SPORTS
STORM CENTER: Will this be the year for a Triple Crown?
During my childhood, one of my favorite things was to watch horse racing with my grandfather.
We affectionately called him “Bumpy,” and he was very good at picking winners. He loved going to a place called OTB, which is short for off-track betting.
He also enjoyed visits to regional tracks down in New York, including Yonkers, Aqueduct, Belmont and others.
Horse racing, that’s one passion my grandfather passed down to me.
But, I haven’t been able to do much celebrating these days because the last time horse racing had a Triple Crown winner I wasn’t even six years old.
I couldn’t point to Bowie, Texas, on a map. I couldn’t string together complete sentences to write a story. I couldn’t even tie my own sneakers.
Belmont Park, located in Elmont, N.Y., has become the place for broken dreams, sullen spirits and bettors pulling out their hair. Elmont is also the home of former Dallas Cowboy and NFL quarterback Vinny Testaverde.
This weekend, the Belmont Stakes will run with a 5:50 p.m. Central Daylight Time post time. You can watch the event on your local NBC affiliate or online at NBC Sports Live Extra.
The track announcer is Larry Collmus, although my grandfather’s favorite was Fred Capossela, and his unique call became part of comedian Robert Klein’s routine in 1974.
Secretariat (with jockey Ron Turcotte aboard) holds the course record with a dazzling time of 2 minutes, 24 seconds during the 1973 event.
The field has been set for the race, with American Pharoah attempting to become the latest horse with a chance to win the coveted Triple Crown.
American Pharoah, with trainer Bob Baffert and jockey Victor Espinoza, has been installed as the favorite at 2-3 odds.
Other possibilities to win, and break everyone’s hearts, are Frosted (6-1), Materiality (13-2), Mubtaahij (14-1) and Madefromlucky (16-1). The long shot is Frammento at 40-1. Those odds were as of Friday morning, courtesy Odds Shark.
Can American Pharoah pull it off? Read more of this column in the weekend Bowie News.
American Pharoah. (Courtesy photo by Coady Photography)
Saint Jo hosted its own volleyball tournament Sept. 10-12.
In its first match, the Lady Panthers bested Sam Rayburn in a b est-of-three match 2-1 (25-11, 23-25, 25-14.) In the opener, senior Tatum Morman staked the Lady Panthers to a 4-0 lead with help from Kamron Skidmore and Olivia Johnson kills. The Lady Rebels would come back and tie the game at seven.
Savannah Hill’s kill broke serve and allowed Abby Carter to string together seven points. An ace and a Hill kill helped keep the drive alive. Hill later rolled off six points in a row, helped by two aces, to go up 23-10. Sam Rayburn broke serve but Saint Jo finished the game with a single Morman point.
Sam Rayburn came right out of the gate firing in the second game leading 4-0. A single Carter point, thrown down by a Hill block, and Hill’s four-point skein put the Lady Panthers up 8-6. Sam Rayburn tied the game at eight.
For further details, pick up a copy of Thursday’s Bowie News.
Forestburg’s volleyball team gave visiting Chico a solid test Sept. 8, but the Lady Dragons rebounded from a third-set loss to pull out the 3-1 win (25-23, 25-19, 25-27, 25-19).
The Lady Longhorns got out to a quick start with aces from freshmen Madi Wadsworth and Lacie Shotwell staking the squad to a 4-1 lead in game one. Wadsworth later broke a 4-all tie with a kill.
Addy Conway rolled off four straight points, helped by a Wadsworth kill to give Forestburg an 11-9 lead. Chico took a 16-14 lead but a Brenna Briles ace and Jocelyn Rich’s two points forced Chico into a timeout down 17-19.
The respite worked as it would be Forestburg’s last lead of game one, the Lady ‘Horns not having another serving point.
For further details, pick up a copy of Thursday’s Bowie News.
After splitting the first two games with Vernon Northside, Bowie’s volleyball team turned things out and wound with a 3-1 match win (25-17, 15-25, 25-17, 25-17).
Molly Enlow used two aces amidst a four-point string to give the Lady Rabbits a 5-1 lead in game one. Senior KP Rutherford’s pair of points extended the lead to 8-3.
Northside cut the deficit to 10-11 before Rutherford’s kill broke serve.
Bella Culwell’s point, aided by an Ellie Mowery kill, put Bowie up 13-10. Northside tied the game at 13 before Rutherford came through with another pair for a 17-14 lead. Lillie Maddox also had a deuce for a 20-15 lead and force a Lady INdian timeout.
Northside broke serve but a Sophie Maddox block and Lillie Maddox three-point string gave the squad game point at 24-16. The squads exchanged side outs to end the game.
For further details, pick up a copy of Thursday’s Bowie News.
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