The race is on: Rachel Alexandra vs. Zenyatta is scheduled for April 9.
One day after a matchup of racing's leading ladies fell apart, the owner of Oaklawn Park in Hot Springs, Ark., worked out a compromise to match the champion females for the first time -- in the $5 million Apple Blossom Invitational on April 9.
"The race is a go," Oaklawn Park owner Charles Cella said. "This is truly a race for the ages."
The surprising turn of events came less than 24 hours after Rachel Alexandra's owner Jess Jackson said his filly was out of the 1 1/8-mile race because she would not be in peak condition by April 3. Cella said the final stroke was moving the Apple Blossom to April 9. He'd already said last week that he would raise the purse to $5 million from $500,000 if the fillies both ran.
GOLF
Johnson leads muddled event Dustin Johnson got off to a good start as the defending champion of the Pebble Beach National Pro-Am because of a phenomenal finish.
Johnson overpowered the par-5s at Pebble Beach and closed with five consecutive birdies, tying the tournament record with a 30 on the back nine. He finished with an 8-under 64 and was atop the leaderboard.
Charley Hoffman had a 6-under 64 on the Shore Course at Monterey Peninsula, the newcomer to a three-course rotation. The best round might have belonged to David Duval, who played bogey-free until the final hole for a 5-under 67 at Spyglass Hill, traditionally the toughest course of the bunch. The average score at Spyglass was 71.52, compared with 70.89 at Pebble Beach and 69.97 at Monterey Peninsula.
BOXING
Holyfield's wife claims abuse Evander Holyfield's wife claims the boxing great hit her several times after an argument about her payments to their church, and she has received a temporary protective order against him.