Sports Briefs

Seldovia takes JV Spike Fest

Seldovia won the JV Spike Fest Volleyball Tournament Saturday in Homer. Seldovia topped Homer's junior varsity 25-20, 25-17 and 25-22 in the championship game.

Chugiak's junior varsity defeated Ninilchik for third place in the tournament. The scores in that match were 25-19, 25-23, 23-25 and 25-18.

Seattle's OneWorld remains unbeaten

AUCKLAND, New Zealand -- Seattle's OneWorld Challenge navigated a day of protests and mishaps Saturday, remaining unbeaten in challenger racing in the America's Cup.

OneWorld showed impressive speed against GBR Challenge, winning in 3 minutes, 22 seconds. The British boat clipped OneWorld's stern during pre-start maneuvering and a penalty was assessed.

''We learned that OneWorld really are a polished team,'' GBR Challenge helmsman Andy Green said. ''They've been in this America's Cup game now for three or four years and they're extremely good sailors. We felt that they were a little faster than us.''

Stars & Stripes became the first American syndicate to lose, finishing 33 seconds behind Victory of Sweden.

Racing was delayed Sunday when the wind dipped below the benchmark 7 knots. Two of the previous six days of racing were lost to wind higher than the upper limit of 19 knots.

With the loss to Victory on Saturday, Stars & Stripes dropped to 2-1. Victory and Oracle of San Francisco are the leaders at 2-0. Stars & Stripes was scheduled to face Oracle on Sunday, while OneWorld had a bye.

Police: Suspect had Jordan's bank account number

CHICAGO -- A man arrested for identity theft had a bank account number for Michael Jordan and was looking for someone to pose as Jordan or his wife, police said Saturday.

Ishman Walker was arrested last month, before he was able to find an accomplice who resembled Michael or Juanita Jordan, said Sally Daly, a spokeswoman for Cook County Sheriff Michael Sheahan.

Walker was charged with felony theft and financial identity theft.

The Jordans' names and account number were found on a piece of paper in Walker's home, Daly said.

Toccet takes Champagne at Belmont Park

NEW YORK -- Toccet ran like a rocket in the stretch and pulled off a surprise victory in the $500,000 Champagne Stakes at Belmont Park on Saturday.

Finding room along the rail, Toccet shot past Icecoldbeeratreds in the final sixteenth of a mile for a 1 1/2-length win in the Grade 1 race for 2-year-olds.

Dismissed at odds of 9-1 by the Belmont crowd of 9,551, Toccet won his third straight race and positioned himself for a shot in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile at Arlington Park on Oct. 26.

Icecoldbeeratreds, trained by Bob Baffert, made a strong showing but tired in the stretch of the 1 1-16th-mile race. Baffert, who was at Santa Anita on Saturday, said he's uncertain whether Icecoldbeeratreds will move on to the BC Juvenile.

Golden Apples wins Yellow Ribbon

ARCADIA, Calif. -- Jockey Patrick Valenzuela guaranteed a victory for Golden Apples in the $500,000 Yellow Ribbon Stakes. The bay filly didn't let him down.

Golden Apples went four-wide in the stretch and beat Voodoo Dancer by one length Saturday at Santa Anita on a day loaded with Breeders' Cup implications for West Coast hopefuls.

Trainer Bob Baffert got confirmation that his 2-year-olds, Kafwain and Bull Market, will be threats in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile after they finished 1-2 in the $200,000 Norfolk Stakes. But he was disappointed with Congaree's seventh-place result in the Oak Tree Breeders' Cup Mile.

Valenzuela is 2-for-2 since riding Irish-bred Golden Apples for the first time Aug. 17 in the Grade 1 Beverly D. at Arlington Park near Chicago, where the Breeders' Cup will be held Oct. 26.

They teamed for a three-quarters-length victory in the Beverly D.

Golden Apples was at home on Santa Anita's turf course, where the 4-year-old filly has three wins and a second in four starts. She covered 1 1/4 miles in 1:59 3-5 and paid $4.80, $2.80 and $2.10.

''She ran great,'' said Valenzuela, who guaranteed the victory Thursday. ''When Voodoo Dancer came to the inside of me, Golden Apples just completely put her away in the stretch without me even getting after her.''

Voodoo Dancer returned $3.80 and $2.10, while British-bred Banks Hill was another three lengths back in third. Chilean-bred Noches De Rosa was fourth, Nepenthe was fifth and Brazilian-bred Viernes was last. The field of six carried 123 pounds each.

Banks Hill is the defending Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf champion. Trainer Ben Cecil said Golden Apples will run at Arlington; Voodoo Dancer is uncertain.

Baffert had a busy day at Santa Anita, saddling his horses and keeping a close eye on telecasts from Belmont Park in New York and Keeneland in Kentucky, where other 2-year-olds in his far-flung operation were running.

Under Victor Espinoza, Kafwain made a big run near the top of the stretch to get alongside pacesetter Bull Market. Kafwain briefly stuck his head in front at the sixteenth pole and the race was on.

''It was his first time going two turns, so I didn't want to hit it too hard,'' Espinoza said. ''I knew I was going to win the race, so I just let him run at his own pace.''

Bull Market, ridden by Mike Smith, grabbed the lead right back along the rail and the two ran neck-and-neck to the finish, covering 1 1-16 miles in 1:36 1-5.

''I felt like I put a nose in front of him, but Kafwain had momentum and came back to nip me, it was a head-bob,'' Smith said. ''But he ran dynamite. This race ought to move him forward.''

Kafwain won by a nose, tying the record for shortest margin of victory and giving Baffert his third career win in the Grade 2 Norfolk. Kafwain paid $5.80, $2.80 and $2.40. Bull Market returned $3.80 and $2.60. They were not coupled in the wagering because each has different owners.

''I loved Bull Market's race. We've been high on that horse,'' Baffert said. ''To kick back in again, that's the sign of a really good horse.''

Kafwain is owned by the estate of the late Prince Ahmed bin Salman, who died July 22 in Saudi Arabia. Bin Salman's horse, War Emblem, is set to run for the final time in the Breeders' Cup Classic before retiring to stud in Japan.

Listen Indy was another length back in third and paid $2.60 to show. The field of seven each carried 120 pounds. Trainer Richard Mandella said he would have to think about running Listen Indy in the Breeders' Cup.

Vindication, perhaps Baffert's top 2-year-old, sat out the weekend. The colt has already proven himself by going undefeated in three starts. He will run in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile.

In the $250,000 Oak Tree Breeders' Cup Mile, Night Patrol scored a nose upset over Kachamandi on the turf. The winner paid $20.20, $9 and $6.80 under Jose Valdivia Jr.

''I knew Congaree was going pretty fast but I was surprised, because when I attacked him at the quarter pole, Congaree offered no response, he just stopped,'' Valdivia said. ''When my horse made the lead, he was very, very game. He reached out and really extended himself.''

Baffert said Smith couldn't get Congaree to relax after setting the early pace.

''I'm very disappointed,'' Baffert said, adding that he didn't know if Congaree would try the Breeders' Cup Mile. ''I can't make any calls on anything. He hasn't even cooled out yet.''

Nick Canani, trainer of Night Patrol, said he would consider the Breeders' Cup Mile; second-place Kachamandi isn't Breeders' Cup eligible and won't go.

In another Breeders' Cup prep, Kalookan Queen won the $207,875 Ancient Title Breeders' Cup Handicap by a half-length over Crafty C.T.

Ridden by Alex Solis and carrying 119 pounds, Kalookan Queen covered six furlongs in 1:08 1-5. The 6-year-old horse paid $11, $4.60 and $3.60 as the first filly or mare to win since Track Gal in 1995.

Trainer Bruce Headley said Kalookan Queen won't run in the Breeders' Cup Sprint because three weeks is not enough rest.

Kona Gold carried 127 pounds in finishing second in last year's Ancient Title and then wound up seventh as the defending Breeders' Cup Sprint champion. Headley said Kona Gold will try again in this year's Sprint.

Others possible for the Sprint are Crafty C.T., Mellow Fellow (third) and Swept Overboard (fourth), who was the defending Ancient Title champion.