Baze ties Pincay’s mark for overall jockey wins
Jockey Russell Baze tied Laffit Pincay Jr.’s record of 9,530 victories Thursday at Bay Meadows, winning by 4 1/2 lengths aboard Christie’s Fame in the sixth race at San Mateo, Calif.
Baze, 48, will try to break the record today, with scheduled mounts in seven races at the 72-year-old track where Seabiscuit ran.
Winter sports
Miller runs off course
Bode Miller blew his downhill lead by skiing off course in the slalom, allowing Aksel Lund Svindal of Norway to win a men’s World Cup super-combi at Beaver Creek, Colo.
“Jeff Pain won the season-opening World Cup men’s skeleton race on his home course in Calgary, Alberta, beating Russia’s Alexander Tretiakov by 0.26 seconds. American Katie Uhlaender won the first gold medal of the women’s skeleton season.
Junior hockey
WHL sweeps Russians
Team WHL beat a touring Russian side 8-1 in Kamloops, B.C., giving it a sweep of the visitors for the fourth consecutive year.
“The Vancouver Giants of the Western Hockey League acquired forward Kenndal McArdle, 19, from the Moose Jaw Warriors in exchange for forward Jason Reese, 18, and a second-round pick in the 2007 WHL bantam draft.
Gymnastics
U.S. team declines
There won’t be any American medalists at next month’s World Cup final. The United States declined its invitations for the Dec. 16-17 meet in Sao Paolo, Brazil, saying its athletes are recovering from injuries and aren’t in competition shape.
“A boy who wanted to compete on his high school’s girls team cannot sue for gender discrimination, a state appeals court ruled in Madison, Wis. The District 4 Court of Appeals upheld a judge’s dismissal of Keith Michael Bukowski’s lawsuit against the Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association.
Miscellany
Champ tests positive
WBC light flyweight champion Omar Nino tested positive for traces of methamphetamine after winning the title this month, Nevada boxing regulators said from Las Vegas.
“Kansas basketball coach Bill Self got a five-year contract extension that bumps up his annual compensation to more than $1.3 million.
“Henrik Stensen shot a 5-under-par 68 for a one-stroke lead over Jim Furyk at the Nedbank Golf Challenge in Sun City, South Africa.
Two-time Olympian Michael Phelps was disqualified for a false start during the 200-meter backstroke during the opening day of the U.S. Open Swimming Championships at West Lafayette, Ind. The day also had its positives for Phelps. He set a meet record in the 200 individual medley with his winning time of 1 minute, 59.26 seconds, along with swimming on Club Wolverine’s championship 800 freestyle relay team.