Briefs
At The Meadows
Touchamatic proved once again Tuesday she’s the dominant pacing mare at The Meadows, cruising to a 1:50.1 victory in the $18,000 Filly & Mare Open Handicap. It was the eighth victory in the last nine starts for the 5-year-old daughter of American Ideal-Perfect Touch.
Despite a demanding 26.2 opening panel from post 6, Touchamatic had plenty in the tank for Aaron Merriman, holding off the pocket-sitting Keystone Riptide by 1-1/4 lengths. Medusa finished third. It was one of three wins for Merriman on the 13-race card.
Bill Bercury trains Touchamatic, who soared over $300,000 in career earnings, for Renee Bercury.
Rain disrupts
College World Series
Weather woes hit this year’s College World Series for the first time Tuesday, with the afternoon elimination game between Louisville and Auburn suspended after four innings because of rain and the night game between Vanderbilt and Mississippi State postponed until Wednesday.
The NCAA announced Louisville-Auburn would resume at noo. Vanderbilt-Mississippi State and the regularly scheduled Wednesday night game between Florida State and Texas Tech will follow.
Louisville led 4-1 when the TD Ameritrade Park grounds crew rolled out the tarp to cover the field.
One reason officials wanted to start the afternoon game: There could be more inclement weather later in the week, Buhr said. The forecast is favorable for Wednesday, but there are chances for rain Thursday and Friday. Had the forecast been clear for the rest of the week, Buhr said, it might have been decided to postpone both Tuesday games.
In the NBA
A person familiar with the decision tells the Associated Press that Boston Celtics center Al Horford will decline his player option for next season and become an unrestricted free agent.
The person spoke to the AP on the condition of anonymity Tuesday because the decision has not been announced. ESPN was first to report Horford’s decision.
A five-time All-Star, the 33-year-old Horford joins point guard Kyrie Irving, who also won’t exercise his option to remain in Boston for the final year of his contract. Horford signed a four-year, $113 million deal in 2016.
Among the preseason favorites in the Eastern Conference before last season, the Celtics finished the regular season 49-33. They were eliminated 4-1 in the conference semifinals by the Milwaukee Bucks.
Horford was one of Boston’s steadiest players throughout, averaging 13.9 points and nine rebounds in the postseason.
n An attorney for a deputy involved in an altercation with the president of the Toronto Raptors as he tried to join his team on the court to celebrate their NBA championship said his client suffered a concussion and is on medical leave.
Attorney David Mastagni said Tuesday the 20-year-veteran of the Alameda County Sheriff’s Office has a jaw injury and is considering filing a lawsuit.
Sheriff’s Sgt. Ray Kelly says the deputy was checking court-access credentials after the game Thursday in Oakland against the Golden State Warriors when Raptors President Masai Ujiri shoved the deputy and Ujiri’s arm struck him in the side of the head.
Kelly says investigators are questioning witnesses and the office hopes to file a report to prosecutors recommending a misdemeanor battery charge against Ujiri.
The team said last week it was cooperating with the investigation and gathering information on its own. It had no further comment Tuesday.
The name of the deputy has not been released.