyer Christopher Seeger says he’s sorry for any pain caused to Black players. The average award for dementia tops $500,000. A group of neuropsychologists is now studying the issue for the judge overseeing the settlement fund.
In other NFL news:
— San Francisco 49ers center Weston Richburg has retired at age 29 after a knee injury derailed his career. Richburg missed the entire 2020 season recovering from knee surgery and remained on San Francisco’s roster until now to delay some of the salary cap impact until 2021. Richburg signed a five-year, $47.5 million contract with the Niners in 2018 after spending his first four seasons with the New York Giants. He went down with a torn right patellar tendon in a Week 14 win at New Orleans in 2019 and never played another game.
— The Cincinnati Bengals have signed their remaining two draft picks, including fifth overall selection Ja’Marr Chase, a wide receiver who won the national championship at LSU with quarterback Joe Burrow. The Bengals also signed defensive end Joseph Ossai, a third-round selection. All 10 of their picks are now signed.
— The Panthers plan to move Jeremy Chinn to safety, one year after a stellar rookie season at linebacker. It’s a move designed, in part, to help prolong Chinn’s NFL career. At 220 pounds, he’s considered undersized for a linebacker and the Panthers want to keep their young star healthy.
TENNIS-FRENCH OPEN
Serena Williams advances to 3rd round
PARIS (AP) — PARIS (AP) — Serena Williams had her serve back in good working order and that helped her get back to the third round of the French Open beating Mihaela Buzarnescu 6-3, 5-7, 6-1 today.
Williams will play Danielle Collins of the U.S. for a spot in the fourth round.
It was a good day for Americans. American men John Isner, Reilly Opelka and Marcos Giron all won to get to the third round.
And, add Stevie Johnson to the parade of Americans moving into the French Open’s third round. The 31-year-old from California pulled through to win 6-3, 6-7, 7-6, 3-6, 6-3 today. Johnson will face No. 12 seed Pablo Carreno Busta for a berth in the fourth round.
In other action on Day 4:
— Stefanos Tsitsipas (SIHT’-see-pahs) will be playing in the third round for the third straight year following another straight-set win. The fifth-seeded Greek player excelled at the net and saved 11 break points to defeat solid baseliner Pedro Martinez of Spain 6-3, 6-4, 6-3.
— Alexander Zverev hit 15 aces on his way to the third round at the French Open. The sixth-seeded German beat qualifier Roman Safiullin 7-6, 6-3, 7-6 today, avoiding another lengthy battle after he was pushed to five sets in the previous round against another qualifier.
— Tenth-seeded Belinda Bencic’s campaign at Roland Garros ended with a 6-2, 6-2 loss to Daria Kasatkina.
— Kei Nishikori has gone five sets again to win at the French Open. The former U.S. Open finalist rallied past 23rd-seeded Karen Khachanov 4-6, 6-2, 2-6, 6-4, 6-4 after having also gone the distance to beat Italian qualifier Alessandro Giannessi in the first round. Nishikori next faces Swiss qualifier Henri Laaksonen, who upset 11th-seeded Roberto Bautista Agut 6-3, 2-6, 6-3, 6-2 for his first victory against a top-20 player.
— The new doubles partnership of Venus Williams and Coco Gauff didn’t go very far. The 40-year-old Williams and 17-year-old Gauff lost to 13th-seeded Ellen Perez and Zheng Saisai 6-7, 6-4, 6-3 in the first round. It marked the first time that Williams had played a Grand Slam doubles match with anyone but her sister. She and Serena Williams have won 14 Grand Slam doubles titles.
GOLF-LPGA OPEN CANCELED
CP Women’s Open canceled for 2nd year in a row
VANCOUVER (AP) — The LPGA Tour’s CP Women’s Open was canceled Wednesday because of logistical challenges and border restrictions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. The event was set for Vancouver’s Shaughnessy Golf and Country Club on Aug. 26-29. Golf Canada and Canadian Pacific said that Shaughnessy will host the 2023 event, and that CP has extended title sponsorship an additional year through 2024.
The 2000 event also was canceled.
Earlier, Golf Canada canceled the PGA Tour’s RBC Canadian Open scheduled for June 10-13 at St. George’s in Toronto.
