LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Bellafina is the 2-1 morning line favorite for the 145th Kentucky Oaks after drawing the No. 4 post position in the marquee race for 3-year-old fillies at Churchill Downs.
Champagne Anyone and Restless Rider are the 6-1 co-second choices from the Nos. 10 and 14 posts of horses officially in the field for Friday’s $1.25 million race over 11/8 miles. Dunbar Road, one of two also-eligible fillies, drew 5-1 odds and would become the second choice with an opening in the 14-horse field. Jaywalk and Serengeti Empress are 8-1 co-third choices and will start from the Nos. 7 and 13 posts.
As expected, Bellafina is the favorite thanks to a 3-0 record this year and highlighted by last month’s 5¼-length victory in the Santa Anita Oaks. Trained by Simon Callaghan and ridden by Flavien Prat, the filly has six wins and a second-place finish in eight career starts and tops the Kentucky Oaks leaderboard with 132 points.
Bellafina was traveling from California and was expected to arrive at Churchill Downs on Monday after putting in her final workout at Santa Anita on Sunday. Callaghan is expected at the track on Wednesday.
RENTON, Wash. — The Seattle Seahawks acquired tight end Jacob Hollister from the New England Patriots on Monday in exchange for a conditional 2020 seventh-round draft pick.
Seattle chose not to address the tight end position in the draft last week. But the Seahawks do need depth there with Will Dissly coming off a patellar tendon tear suffered last season. The Seahawks also have Nick Vannett, Ed Dickson and Tyrone Swoopes on the roster.
Hollister appeared in eight games last season for New England and 23 over his two years with the Patriots.
OAKLAND, Calif. — Former Oakland Raiders and Seattle Seahawks kicker Sebastian Janikowski is set to retire after an 18-year career.
Janikowski spent 17 seasons with Oakland before kicking last season with Seattle after signing a one-year deal. Janikowski’s agent, Paul Healy, confirmed to The Associated Press on Monday that his client intends to retire. Janikowski, 41, told ESPN over the weekend he didn’t believe his body could handle kicking in the NFL anymore.
LUBBOCK, Texas — Texas Tech men’s basketball coach Chris Beard has signed a new contract with an average annual salary of $4.575 million through the 2024-25 season after leading the Red Raiders to their first national championship game.
The deal was announced on Monday, three weeks after the Big 12 co-champions lost in overtime to Virginia in the national title game.
It is the second year in a row that Beard, the AP national coach of the year, has been rewarded with a new contract.
The Red Raiders won a school-record 31 games this season, a year after going to the NCAA Elite Eight for the first time.
Beard has a 76-31 record in three seasons as head coach of the Red Raiders.
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Matchmaking: Tennis’s Stephens, soccer’s Altidore engaged
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Talk about matchmaking: 2017 U.S. Open champion Sloane Stephens and soccer player Jozy Altidore are engaged.
Both tweeted the news Monday, posting a photo and brief message.
Hers said: “Forever yes.” His said: “Forever starts now.”
In addition to winning a Grand Slam title 1½ years ago, Stephens was the 2018 French Open runner-up and was a member of the 2017 championship U.S Fed Cup team.
The 26-year-old American currently is ranked No. 8.
The 29-year-old Altidore has scored 41 goals in 110 international appearances since his U.S. national team debut in 2007. He has not played for the Americans since October 2017, when a loss at Trinidad and Tobago prevented them from qualifying for the 2018 World Cup.
Altidore has been with Toronto FC in Major League Soccer since 2015.
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