SPORTS - Pinotti in pink as HTC win Giro team time-trial (AFP)

SPORTS - Pinotti in pink as HTC win Giro team time-trial (AFP)

AFP/File – Rafael Nadal has won five French Open titles in the last six years, seven Monte Carlo Masters titles …

by Barnaby Chesterman Barnaby Chesterman – Sat May 7, 10:17 pm ET

ROME (AFP) – Revenge is very likely to be on the cards when the Rome International begins on Sunday in the last big event ahead of the French Open later this month.

Ahead of the Madrid semi-finals on Saturday, world number one Rafael Nadal was comfortably the man of the moment.

He had won his last 36 matches on clay, five French Open titles in the last six years, seven Monte Carlo Masters titles in a row, six out of seven in Barcelona and five out of six at the Rome Masters.

He has won 31 titles on clay -- a record -- and is unbeaten on the surface for almost two years.

Nadal is the reigning champion in Rome where he has only lost once, to Juan Carlos Ferrero in 2008.

On top of that he is top of the ATP rankings and won three out of the four Grand Slam events last season.

And yet he has been overshadowed this year by the world number two, Serbia's Novak Djokovic.

It is Djokovic who claimed the opening Grand Slam of the year in Australia and he followed that up by defeating Nadal in the finals of both the Indian Wells and Miami Masters.

What's more, in both he came back from a set down to upset the world number one.

In fact, Djokovic has yet to taste the bitter pill of defeat this season, going 30 matches without loss.

That puts him third on the all-time list of unbeaten starts to a season behind John McEnroe (44) and Bjorn Borg (33).

Should Madrid continue to go to form then the top two seeds would meet in the final and one of them would lose his unbeaten record this season -- Nadal's on clay and Djokovic's overall.

And that would set things up nicely for Rome where either the Spaniard or the Serb would be looking for revenge.

However, there are two other factors that cannot be ignored.

The first is former world number one Roger Federer, now having to get used to life not just in Nadal's shadow but also Djokovic's.

Federer has only one title this year, in Doha in January, but as long as he continues playing, he will always be a danger.

Spaniard David Ferrer who won the claycourt title in Acapulco and reached the finals in Monte Carlo and Madrid where his old nemesis Nadal beat him.

He was also the runner-up to Nadal here last year. Ferrer has not beaten Nadal on clay since their first ever meeting in Stuttgart in 2004 although he did beat his compatriot at the Australian Open earlier this year.

The women's event, as ever, should be far more open with French Open champion Francesca Schiavone, the second seed, and world number one Caroline Wozniacki both suffering early defeats in Madrid.

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SPORTS - Vidmar steps down as US chef de mission for 2012 (AP)

SPORTS - Vidmar steps down as US chef de mission for 2012 (AP)

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SPORTS - Weaver: 6 innings, no Ks in 4-3 loss to Indians (AP)

SPORTS - Weaver: 6 innings, no Ks in 4-3 loss to Indians (AP)

AP – Boston Celtics' Rajon Rondo hits the floor after being tripped during the first quarter of Game 3 of …

– Sat May 7, 10:19 pm ET

BOSTON – Boston Celtics point guard Rajon Rondo dislocated his left elbow in Saturday night's playoff game after crashing to the court in a tangle with Miami Heat guard Dwyane Wade.

Rondo remained on the floor while the team doctor rushed out to attend to him. After a few minutes, Rondo was helped to his feet and walked off the court, with Dr. Brian McKeon immobilizing Rondo's left arm.

Rondo returned to the Celtics' bench at the end of the third quarter and got a standing ovation. The Celtics said his elbow was dislocated, but he returned for the start of the fourth quarter.

Wade was called for a foul.

The Heat entered the game with a 2-0 lead over Boston in the best-of-seven Eastern Conference semifinals.

Rondo averaged 17 points, 11 assists and seven rebounds so far in the playoffs.

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SPORTS - Chelsea to visit Man United for title-deciding clash (AFP)

SPORTS - Chelsea to visit Man United for title-deciding clash (AFP)

AFP/File – Manchester United winger Nani (pictured in April) has started the mind games ahead of Sunday's title-deciding …

by Darren Witcoop Darren Witcoop – 2 hrs 52 mins ago

MANCHESTER, United Kingdom (AFP) – Manchester United winger Nani has started the mind games ahead of Sunday?s title-deciding visit of Chelsea by claiming his team-mates hold a psychological edge over their rivals.

Sir Alex Ferguson?s side held a 15-point advantage over Chelsea two months ago and were seemingly coasting to a record 19th domestic title.

But Chelsea have since eaten into United?s lead and arrive at Old Trafford just three points adrift with three games to play and with the Premier League title again in their sights following a run of five straight league wins.

The momentum has shifted in recent weeks to set up a meeting that will leave the winners at the head of the table and favourites to finish top.

But Nani disputes that Chelsea are in the ascendancy and says United are mentally in a better state of mind following their recent Champions League quarter-final win over their visitors.

United proved too strong for the west Londoners last month, winning both at home and away, and the Portuguese winger says memory of their 3-1 aggregate success will help end Chelsea?s hopes of retaining the title for good.

"The results against them in the Champions League were very good," Nani said. "We showed we can play against them and win both legs. I think that gives us the psychological advantage going into this critical game.

"We were not at our best in our defeat to Arsenal last week and we cannot be like that again in this one.

"We all realise we have to get back to our high tempo and confidence against Chelsea. We have to get back to our very best if we are going to do anything.

"It is always dangerous playing against Chelsea. They have some fantastic players. They are the team who every season are playing to win the league as well as us. They are always there challenging.

"We respect them but we have to be strong ourselves and just concentrate on what we do best and we can win it. It will be very difficult. But we are at home and we have had good experiences against them.

"If we win this one then it is a great advantage for us. It is nearly over then."

United have collected a staggering 49 points out of a possible 51 on home soil this season and Ferguson knows another home win would all but wrap up the championship.

The manager, who has confirmed striker Wayne Rooney is among those fit to return as he prepares to restore a host of regular first-teamers, added: "Everyone is aware of the magnitude of Sunday's game.

"If we win, we should win the league. It is a game we are looking forward to. Last Sunday's result (at Arsenal) has certainly brought us an awareness of how important this week's game is.

"It is one of the reasons why I picked the team I did against Schalke (in the Champions League) on Wednesday. I wanted to give us a real chance.

"We will have a fresh team and that makes a difference at this time of the season. It should be a fantastic game."

Carlo Ancelotti, the Chelsea manager, admits this is a do-or-die contest for his side, who looked to have no chance of retaining the title two months ago.

"It's like a final for us," he said. "We wanted to play in the final of the Champions League but we have to be happy to play this kind of final. This is a different final but for us we can compare this game to a final."

And he added: "They (United) are favourites as they have three points more. If we are able to win, nothing is decided. If they win, they will win the title."

Right-back Jose Bosingwa is the only Chelsea absentee and Ancelotti is anxious his side maintain the recent momentum that has turned their season around.

"It's very exciting for us and we are very happy," he said. "There's a good atmosphere.

"In the past, when you've been told it's no good, then you get this opportunity, and it's a fantastic opportunity.

"This team is still alive and this means the players have very good character, very good personality and they are very professional."

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SPORTS - Byrd is the word at Wells Fargo (AP)

SPORTS - Byrd is the word at Wells Fargo (AP)

AP – Kyle Busch raises his arms in victory lane after winning the NASCAR Nationwide Series auto race, Friday, …

By PETE IACOBELLI, AP Sports Writer Pete Iacobelli, Ap Sports Writer – Fri May 6, 10:46 pm ET

DARLINGTON, S.C. – Kyle Busch finally broke through to win a Nationwide Series race at Darlington Raceway after near misses the past two years.

Busch moved past Elliott Sadler 23 laps from the end and stayed in front of Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Denny Hamlin to win the Royal Purple 200 on Friday night, his fifth Nationwide victory this season and 48th overall — one behind Mark Martin's series record.

But for all the success Busch has had in the series, he had been snakebit by "The Lady in Black."

He led for 143 laps in 2009 before cutting a tire and finishing 16th, then was edged out by Hamlin a year ago with what he thought was the faster car.

This time, Busch waited for his time as fellow Sprint Cup regulars Kasey Kahne and Carl Edwards took their turns at the top before falling back.

"My car wasn't the best on the short run, but it seemed to really come to life on the long runs. It was really good," Busch said.

Sadler was third, series points leader Justin Allgaier fourth and Steve Wallace fifth.

Busch led 49 laps, taking the lead for the fourth and final time on lap 124. He was helped by his decision to take on four fresh tires late in the race that kept him ahead of Hamlin, last week's Nationwide winner at Richmond International Raceway.

"Talking about running with the 18 and beating the 18 are two different things," Sadler said. "We all know how good he is in a Nationwide car."

Soon, Busch — the Sprint Cup winner last week in Richmond — might be the best ever. He's won nearly a quarter of his starts — 48 of 211 — and the 26-year-old star is poised to pass Martin.

"We'll see when it happens, if it happens," Busch said about catching Martin. "Maybe some of you say it's inevitable, but we just keeping working our guts out and making sure we bring good cars to the racetrack."

Martin collected his 49 wins in 22 seasons in Nationwide. Busch has won 37 series races since 2008.

Busch plans to run Nationwide events at Dover and Charlotte later this month, "so those are two really good places for me," he said.

The race was a quick one, lasting less than two hours and involving only five cautions.

The worst of the stoppages came on lap 95 with a multi-car accident that sent Brian Scott hard into the infield wall. The barrier had the SAFER walls to cushion Scott's hit, something Richmond International Raceway did not when Jeff Gordon hit an inside wall in last week's Sprint Cup race. Scott was not seriously hurt.

The wreck also collected up Sprint Cup regulars Edwards, Kahne, Clint Bowyer and Brad Keselowski. All but Bowyer began in the top 10 after qualifying was rained out earlier Friday. Bowyer was scheduled to start second but was sent to the back of the field after missing roll call at the pre-race drivers' meeting.

"I tried my hardest to miss that," said Edwards, who led 20 laps. "But there was nothing we could do. We got lucky it wasn't torn up worse."

Edwards, the Sprint Cup points leader, finished 20th.

Busch got away from the accident mostly unscathed and waited for his chance to pass Sadler.

Hamlin said his JGR teammate had the better car and fresher tires.

"We didn't have enough for him," Hamlin said.

Busch called on patience to pull him through. He was comfortable sitting behind Sadler, who was burning up worn tires trying to hold on. "I waited a little bit to see if I could Elliott to make a mistake," Busch said. "It'd be easier for me to get by him."

When Sadler mixed up with lapped traffic, Busch was able to clear him in the third and fourth turns and win by nearly 4 seconds.

James Hylton, 76, became the oldest driver to start a race in NASCAR's top three series when he rolled out Friday night. However, Hylton, whose first Sprint Cup event came in 1964, lasted only two laps before heading to the garage.

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SPORTS - Detroit's Verlander throws second career no-hitter (AP)

SPORTS - Detroit's Verlander throws second career no-hitter (AP)

AP – Detroit Tigers pitcher Justin Verlander, right, and catcher Alex Avila celebrate Verlander's no-hitter …

By IAN HARRISON, For The Associated Press Ian Harrison, For The Associated Press – Sat May 7, 9:25 pm ET

TORONTO – With one out to go, Justin Verlander cracked a smile on the mound.

He could afford to enjoy the moment, he'd seen this before. So had baseball fans — real recently, in fact.

Verlander threw his second career no-hitter and the second in the big leagues this week, leading the Detroit Tigers to a 9-0 victory over the Toronto Blue Jays on Saturday.

"I was a lot more calm today," Verlander said. "Obviously, there's some adrenaline — you can't help it — but having been through this situation before, I was definitely able to calm myself down a little bit easier than last time."

Minnesota's Francisco Liriano pitched a no-hitter against the Chicago White Sox on Tuesday night.

Verlander barely missed a perfect game. The only runner he allowed came with one out in the eighth inning when J.P. Arencibia walked on a full count, with Verlander's 12th pitch to the rookie just an inch or two outside.

"It was as good as it gets," Tigers manager Jim Leyland said. "He just missed by inches of being perfect. It really doesn't get any better than that. That's great stuff."

Verlander had no argument with the call by plate umpire Jerry Meals.

"Right out of my fingertips, I knew it was just a hair outside and it was," he said. "It was a ball and you've got to give Jerry a 'Good job.' He called it a ball and it was."

Verlander (3-3) struck out 12 in his first no-hitter against the Milwaukee Brewers on June 12, 2007. This time, he fanned Rajai Davis to end it for his fourth strikeout of the game. The overpowering right-hander threw 108 pitches, 74 for strikes, against a Blue Jays lineup missing ailing slugger Jose Bautista.

Mixing fastballs that sizzled over 100 mph with an effective changeup, Verlander became the 30th pitcher in major league history to throw multiple no-hitters, STATS LLC said.

"He was unbelievable today," Arencibia said. "Anytime on your 106th pitch when you're hitting 100, I'd say it's pretty ridiculous stuff."

Blue Jays rookie David Cooper popped to second on Verlander's first pitch of the ninth. John McDonald followed with a grounder to second, and Verlander flashed a grin. With the crowd of 23,453 standing and cheering, Davis ended it by striking out swinging on a 2-2 breaking ball from the 2006 AL Rookie of the Year.

Verlander calmly pumped his fist and smiled, then shared a hug with catcher Alex Avila before being mobbed by teammates near the mound. He was doused with a bucket of ice water by reliever Jose Valverde.

"That was cold," Verlander said. "That and the beer shower I got in here was cold, too."

His closest brush came in the fifth when Edwin Encarnacion hit a line drive the glanced off Verlander's arm. Verlander scrambled toward third base to track down the ball and made a hurried throw that first baseman Miguel Cabrera scooped.

Left with a bruise on his forearm, Verlander kept the swelling down by having a trainer rub a can of Red Bull on the injury.

"I was kind of like a boxer, you know, you see them in between rounds where they put the cold stuff on. I was doing that with my forearm," Verlander said. "I've got a pretty decent lump there. Thankfully they did a great job, they got the swelling down and allowed me to continue going out there."

Verlander had another close call on the final out of the sixth when Cabrera had to leap to snare Corey Patterson's sharp liner.

For a while, it looked as if Verlander was dueling someone else: Milwaukee's Yovani Gallardo. Because at the same time Verlander was dominating at Rogers Centre, Gallardo was making his own no-hit bid for Milwaukee at Busch Stadium.

Gallardo's try ended when St. Louis' Daniel Descalso singled leading off the eighth inning. The hit came just a few minutes before Verlander's lone walk.

A season after Roy Halladay threw two no-hitters — a perfect game, then a gem in his postseason debut — and helped stamp 2010 as the Year of the Pitcher, there's evidence that 2011 could mean more of the same. Several pitchers have come close before missing this year, and Cliff Lee struck out 16 in a losing effort Friday night.

Verlander helped set things right for Detroit pitchers in the no-hitter department: Last June, Armando Galarraga of the Tigers was deprived of a perfect game when umpire Jim Joyce blew a call on what should've been the 27th and final out.

Prior to Verlander, the last Detroit pitcher to throw a no-hitter was Jack Morris, who did it at Comiskey Park against the Chicago White Sox on April 7, 1984.

"Just as good as the first," Verlander said.

It was the 17th time there have been two major league no-hitters within a five-day span and the first since Al Leiter for Florida against Colorado on May 11, 1996, and Dwight Gooden for the New York Yankees against Seattle on May 14, according to STATS LLC.

Verlander has pitched two of the seven no-hitters in Tigers history. Virgil Trucks also had two for Detroit, both in 1952.

"It wouldn't surprise me if (Verlander) gets another one at some point in his career," Leyland said. "That's how good his stuff can be."

It was the fourth time the Blue Jays have been no-hit since entering the AL in 1977. The last was by Texas' Nolan Ryan, who threw his record seventh no-hitter to beat Toronto on May 1, 1991.

Avila and Jhonny Peralta homered for the Tigers, who have won four of five.

Blue Jays left-hander Ricky Romero (2-4), who has lost four of his past five starts, allowed six runs and five hits in 3 1-3 innings. He walked two and struck out two.

Romero was scratched from his last start Thursday at Tampa Bay with soreness in his left side, and pushed back two days to face the Tigers.

Romero breezed through the first two innings but struggled in the third, giving up three runs. Scott Sizemore drew a bases-loaded walk, Brandon Inge scored on a wild pitch and Magglio Ordonez added an RBI grounder.

Detroit used the long ball to double its advantage in the fourth. Peralta made it 4-0 with a one-out drive to left, his second. Ryan Raburn doubled and Avila chased Romero with a two-run shot to right, his sixth.

Toronto first baseman Adam Lind left in the seventh with tightness in his lower back.

NOTES: Toronto activated 2B Aaron Hill (right hamstring) from the 15-day disabled list and optioned INF Mike McCoy to Triple-A Las Vegas. ... Bautista, who has missed the past four games with a stiff neck, took batting practice before the game and remains on track to return to the lineup Sunday. ... The Tigers have at least one extra-base hit in all 34 games this season. Detroit opened the 1986 season with extra-base hits in its first 51 games, the longest streak in team history. ... Former Toronto Maple Leafs captain Mats Sundin attended the game.

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SPORTS - Ward's 2 goals in 3rd help Predators stay alive (AP)

SPORTS - Ward's 2 goals in 3rd help Predators stay alive (AP)

AP – Jonathan Byrd hits his tee shot on the 14th hole during the third round of the Wells Fargo Championship …

By DOUG FERGUSON, AP Golf Writer Doug Ferguson, Ap Golf Writer – 2 hrs 42 mins ago

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – The crowd was so big and boisterous Saturday that it made Jonathan Byrd a little uncomfortable. Seeing his name atop the leaderboard? Byrd is getting used to that.

The guy who only last October was worried about keeping his PGA Tour card ran off a blistering stretch of birdies in the Wells Fargo Championship for a 5-under 67, giving him a one-shot lead as he goes for his third win in seven months.

"Twelve months ago, I would never have thought that could happen," he said. "But now, the way my game is, why couldn't it happen? I'm playing well. I feel like I have all the tools to play well. I'm just going to play, and then when it's all over, I'll enjoy whatever I've done."

Byrd was at 15-under 201, a score he didn't imagine until his hot streak.

He was in the mix with a half-dozen other players who were trying to keep in range of Pat Perez when Byrd ran off five birdies in six holes to start the back nine. The one hole he didn't birdie might have been his best putt — a 7-footer that broke sharply to the right.

"You won't believe how much this putt breaks," Phil Mickelson said, standing to the back of the green after his own remarkable par. Byrd poured it into the heart, birdied the next two holes and was on his way.

Perez had a hard-fought 70, missing fairways early in the round and rarely converting birdie chances throughout the back nine until a slight mistake turned into his best-looking shot. Taking a little off a 7-iron, he pulled it slightly on the 17th and saw it sail right at the flag and stop some 5 feet behind the pin for a birdie.

"It was kind of scrappy all the way around," Perez said. "I played pretty good to shoot 70, I guess."

Former U.S. Open champion Lucas Glover (69) and former British Open champion Stewart Cink (68), who have not won since capturing their majors in the summer of 2009, were three shots back.

The top eight players were separated by five shots, which isn't much on a Quail Hollow course where last year Rory McIlroy closed with a 62 for his only PGA Tour victory.

It starts with Byrd and Perez, who players whose contrast starts with their pace of play. Byrd is on the deliberate side, while Perez wastes no time. On the sixth hole, with Byrd in the group ahead, the caddies were no more than 10 feet off the green when Perez had hit his tee shot into the par 3.

Perez isn't the least bit worried.

"I wait every single shot, every single day on the PGA Tour, so I've gotten really used to doing that," Perez said.

Missing from the mix is Mickelson.

The three-time Masters champion was in range and was poised to make a move with a brilliant par save on the 12th, a mini-flop from a downhill lie to a green that ran away and broke sharply to the left. It stopped inches away.

But he hit flubbed a bunker shot on the 14th to lose an easy chance at birdie, then hit tee shots into the water on the par-5 15th (bogey) and the par-3 17th (double bogey) on his way to a 74. Mickelson has hit five balls in the water this week.

J.B. Holmes had an amazing stretch on the back nine — five shots to play two holes when he holed a 5-iron on the 15th for an albatross, the rarest score in golf, and followed that with a birdie on the 16th. That led to a 65, although he was six shots behind, along with Ryder Cup captain Davis Love III, who had a 68.

The excitement was almost too much for Byrd.

He was playing with Mickelson, the biggest draw at Quail Hollow, and while it wasn't the first time, he could feel the energy. The gallery caved in around him going from green-to-tee on just about every hole, with young fans holding out hands to be tapped.

Mickelson gets that all the time — Byrd, not so much.

"I've never high-fived so much in my life," Byrd said.

That only concerned him because he doesn't play with a glove, and part of him wondered if fans had just put on sunscreen.

"Phil is used to that," he said. "He just flashes that smile. I want to keep my head down."

The buzz in the crowd contributed to a slow start, a bogey on the opening hole and failing to birdie the par-5 fifth. But he hit a nifty chip from the side of the seventh for a tap-in birdie, nearly drove the short eighth hole and made birdie, then took off on the back nine.

His longest birdie putt was a 10-footer on the 13th. The rest was about taking advantage of the par 5s and the short par-4 14th. In the middle of that stretch was the 7-foot par on the 12th, which Byrd called his toughest putt on the back nine.

Watching Mickelson hit his chip allowed him to see the degree of break, and he poured it in the center cut. Then came two more birdies, and Byrd was surprised to hear after his round he had made seven birdies in a nine-hole stretch.

He needed them all to get the 54-hole lead. No one is sure how many he'll need Sunday to collect another win.

"Somebody is going to have to get off to a good start," Glover said. "Jonathan is a great front-runner. He's playing so well. I played with him Tuesday and saw him at home the last couple weeks. He's playing great. It's going to take a good start and a low round because he's playing well enough to where he could shoot in the 60s again tomorrow and blow everybody away. But we'll see."

Players wore black ribbons in honor of Seve Ballesteros, who died early Saturday in Spain. PGA Tour officials said play will stop at 3:08 p.m. on Sunday for one minute in memory of the Spanish great.

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SPORTS - Wild Ride: Animal Kingdom wins Kentucky Derby (AP)

SPORTS - Wild Ride: Animal Kingdom wins Kentucky Derby (AP)

AP – John Velazquez rides Animal Kingdom, left, to victory during the 137th Kentucky Derby horse race at Churchill …

• Slideshow:Kentucky Derby

By BETH HARRIS, AP Racing Writer Beth Harris, Ap Racing Writer – 2 hrs 3 mins ago

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – John Velazquez won the Kentucky Derby by a broken nose.

An injury to Animal Kingdom's regular rider, Robby Albarado, cleared the way for Velazquez to pick up the mount on the 20-1 long shot. Once he took the reins Saturday, he rode his good luck all the way to the winner's circle.

"For once, I'm on the good end of it," Velazquez said. "All of a sudden I pick up this one and he wins the Derby, so it was meant to be."

The last three years, the New York-based jockey came to Churchill Downs with a colt considered a leading contender, only to have it withdrawn.

This time, he was supposed to ride early second choice Uncle Mo before the colt was scratched due to a lingering stomach problem. Then Albarado broke his nose when he was thrown off his horse and kicked in the face before a race three days ago.

And the rest, as they say, is history.

Animal Kingdom, who had never raced on dirt before, reacted to his new rider the way a champion should, charging down the middle of the stretch to win by 2 3/4 lengths in front of a crowd of 164,858, the largest in Derby history.

He ran 1 1/4 miles in 2:02.04 — well off Secretariat's track record of 1:59.40 in 1973 — and paid $43.80, $19.60 and $13.

Nehro returned $8.80 and $6.40, while Mucho Macho Man was another neck back in third and paid $7 to show.

"It's words that you can't describe," Velazquez said. "But I do really feel really bad for Robby. I hope he's winning the Derby with me here. I know he got hurt, so this is for both of us, buddy. I know you're not on it, but I know you're with me."

Well, not exactly.

"I'm not happy," said Albarado, despite winning a $345,600 stakes race on the Derby undercard. "Barry Irwin decided he didn't think I was fit to ride; he didn't know my status or situation. This just wasn't my time today."

Animal Kingdom is owned by Team Valor International, a partnership syndicate headed by Irwin, a former writer for the Daily Racing Form, the industry's bible.

Irwin decided to switch riders when Albarado took Friday off to recuperate.

"It was a tough call because I really like Robby. He's won a lot of races for us, but we got 20 partners in this horse," Irwin said. "We got a large investment and I had to do what I thought was best for the partnership."

Like Velazquez, Irwin said he would make it up to Albarado.

Like his jockey, trainer Graham Motion got lucky, too.

His top Derby horse, Wood Memorial winner Toby's Corner, never even made it to Louisville. He had a leg injury and never left Motion's barn in Maryland.

"Somebody said, `Are you surprised to win with a second-tier horse?'" Motion said. "I said, `I'm not sure we would categorize him as a second-tier horse.' He's been an extraordinary horse to train. I was so impressed with how he handled everything."

Dialed In went off as the 5-1 favorite for two-time Derby-winning trainer Nick Zito, but finished eighth.

Mucho Macho Man's finish for Kathy Ritvo tied her for second-best result by a female trainer in the 137-year-old race. Shelley Riley saddled Casual Lies to a second-place finish in 1992.

Rosie Napravnik was ninth aboard 8-1 second choice Pants On Fire in her bid to become the first female jockey to win. Still, her finish was the highest of the six women who've ridden in the Derby.

"I couldn't have wished for a better trip," she said.

Neither could Velazquez. The day was clearly his after going 0-for-12 in previous Derby tries.

"It was a loss for Robby, obviously, having the accident he had, and a win for me," Velazquez said. "Obviously, it turned out to be a great thing for myself."

Animal Kingdom won the Spiral Stakes on the synthetic surface at Turfway Park in his previous start. Though this was his first race on dirt, the winner had an easy trip, and Velazquez did a masterful job despite his unfamiliarity with the horse. They avoided trouble in the 19-horse field while running in the middle of the pack most of the way.

"Right about the quarter-pole he got really comfortable as soon as he got to the clear," Velazquez said. "He gave me that feeling that, man, he was running. He got to the lead and kept running. So very proud of the way he did everything."

Animal Kingdom swept past the leaders on the final turn and came flying home.

"I didn't have to do very much," Velazquez said. "He was going well the whole way around, so he gave me a lot of confidence to be where I was and when I asked him to do something he was there for me. A good horse gets you out of trouble."

Arkansas Derby winner Archarcharch, who started from the inside rail, was vanned off the track with a leg injury and will need surgery for a non-life-threatening fracture.

Pacesetter Shackleford was fourth, followed by Irish import Master of Hounds, Santiva, Brilliant Speed and Dialed In.

Pants On Fire finished ninth, followed by Twice the Appeal, Soldat, Stay Thirsty, Derby Kitten, Decisive Moment, Archarcharch, Midnight Interlude, Twinspired, Watch Me Go and Comma to the Top, who chipped his left ankle and will be sidelined for at least two months.

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SPORTS - Celtics' Rondo dislocates elbow, returns to game (AP)

SPORTS - Celtics' Rondo dislocates elbow, returns to game (AP)

AFP – Italian rider Marco Pinotti with HTC-Highrad poses in the pink jersey after the first stage from Venaria …

– Sat May 7, 2:24 pm ET

ROME (AFP) – Italian Marco Pinotti will wear the first pink jersey of the 2011 Giro d'Italia after his HTC-Highroad team won the opening stage team time-trial on Saturday.

HTC edged out Americans Team RadioShack by 10 seconds on the 19.3km course from Venaria Reale to Turin.

Omega Pharma-Lotto took a surprise third place, 22 seconds back, just ahead of the Liquigas team of one of the pre-race favourites, Vincenzo Nibali.

"It's a huge honour to be wearing the pink jersey," said Pinotti, who was ninth last year.

"But this is a victory that belongs to the whole team. I can't thank them enough. We made a very strong start, and the best riders took the longest turns on the front.

"We made sure we kept a steady pace throughout and that's always important. It was flat all the way but it wasn't an easy course.

"You had to be careful with the tram lines and on the corners, some of them were very difficult."

Tour de France champion Alberto Contador's Saxo Bank team finished down in eighth, 30 seconds off the pace.

"It's a very good result," said Contador. "I'm very happy with the team's work."

He added: "There are already some gaps, but regarding our main rivals -- Liquigas, Lampre and Geox -- the differences are insignificant.

"HTC's victory? They were the favourites. They've achieved their objective and now they're going to fight for (Mark) Cavendish."

Contador is waiting to find out if the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) will opt to overturn the Spanish cycling federation's decision to clear him over doping allegations, and he said it was a relief to be competing again.

"For my part, I'm very happy that the Giro has started," he said. "The days before the start seemed very long."

The biggest loser on the day was Geox's Denis Menchov, champion here two years ago, who lost 53 seconds with his team finishing down in 17th, one place and three seconds behind the Astana team of Czech Roman Kreuziger.

As much as Omega's high finish was a surprise, so too was Astana's poor showing.

With such a short course, though, none of the general classification contenders could have been expected to lose too much time, particularly with many brutal mountain stages to come in which far greater gains and losses can be expected.

Michele Scarponi, for example, lost just two seconds to Nibali as his Lampre finished sixth.

Sunday's second stage is a 244km ride from Alba to Parma, the joint second-longest stage of the race.

It is mostly flat and is expected to be one of the few stages to finish in a bunch sprint, giving the likes of HTC's Mark Cavendish a chance to shine.

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SPORTS - Rondo returns and helps Celtics beat Heat 97-81 (AP)

SPORTS - Rondo returns and helps Celtics beat Heat 97-81 (AP)

AP – Boston Celtics' Rajon Rondo tries to handle the ball after returning to the game with a dislocated elbow …

By JIMMY GOLEN, AP Sports Writer Jimmy Golen, Ap Sports Writer – 1 hr 46 mins ago

BOSTON – His left arm wrapped in a sleeve and dangling lifelessly by his side, Rajon Rondo broke for the basket and sailed past LeBron James for a layup.

The dislocated elbow and stiff back weren't going to stop him.

Rondo still had one good arm — and his legs.

The Celtics point guard had 11 assists in the game and a pair of one-armed baskets in the fourth quarter on Saturday night to lead Boston to a 97-81 victory over the Miami Heat in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference semifinals.

"He showed he's a really tough young individual," said Kevin Garnett, who had 28 points and 18 rebounds — more than he had in the first two games combined. "I don't know what he's going to be like when he's 35, but right now he's playing pretty well."

Miami leads the best-of-seven series 2-1, with Game 4 on Monday night in Boston.

Paul Pierce scored 27 for the defending East champions, who managed to avoid a 3-0 hole that no NBA team has ever overcome. But they came out of it with injuries to both point guards: Coach Doc Rivers said Rondo's future availability is in question, and Delonte West had his bruised left shoulder wrapped at the end of the game.

"The playoffs are here. This is what it's about: Bruises, whatever, you've got to keep on going," West said. "I think that light clicked on for us today."

Dwyane Wade had 23 points and seven assists, and Joel Anthony continued to contribute off the bench, scoring 12 with 11 rebounds. Playing in the building where his Cleveland career came to an end, spurring his free agency defection to Miami, James scored 15 points as he and Wade combined to make just 14 of 35 shots from the floor.

Wade was also the one who fouled Rondo in the third quarter as the two got tangled up and crashed to the court. Rondo landed awkwardly on his left arm; he had to be helped to his feet and led from the floor while team Dr. Brian McKeon immobilized Rondo's arm.

But even as the Celtics were announcing that Rondo had a dislocated left elbow, he was back on the bench. He returned for the start of the fourth and — despite playing with his left arm dangling at his side — provided the Celtics with the spark they had been missing in the first two games.

"We understand fully now how tough it is to take down a champion," Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. "All this fuel, the last three days, that was going on, I was cringing. Because you know this is a proud group, and you knew they would have a response."

After two sloppy games in Miami in which it unraveled at the end, Boston provided its first real resistance in the series, jumping to a 16-7 lead in the opening minutes. The Heat came back in the second quarter to take the lead, but the Celtics posted a dominating second half, with Rondo as their emotional leader.

Returning to the Celtics' bench at the end of the third quarter, Rondo received a standing ovation from the crowd when a picture of him on the bench was shown on the scoreboard.

"The first report was 'dislocated — out,' basically for good," Rivers said. "Thirty seconds later, I was in the huddle and I saw Rondo walk by me, and it looked like he was going to play. Clearly, that got everyone excited. It was awesome to see him back out on the floor."

Rondo was obviously favoring his left arm when he returned, but that didn't stop him from a right-handed dunk after a steal and breakaway with 8:39 left that gave Boston an 81-63 lead. Two minutes later he drove in and laid it up over James.

He finished with six points, four of them in the fourth quarter.

"I didn't have to do much scoring — just directing," he said. "That's using your mouth, using my legs."

Miami led 46-44 at the half, but the Celtics scored nine of the first 10 points, capped by Rondo's first basket of the game, a driving layup with 3 minutes gone in the third that gave Boston a 53-47 lead. In all, the Celtics scored 16 of the first 20 points of the second half; James missed three of four free throws during the span, and the only other points came on a 3-pointer by Wade.

Shaquille O'Neal returned for Boston and was not much of a factor. He scored two points, with zero rebounds, in 8:29 for his first action of the postseason.

Notes: During a second-quarter timeout, the Celtics played a video honoring the American military. The biggest cheer was for the logo of Seal Team Six, which carried out the raid that killed Osama bin Laden. ... Red Sox players Josh Beckett, John Lackey, Dustin Pedroia, Josh Bard and Jacoby Ellsbury were at the game. So was Bruins forward Milan Lucic. ... Pierce, Ray Allen and Garnett scored the Celtics' first 23 points. Pierce led the way with 12, hitting three free throws after drawing a foul while attempting a 3-pointer then hitting from beyond-the-arc. ... West, who was playing with a bruised shoulder, scored 10 points in the first half.

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SPORTS - 'Roman revenge' on cards in Nadal-Djokovic battle (AFP)

SPORTS - 'Roman revenge' on cards in Nadal-Djokovic battle (AFP)

AFP – Manny Pacquiao of the Philippines punches US Shane Mosley (L) during their bout for the World Boxing …

by Greg Heakes Greg Heakes – 26 mins ago

LAS VEGAS, Nevada (AFP) – Filipino champion Manny Pacquiao retained the World Boxing Organization welterweight title by beating American Shane Mosley to extend his win streak to 14 bouts.

Pacquiao on Saturday came on strong in the third round, knocking Mosley down with a straight left hand and then went on to earn a convincing unanimous decision in front of a sellout crowd of 16,000 at the MGM Grand Hotel and Casino.

The mainly partisan Filipino crowd, clad in yellow to match Pacquiao's gloves, were delighted to see their hero get the decision by scores of 119-108, 120-108 and 120-107.

"He felt my power," Pacquiao said. "I wanted to fight toe to toe. I did my best to give a good fight."

Pacquiao, a 10-time world champion in a record eight weight divisions, was making the second defense of his current welterweight crown.

The southpaw from Sarangani dominated from the opening round as Mosley spent the majority of the fight in full retreat.

Pacquiao was the aggressor, continuing to push forward and trying without success to go for the knockout, especially in the third and 11th and 12th rounds.

Pacquiao's knockdown in the third round was just the third time in Mosley's 18-year career that the American challenger has hit the canvas. Mosley's main goal appeared to be simply keeping his record of never being knocked out intact.

He managed to succeed but was booed loudly, especially at the beginning and the end of the eighth round.

Referee Kenny Bayless awarded Mosley a suspect knockdown in the 10th round as television replays showed that Pacquiao was throwing a punch off balance, slipped and went down with a little help from Mosley's right hand.

Mosley claimed he would expose Pacquiao's weaknesses but there was no turning back the clock for the 39-year-old four-time world champion who looked every bit his age on Saturday.

Pacquiao earned close to $15 million while Mosley collected about $5 million.

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SPORTS - Governor meets with Vikings owners on stadium push (AP)

SPORTS - Governor meets with Vikings owners on stadium push (AP)

AP – Los Angeles Angels starting pitcher Jered Weaver throws to the plate during the first inning of their …

– 7 mins ago

ANAHEIM, Calif. – Jered Weaver did not have his good fastball, so he had to improvise. Whenever he did, the Cleveland Indians took advantage.

Weaver threw 108 pitches over six innings Saturday night, allowing four runs, seven hits and two walks without striking out a batter. Shin-Soo Choo, who came in 10 for 22 against last season's major league strikeout leader, tormented the Los Angeles Angels ace again with a go-ahead double that gave Cleveland a 4-3 victory and Alex White his first big league win.

"I didn't really have an out pitch today and I had to battle," Weaver said. "I got away from the fastball. I got caught up in the off speed and felt like they were sitting on it later. It happens. Nothing you can do. You just have to tip your cap. You are going to have days like that, and you just have to be able to move on."

It was only the second time in 152 big league starts that Weaver (6-2) did not strike out a batter. The other time was June 10, 2007, at St. Louis, when Weaver was forced out of his 30th career start after three innings because of tightness in his lower back and got a no-decision in the Angels' 9-6 loss.

"Weave was struggling with commanding counts and trying to get back in them. And when you're doing that, it's tough to set up some of your off-speed pitches for the strikeout," manager Mike Scioscia said.

"Even though he was struggling, the only real glitch was the two-out walks and is very uncharacteristic. But give those guys some credit. Those guys had some good at-bats and got some key hits with guys in scoring position."

Weaver, the AL pitcher of the month for April, was 3-0 with a 0.41 ERA in his previous three starts against Cleveland.

"Every one of those guys, regardless of how dominant they are, they usually end up giving up a couple of runs a game. So there's always hope," Indians manager Manny Acta said. "And your guy is the one who really has to step up and hold his ground and take advantage of the opposition's mistakes."

White (1-0) pitched six gritty innings in his second big league start, allowing three runs and seven hits, including a two-run homer by Vernon Wells. He struck out six and walked two.

The 22-year-old right-hander was the 15th overall pick in the 2009 draft and was the Indians' minor league pitcher of the year last season. Last Saturday in his big league debut, White gave up two runs over six innings in a no-decision as the Indians beat Detroit 3-2 in 13.

"It's a great feeling and something I've worked for for a long time," White said. "It's one of those things you'll remember forever. I'll never forget where I was and who I was pitching against."

Tony Sipp and Vinnie Pestano each pitched a scoreless inning and Chris Perez worked a perfect ninth for his 10th save in 11 chances.

Maicer Izturis ran the Angels out of a potential rally in the eighth. He tried to go from first to third on a one-out grounder by Howie Kendrick that third baseman Jack Hannahan had to charge in on, but Hannahan got back to the bag in time to take first baseman Carlos Santana's throw and tag him for an inning-ending double play.

"How about Santana Brady making that throw over there?" Acta said, comparing his first baseman to New England Patriots star Tom Brady. "There's only one Dominican in the NFL, but Santana looked like a pretty good quarterback there. It was a good play, but a risky play. You have to hit the guy on the move, and Hannahan needed to really concentrate on catching the ball and making the tag. But it worked out for us."

Izturis also grounded into an inning-ending double play in the third after a triple by Eric Aybar and a walk to Bobby Abreu.

Wells, who hit three home runs at Angel Stadium with the Toronto Blue Jays and none in his first 53 home at-bats since joining Los Angeles in a trade last January, drove an 0-2 pitch into the Angels' bullpen in left field in the second inning after a single by Kendrick.

The Indians got a run back in the fourth on Orlando Cabrera's sacrifice fly, then took a 4-2 lead with three in the fifth after Weaver walked Grady Sizemore and Asdrubal Cabrera with two outs.

Choo, who had the Indians' only hit in Dan Haren's complete-game victory for the Angels on April 12 at the Big A, followed with a drive into the right-field corner that scored both runners. Santana capped the rally with an RBI single.

Choo's clutch hit snapped an 0-for-18 drought since his arrest on DUI charges.

Wells drove in another run with a sacrifice fly in the sixth and rookie Mark Trumbo followed with his second Baltimore-chop single in two innings, putting runners at first and second. But White struck out Jeff Mathis on a high fastball with his 100th and final pitch.

NOTES: Izturis' day at the ballpark started out much better than it ended. He had victorious Animal Kingdom in the team's Kentucky Derby pool. ... Indians DH Travis Hafner was 1 for 22 against Weaver before singling in the fourth and fifth. ... Angels RHP Rich Thompson picked off Lou Marson at second base for the third out in the ninth. The Angels' bullpen has not allowed an earned run in its last 29 innings against Cleveland.

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SPORTS - Smith races to 1st Sprint Cup victory (AP)

SPORTS - Smith races to 1st Sprint Cup victory (AP)

AP – Crew members for Regan Smith, celebrate after winning the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Showtime Southern …

By PETE IACOBELLI, AP Sports Writer Pete Iacobelli, Ap Sports Writer – 38 mins ago

DARLINGTON, S.C. – Regan Smith wasn't sure he'd ever come as close to winning a Sprint Cup race as he did three years ago at Talladega Superspeedway.

Now, he can't imagine he'll spend much more time thinking about that 2008 near miss after gaining his first series victory in the Southern 500 on Saturday night.

Smith was denied victory at Talladega when NASCAR ruled he ran below the yellow line on a late pass of Tony Stewart. This time, Smith survived a green-white-checkered finish at Darlington Raceway.

"Winning here means more to me than that (Talladega) win ever could've meant," Smith said. "I don't think I'll go to bed tonight thinking about Talladega, that's for sure."

Smith started the race in 23rd and was still outside the top 10 with under than 70 laps to go. But he stayed out on old tires during a caution nine laps from the end to take the lead and held off series points leader Carl Edwards in the two-lap overtime to win for the first time in 105 career starts.

"I'm not supposed to win this race. I've never even had a top-five. I guess in this series, it just shows anyone can win," said Smith, whose previous best this season was a seventh at Daytona.

While the 27-year-old Smith, was celebrating, tempers erupted behind him after Kevin Harvick, Kyle Busch and Clint Bowyer tangled in an accident that set up the finish.

After the race, Harvick tracked down Busch's car, stopped in front of Busch on pit road, then got out of his car and attempted to punch or grab Busch through his window. Busch then slammed into Harvick's driverless car, sending it crashing in the inside wall.

Harvick and Busch then stared down each other from their cars as they entered the garage before a standoff that looked as if it might erupt further. It finally ended when Busch bumped Harvick several times to make space to drive off. Both drivers were summoned to the NASCAR hauler.

Brad Keselowski finished third, pole-sitter Kasey Kahne was fourth and Ryan Newman fifth. Denny Hamlin, the Darlington winner last year, was sixth, followed by Tony Stewart, Greg Biffle, Jamie McMurray and Martin Truex Jr.

Edwards appeared to be cruising to his first Darlington victory with 10 laps remaining in what had been about 490 miles of relatively calm racing. Instead, things changed when Jeff Burton brought out the 10th and final caution, setting up a restart with five laps left and many of NASCAR's best not far from the lead.

Busch, Harvick and Bowyer wound up three-wide in a space where that doesn't work and Bowyer was sent sprawling into the interior wall. As cars spun out behind, Busch gathered his car, then veered down the track and sent Harvick spinning.

Smith bobbled slightly on the final lap, but regained control and took off for the victory. He was in tears in victory lane, winning for the first time in 105 Sprint Cup starts.

"We've had some ups and we've had some downs, this is an up," Smith said.

Smith's landmark win, though, will likely be overlooked with the dustup between Harvick and Busch, who have a history. Harvick admittedly wrecked Busch on purpose late in last season's finale at Homestead as retaliation for earlier contact.

"Just uncalled for. Just unacceptable racing," Busch said. "You know, it's in the last couple of laps but I gave him room off of two, I didn't get the room. Just real unfortunate. I hate we tore up a few good cars there."

Busch said the talk in NASCAR's hauler was not a big deal. "Good to hash it out now. Might as well," he said.

Harvick says he was racing hard "and doing what we had to do there at the end and things happen."

Was it over?

"You saw the end," Harvick said, smiling, as he walked off.

Edwards says all drivers have a passion for racing that can leave them frustrated at times. "This is racing," he said. "You're going to have stuff like that. I think all of us know that can happen and we should be prepared."

Smith said he was too overjoyed to pay attention to the problems behind him. "I have no clue what happened in the race other than us winning," he said. "And you know what? If (feuds) are what's talked about next week, so be it."

The spotlight figured to be on Newman and Juan Pablo Montoya, who tangled at Richmond International Raceway a week earlier — a feud that continued into this week at Darlington.

But those two mostly stayed away from each other. Montoya did get into five-time defending champion Jimmie Johnson early on. Montoya apologized for tagging Johnson. "I bet he's sorry," Johnson responded.

Before the end, the most frightening incident came when the nose of David Ragan's car peeled off the sheet metal on the left side of Brian Vicker's machine, leaving a long trail of debris.

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SPORTS - Miller staying in the desert (AP)

SPORTS - Miller staying in the desert (AP)

AP – Vancouver Canucks' Alexander Edler, right, of Sweden, tries to clear Nashville Predators' Joel Ward from …

– 2 hrs 10 mins ago

VANCOUVER, British Columbia – Joel Ward scored two goals less than five minutes apart early in the third period and the Nashville Predators stayed alive against the Vancouver Canucks with a 4-3 win on Saturday night in Game 5 of the Western Conference semifinal series.

David Legwand also scored twice, Pekka Rinne made 31 saves and Ward had three points for the Predators, who still trail 3-2 in the best-of-seven series but will return home for Game 6 on Monday night.

Ryan Kesler, who had his face stitched up after he was struck by a deflected puck, scored his second goal of the game with 3:46 left. Kesler has five goals in three games, but it wasn't enough to put the Canucks into the conference finals yet.

The Predators, in the second round for the first time in franchise history, won for the first time when facing elimination. They had been 0-5.

Coming off a two-point effort in a Game 4 loss, Ward one-timed a cross-ice pass from Mike Fisher past the blocker of Roberto Luongo to put Nashville ahead 3-2 at 1:14 of the third. He pounced on a turnover inside the left circle 4:31 later and quickly snapped a shot past Luongo's glove to make it a two-goal lead.

Ward has four goals and six points in the last three games, and has already set franchise records with seven goals and 12 points in the playoffs.

Raffi Torres also scored, and Luongo made 19 saves for the Canucks, who blew a 3-0 series lead to Chicago in the first round before winning Game 7 in overtime.

They won Games 3 and 4 in Nashville, but didn't want to go back as they hoped to advance to the conference finals for the first time since 1994. Game 7, if necessary, would be in Vancouver on Wednesday.

The Canucks also lost forward Mikael Samuelsson to an undisclosed lower body injury in the first period. Bothered by an abdominal injury most of the season, Samuelsson got tied up with Nick Spaling in a puck battle, spun to the ice and didn't got up. He couldn't put weight on his left leg as he was helped off the ice.

Samuelsson had been dropped to the fourth line, but was still playing the point on the No. 1 power-play unit. His gaffe there helped Nashville take a 1-0 lead with a short-handed goal.

The Canucks started quickly, forcing Rinne to make a couple of good early saves, and drawing a penalty. But Samuelsson coughed up the puck, and Ward sent Legwand in alone. Legwand snapped a shot under Luongo's blocker just 3:42 in.

It was the Predators' second lead of the series, but it didn't last long.

Just over two minutes later, Jannik Hansen stole the puck from Jonathan Blum as he was coming back into own end in front of the net, and made a nice cross-crease pass to a wide-open Torres on the far side. Torres quickly snapped a shot past a diving Rinne for his first playoff goal since 2006 with Edmonton.

Kesler gave Vancouver the lead on a 2-on-1 rush with 4:54 left in the first period. He fought off the backcheck from Norris Trophy finalist Shea Weber and lifted the puck past a sliding Rinne as Weber crashed into the post. It was Kesler's fourth goal in three games, including two game-winners.

Legwand got Nashville into a 2-2 tie with help from a lucky bounce 51 seconds into the second period. Legwand's pass from behind the net deflected off Christian Ehrhoff's stick, up and over the net and Luongo's head, off Vancouver defenseman Alex Edler's chest and in.

NOTES: Spaling left late in the second period after being slammed face first into the edge of the boards, but returned late in the third. ... Nashville RW J.P. Dumont made his series debut in place of Jerred Smithson, who didn't make the trip to Vancouver after taking an elbow from Kesler in the nose in Game 4. ... The Predators were also without LW Steve Sullivan, who was hurt in Game 3, and have no extra forwards with them. ... The Canucks are 6-1 in series they led 3-1. The lone blemish was a loss to Minnesota in 2003.

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SPORTS - Pacquiao wins lopsided decision over Mosley (AP)

SPORTS - Pacquiao wins lopsided decision over Mosley (AP)

AP – Manny Pacquiao, right, lands a punch against Shane Mosley in the ninth round during a WBO welterweight …

By TIM DAHLBERG, AP Boxing Writer Tim Dahlberg, Ap Boxing Writer – 14 mins ago

LAS VEGAS – Manny Pacquiao caught Shane Mosley early, then chased him the rest of the night. Not much more he could do against an aging fighter who seemed only to want to survive.

Pacquiao won a lopsided 12-round decision Saturday night, retaining his version of the welterweight title in a fight that was roundly booed over the late rounds because Mosley refused to trade punches.

Pacquiao won every round on two ringside scorecards in extending the remarkable run that has made him the most exciting fighter in the sport.

He also won the ungrudging respect of a veteran fighter who has been in with some of the best in the world.

"I fought the best fighter in the world," Mosley said. "He has exceptional power, power that I've never been hit like this before."

Pacquiao knocked down Mosley with a left hook in the third round, a punch that sapped Mosley's willingness to engage. Pacquiao ran after Mosley the rest of the fight, but the former champion who has never been stopped in 18 years in the ring managed to stay away enough to finish the 12th round upright.

Pacquiao won 120-108 on one scorecard, 120-107 on a second and 119-108 on the third. The Associated Press had him winning 118-110.

For Mosley, the fight was strikingly similar to his bout a year ago against Floyd Mayweather Jr. — except this time Mosley didn't even land a big punch like he did early on against Mayweather. Mosley's biggest moment on this night came when referee Kenny Bayless mistakenly ruled that Mosley knocked Pacquiao down in the 10th round when he didn't even hit him with a punch.

The knockdown that wasn't spurred Pacquiao on as he went after Mosley the rest of the round and again in the 11th. By then the crowd was cheering "Knock him out! Knock him out!" but Pacquiao — bothered by a cramp in his left leg since the fourth round — didn't have enough to finish him off.

"It wasn't my best performance," Pacquiao said. "I did my best. I did not expect this result."

The closest Mosley got to Pacquiao all night came at the beginning of the 12th round when he hugged Pacquiao before the two went about finishing their business. That took some of the fire out of Pacquiao, who didn't really go after the knockout in the final round.

Promoter Bob Arum defended putting Mosley in the ring against Pacquiao despite signs in Mosley's last two fights that his reflexes were slipping.

"Nobody can really perform against him," Arum said. "Some of these guys are pretty good fighters, but nobody in their whole experience has ever faced somebody like Pacman. Everybody is going to look the same way."

Pacquiao (54-3-2, 38 knockouts) was a 7-1 favorite and also the favorite of the crowd that gathered expecting to see another one of his thrilling performances. That he couldn't deliver was the only bad part of the night for a fighter who doubles as a congressman in his native Philippines.

It wasn't the distractions of trying to do two jobs well, Pacquiao said, but leg problems that first cropped up in his fight last November against Antonio Margarito.

"I thought Shane did a great job, he had some speed," Pacquiao said. "I couldn't move because my left leg got tight. It's a problem I've been having lately. I'm going to work on my legs in future training camps."

Mosley (46-7-1-1) said he thought he did a good job despite losing round after round, and wouldn't blame his bad performance on the fact he is 39 and has been fighting ever since he was a child.

Mosley was tentative from the opening bell, moving backward and unwilling to engage Pacquiao. With good reason, because a left hook by Pacquiao found its mark with a minute left in the third round and put Mosley on the canvas for only the third time in his 18-year pro career.

Mosley was up at the count of five, and managed to survive the final minute of the round despite Pacquiao's best efforts to take him out. Pacquiao didn't come close to stopping him after that, but landed enough punches to the head that Mosley's right eye was nearly swollen shut in the late rounds and the left side of his face was puffy, too.

Pacquiao pressed the fight most of the night, but he, too, didn't take many chances, which trainer Freddie Roach said was because of the muscle cramp that his corner tried to massage between rounds.

"He had no leverage to move after that," Roach said. "It was a very gutty performance in my mind."

Perhaps, but the sellout crowd of 16,412 came to see more, and booed repeatedly in the late rounds. The boos were directed at Mosley, not Pacquiao, but it was clear early on this would not be a classic fight.

Mosley came into the ring with the song "Mama Says Knock You Out," but what would have been more appropriate if he had found a song called "Mama Says Don't Knock Me Out."

Mosley fought as if trying to protect his legacy of having never been stopped and, if that was his strategy, it succeeded. But it made for a lackluster fight and did nothing to burnish the legacy that the Filipino champion has built with 14 straight wins over the last six years — including some over some of the biggest names in the game.

Pacquiao, who wore yellow gloves as a symbol of solidarity in the fight against poverty in his country, made a minimum of $20 million for the fight. Mosley, who has now won only two of his last six fights, was guaranteed $5 million.

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SPORTS - Racing gods smile on Velazquez — at long last (AP)

SPORTS - Racing gods smile on Velazquez — at long last (AP)

AP – John Velazquez reacts after riding Animal Kingdom to victory during the 137th Kentucky Derby horse race …

By JIM LITKE, AP Sports Columnist Jim Litke, Ap Sports Columnist – Sat May 7, 9:32 pm ET

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – The racing gods owed him.

Never mind that John Velazquez had plenty of reasons to think otherwise, even after a fellow jockey's misfortune cleared the way for him to climb aboard Animal Kingdom on the eve of the Kentucky Derby.

"I guess when it's meant to be for you, it's meant to be for you," Velazquez said, his grin for once, nearly as wide as he was tall. "No matter what."

That rarely rang truer than it did across this aging racetrack for two minutes on a cool, overcast late afternoon. Velazquez has been at the top of his trade for at least a decade, but he was an unlikely and even more unlucky 0-for-12 in the one race that mattered most.

For three years running, Velazquez arrived in Louisville with a mount that had favorite written all over him, only to see each one erased days before the race. This time around, it was Uncle Mo, the juvenile champion sidelined by a bad stomach just 36 hours before the gate was set to open. The year before, it was Eskendereya, an impressive beast felled by a leg injury that turned out to be a career-ender. The year before that, it was Quality Control.

The strange thing is that Velazquez had already established himself as the No. 1 jockey for the No. 1 operation in the game — the mega-stable run by trainer Todd Pletcher, who knew a thing or two about Derby droughts himself. Uncle Mo and Eskendereya were his horses, too. But plenty of that pain was eased last year when Super Saver, another of the seven horses Pletcher brought to Churchill Downs, stormed down the rail with Calvin Borel in the saddle to steal the race and snap the trainer's own 0-for-24 streak at this place.

And here's where the story takes a final twist.

Robby Albarado was supposed to ride Animal Kingdom, but got his nose busted earlier in the week when he was thrown off his horse, then kicked in the face. When Uncle Mo was scratched Friday morning, that freed Velazquez up as a potential replacement. That also left it up to Barry Irwin, a former racing writer who now heads the group that owns Animal Kingdom, to decide whether a switch was warranted.

"If Robby rode on Friday, then we were going to go with him," Irwin said. "But if he didn't, we would consider that to be a telltale sign, because that was just a risk that we weren't prepared to take.

"We just didn't dump Robby just to get Johnny. We wouldn't do anything like that," he added. "This thing just came up bad, and believe me we will find a way to make this up to him."

They better.

"The reason I took off was to get well for today. It kind of backfired on me," Albarado said after climbing off a horse in the race after the Derby. "It's going to take some time to go gather this together."

The two jockeys crossed paths only once after the switch, earlier Saturday, when Velazquez asked his fellow jock how he was holding up and Albarado said only, "You're riding a good horse." Velazquez said that depending on how good, he might have a little something for Albarado the next time they met.

"I told Robby if we win this race," Velazquez recalled, "'I'm going to take care of you."

But that was only because the he took care of the important business first.

Breaking from the No. 16 post, he guided Animal Kingdom to the back of first flight and sat four lengths off the lead heading into the first turn. Before the race, trainer Graham Motion had kept the instructions as simple as possible: Stay out of trouble, don't give up too much ground, save him for a push at the end.

As little as Velazquez knew about the colt, he turned out to be a quick study. As the stampede pounded down the opening stretch, he sensed he was going to be in the mix by the finish.

"He gave me so much confidence going into that first turn ... it's like you have the horse to get out of trouble and get to the spot you want," he recalled. "And when I asked him to run, he was there for me. It's a feeling you can't describe."

It might not be the only exhilarating moment Velazquez knows this month. He's a finalist for the Hall of Fame, with the results announced May 13. A week later, he will be getting ready for the Preakness, the second leg of the Triple Crown, with racing's version of a quarterback controversy: whether to stay in the saddle for Animal Kingdom or go back to Uncle Mo.

"I think I'm going to cross that bridge when we get there," he said, grinning again.

"No, seriously, I think this horse, the way it runs today, it would be a very hard decision for me to get and go to another one. That's just the way it is."

___

Jim Litke is a national sports columnist for The Associated Press. Write to him at jlitke(at)ap.org

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