Mackey mushes ahead of the storm

Lance Mackey remained in the lead Tuesday in the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race as his team turned in the direction of Nome -- and the end of the 1,100-mile trail -- but it was Mother Nature that controlled the race.

Sebastian Schnuelle and John Baker were still hours behind Mackey, but ahead of a storm that trapped other mushers farther back on the trail.

Thirteen mushers, including four-time champions Jeff King and Martin Buser, were holed up at the checkpoint in Shaktoolik, stopped by 40 miles-per-hour winds and wind chill colder than 50 below. Temperatures were expected to be even colder Tuesday night.

Mushers Aaron Burmeister and 2004 winner Mitch Seavey spent the night in a shelter cabin but were back on the trail Tuesday afternoon, moving with another pod of mushers toward the Koyuk checkpoint, 48 miles away from Shaktoolik.

Mackey arrived at the checkpoint in Golovin, less than 100 miles from the finish line in Nome, and continued on his way.

Sixty-seven teams began the race more than a week ago in Willow, about 50 miles north of Anchorage. Nine teams have either scratched or been withdrawn.

Senator proposes Maryland buy Preakness from owner The state of Maryland should consider building a thoroughbred course and running the Preakness Stakes itself if the current bankrupt owner tries to sell the storied -- and lucrative -- race to an out-of-state track, state Senate President Thomas V. Mike Miller said Tuesday morning.

"Maybe we can build our own racetrack," said Miller, who called the idea a "last-ditch" effort but one that might be necessary to preserve the state's horse racing legacy. "Those that want to throw history under the bus, in my opinion, ought to be thrown under the bus themselves," Miller said.

Mexican defender suspended FIFA suspended Mexican national team defender Rafael Marquez for two matches for unsportsmanlike behavior during the Feb. 11 United States-Mexico match, in which he kicked U.S. goalkeeper Tim Howard in the leg.

Marquez, who plays for Barcelona in the Spanish league, will have to sit out Mexico's March 28 World Cup qualifying match against Costa Rica and the April 1 matchup with Honduras.

• William Gallas scored a disputed goal on a header with five minutes remaining to give Arsenal a 2-1 victory over Hull in London and a berth against Chelsea in the FA Cup semifinals on April 18. Manchester United faces Everton the following day at Wembley in the other semifinal.

Hull manager Phil Brown said referee Mike Riley blew the call, arguing that Gallas was offside, and replays supported his claim.

Cycling: Cyclist Kurt Hovelijnck is in intensive care with a skull fracture after crashing during a training run. Team Quick Step says the Belgian rider was in "unstable" condition Tuesday after being rushed to a hospital in nearby Ghent.

Colleges: Former Green Bay Packers linebacker George Koonce is the new athletic director at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. Koonce, 40, is currently a senior associate athletic director at Marquette. He will replace longtime UW-Milwaukee athletic director Bud Haidet.