Semoran Upsets Distorted Humor in Kentucky Cup

Semoran, trained by Bob Baffert and ridden by Kent Desormeaux, was the upset winner of the $500,000 Kentucky Cup Classic on Saturday at Turfway Park in Florence, Ky.

Semoran covered the 1 1/8 miles in 1:48, finishing a length ahead of Distorted Humor. Coup d’ Argent, the 8-5 favorite, was third, another half-length back.

The Kentucky Cup Day of Champions program, with purses totaling more than $1.1 million, included three other graded stakes plus a $100,000 race that was supposed to be Vivid Angel’s stepping stone to the Breeders’ Cup.

But Nurse Goodbody, trained by Joe Petalino and ridden by Eddie Martin Jr., was the upset winner of the Kentucky Cup Juvenile Fillies as Vivid Angel, trained by Baffert, finished fourth.

Laydown, trained by Nick Zito and ridden by Mike Smith, won the 1 1/16-mile Grade III Kentucky Cup Juvenile. Partner’s Hero, trained by Wayne Lukas and ridden by Pat Day, won the six-furlong Grade II Kentucky Cup Sprint.

Track and Field

Wilson Kipketer a 24-year-old Kenyan competing for Denmark, clinched the 1997 overall Grand Prix title by winning the 800-meter run at the Fukuoka (Japan) Grand Prix, the last meet on the circuit.

Kipketer, who set the world record of 1:41.11 last month, was timed in 1:42.98 seconds.

He earned $200,000 for the overall title and $50,000 for the 800 event title.

German discus-thrower Lars Riedel finished second with 99 points, and American hurdler Mark Crear was third at 95.

The women’s overall title and the $250,000 went to German shot-putter Astrid Kumbernuss.

In the 110-meter hurdles, Crear won in 13.03 and Frank Fredericks of Namibia won the 200 in 19.81 seconds.

Marion Jones of Thousand Oaks, the 100-meter world champion, won the 200 meters in 21.84 seconds, 0.08 seconds ahead of Merlene Ottey of Jamaica.

Golf

Greg Norman eagled the ninth hole by holing a 130-yard shot and tied fellow Australian Peter O’Malley for the third-round lead in the Lancome Trophy at Saint-Nom-la-Breteche, France.

Norman and O’Malley both fired three-under-par 68s for 54-hole totals of 201, 12-under-par.

Mark O’Meara, the only member of the U.S. Ryder Cup team playing in this tournament, was one stroke back at 66.

Bill Glasson shot a 67 to take a 13-under-par, one stroke lead over John Adams in the CVS Charity Classic at Sutton, Mass.

Adams shot a 67 to head into the final round at 12-under. Brian Henninger shot a 63 and was two strokes back, tied with Chris Smith, Loren Roberts and Craig Parry.

Hale Irwin birdied five of the final six holes for a seven-under-par 65 and a share of the second-round lead with David Graham at nine-under 135 in the Boone Valley Classic at Augusta, Mo.

Gil Morgan (67), John Bland (68) and Dale Douglass (69) were two back at 137, and Dave Eichelberger (70) followed at 138.

Basketball

Fresno State freshman point guard Rafer Alston was suspended after a fight with a former girlfriend. Coach Jerry Tarkanian suspended Alston indefinitely after an altercation with Rachel Anderson.

Tennis

Jim Perley of Coronado defeated former U.S. Davis Cup member Gene Scott, 6-7 (1-7), 6-3, 7-5 to advance to the final of the 60 singles of the USTA Men’s Grass Court Championships at Lawrence, N.Y.

Perley, seeded fifth, will face No. 8 Jim Nelson of Irvine, who defeated Elmer Mangrum of San Jose, 2-6, 6-3, 6-1, in today’s final.

In the 65 singles, top-seeded Russell Seymour of Flint, Texas, defeated third-seeded Whitney Reed of Mount Lake Terrace, Wash., 7-5, 6-1 to advance to the final against No. 6 King Lamert of Sun Valley, Idaho. Lamert advanced with a 6-1, 6-4 victory over No. 8 Ernie Schultz of Rancho Palos Verdes.

In the 70 singles, No. 5 Ed Kauder of Sun Valley defeated defending champion Nichols Graydon of Hanford, 7-5, 4-6, 6-3 to advance to the final against No. 2 Fred Kovaleski of New York. Kovaleski defeated No. 3 Bill Tully of Fort Lauderdale, 6-3, 7-5.

Carlos Moya of Spain defeated Greg Rusedski of England, 6-2, 6-2, in the semifinals of the Samsung clay-court tournament. Moya will play Felix Mantilla of Spain, who defeated Marcos Ondruska of South Africa, 6-7 (2-7), 6-1, 6-1, in today’s final.

Marc Rosset of Switzerland upset top-seeded Yevgeny Kafelnikov of Russia, 3-6, 7-6 (7-5), 6-2, to advance to the final of the President’s Cup tournament. Rosset will face No. 2 Tim Henman of Britain, who defeated No. 6 Francisco Clavet of Spain, 6-3, 7-5.

Miscellany

The United States defeated the Dominican Republic, 15-6, 15-6, 15-4, to advance to the second round of the XV North and Central American and Caribbean Volleyball Championships at Caguas, Puerto Rico.

The U.S. faces Cuba for the right to advance to the World Cup.

NBA forward Tom Hammonds and former player Larry Nance qualified in the Pro Stock division of the NHRA Pioneer Electronics Keystone Nationals at Mohnton, Pa.

Hammonds had a quarter-mile run of 7.009 seconds at 197.10 mph. Nance finished in 7.010 seconds at 196.46 mph.

Jim Yates topped the Pro Stock qualifiers with a track-record run of 6.946 seconds at 197.67 mph.

Scott Kalitta stayed No. 1 in Top Fuel with his pass of 4.645 seconds at 313.80 mph from Friday. Chuck Etchells also stayed atop Funny Car with his Friday pass of 4.982 seconds at 309.91 mph.