Big Victory for Dramatic Gold

Southland-based Dramatic Gold won the Molson Export Million by 1 1/2 lengths at Woodbine in Toronto on Sunday, ending Canada’s string of success in the race for 3-year-olds.

The gelding, owned by John and Betty Mabee of San Diego, was the first American-bred to win the 8-year-old race since Prized won in 1989. Canadian-breds had won the last four races.

Dramatic Gold, running out of the No. 11 hole, took the lead by going three-wide at the quarter-pole. Corey Nakatani, leading rider at the recent Del Mar meeting, held Dramatic Gold off the pace set by Nice To Know, making his move on the final turn to cover the 1 1/8 miles on the dirt in 1:49 4/5.

“I pushed the button and he gave me everything he had to win the race,” Nakatani said.

Dramatic Gold, who earned $600,000, was the second betting choice and paid $8.60, $4.60 and $3.50.

Bruce’s Mill paid $6.30 and $3.50. Concern, a slight favorite over Dramatic Gold, returned $2.80. Golden Gear finished fourth, followed by Basqueian, Powis Castle, Parental Pressure, Road Rush, Unaccounted For, Nice To Know and Alynar.

College Football

Top-ranked Florida increased its lead over No. 2 Nebraska in the Associated Press college football poll, while Penn State climbed to No. 5 after its third consecutive blowout.

Florida widened its margin over Nebraska from nine points to 17 points after beating Tennessee, 31-0, on Saturday, the Volunteers’ worst home defeat in 70 years.

The Gators received 33 first-place votes and 1,507 points from a nationwide media panel. Nebraska, which defeated visiting UCLA, 49-21, got 20 first-place votes and 1,490 points.

UCLA is 18th, USC 19th.

Nebraska still is No. 1 in the USA Today/CNN coaches’ poll, but its lead over Florida was narrowed to six points.

Cycling

Reigning World Cup champion Francois Gachet of France and Missy Giove of Durango, Colo., won downhill titles on the final day of the World Mountain Bike Championships at Vail, Colo.

Tennis

Unseeded Franco Davin of Argentina needed only 85 minutes to upset top-seeded Goran Ivanisevic of Croatia, 6-2, 6-4, to win the Romanian Open Tennis tournament at Bucharest.

Wayne Ferreira of South Africa defeated Jeff Tarango of Manhattan Beach, 6-0, 7-5, to win the Passing Shot tournament at Bordeaux, France, and complete a busy weekend.

Ferreira had to play four matches within 30 hours as rains plagued the tournament throughout the week. On Saturday, the second-seeded Ferreira defeated Mats Wilander of Sweden and Olivier Delaitre of France.

Unseeded Nicolas Pereira became the first Venezuelan to win an ATP Tour singles title in the Open Era, defeating sixth-seeded Mauricio Hadad of Colombia, 6-3, 3-6, 6-4, in the final of the Club Colombia Open at Bogota, Colombia.

The International Tennis Federation has decided to change the specifications of tennis balls to meet different court conditions in an attempt to make the sport more entertaining.

ITF President Brian Tobin said that the new balls to be used immediately will reduce the advantage held by the power servers and increase rallying.

“Harder balls will be used on slow surfaces and softer balls on faster surfaces,” he said at the end of the four-day annual meeting of the federation in Hong Kong.

The ITF also has implemented a 20-second rule between points for tournaments under its jurisdiction--the Davis Cup, Grand Slam tournaments and Federation Cup events.

Miscellany

Clarence Williams, a former running back with the San Diego Chargers and Washington Redskins, was shot and killed Saturday night while driving, police in Columbia, S.C., said. He was 39.

Police would not say where the incident took place or if Williams was killed in a drive-by shooting. There are no suspects and the investigation is continuing.

South Korean challenger Lee Hyung-chul wore down Japan’s Katsuya Onizuka and stopped him in the ninth round at Tokyo, taking his World Boxing Assn. junior bantamweight title.

It ended Onizuka’s perfect record of 24 consecutive victories, 17 by knockout. The Kyodo News Service quoted Onizuka, 24, as saying he would retire.

Dino Baggio and Fernando Couto, who were acquired during the off-season, scored off headers in the first half as Parma beat Cagliari, 2-1, at Rome and moved into sole possession of first place in the Italian League.

Pedro Carrion of Cuba defeated Russia’s Andrei Mossev in the over-200-pound category at the eighth Amateur World Under-19 Boxing Championships in Istanbul, Turkey.

Carrion’s victory brought Cuba’s total gold medal tally in the nine-day competition to seven in 12 weight categories.

The U.S. team took home one silver and two bronze medals after Terrence Churchwell lost to Romania’s Simion Dorel in the final of the 125 1/2-pound category.

Taylor Knox of Carlsbad won the Body Glove/Hawaiian Airlines Surfbout VII of San Clemente.