Orb is 3-1 favorite in Belmont Stakes

Back home again in New York, Kentucky Derby winner Orb is the horse to beat in the Belmont Stakes.

Orb was made the 3-1 morning-line favorite in a field of 14 entered for Saturday’s final leg of the Triple Crown at Belmont Park, and trainer Shug McGaughey is confident his colt can bounce back from his fourth-place finish behind Oxbow in the Preakness.

“He’s been here for three weeks, and I think it has to be a help not only mentally but being familiar with the footing as well,” McGaughey said. “He’s done well here and trained well here. … I’m going to strike a line through the Preakness. It wasn’t his day. It was [trainer] Wayne Lukas and Oxbow and Gary Stevens’ day. We’re going to regroup and hopefully you’ll see the right horse here on Saturday.”

Orb drew the No. 5 post Wednesday, with Oxbow two gates over in No. 7. Revolutionary, one of trainer Todd Pletcher’s record five entries, is the second choice at 9-2. Oxbow is next at 5-1.

The field for the 1 1/2 -mile Belmont is the largest since 1996, when Lukas won the race with Editor’s Note.

“It’s a great advantage to be on your home court, where you train your horses,” said Lukas, who used to have a Belmont-based stable. “They don’t have to ship in and get settled, and then get over the surface. They’ve already been doing that.”

Orb, under Joel Rosario, navigated his way past 16 rivals in the final half mile of the Derby to win by 2 1/2 lengths. In the Preakness, Orb was unable to find running room outside after breaking from the rail, and Oxbow led wire-to-wire under Stevens.

Pletcher is looking for his second Belmont win. He won it in 2007 with the filly Rags to Riches, and Unlimited Budget could make him two for two with his Belmont fillies if Rosie Napravnik can pull off the upset and become the second female rider to win a Triple Crown race (Julie Krone won the 1993 Belmont with Colonial Affair).

Pletcher will also send out Overanalyze, Palace Malice and Midnight Taboo.

ETC: Roethlisberger has ‘minor’ knee surgery

Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger underwent what Coach Mike Tomlin called “minor” surgery Wednesday to deal with lingering discomfort in his right knee. Roethlisberger, 31, who will miss next week’s mini-camp, is expected to return when Pittsburgh opens training camp in July.

The surgery is the second one on Roethlisberger’s right knee during his nine-year career. He missed four games in 2005 after having a similar procedure but came back to lead the Steelers to their fifth Super Bowl title.

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Arizona Cardinals quarterbacks coach Freddie Kitchens underwent heart surgery and the team says his early prognosis is “positive.” A team statement says Kitchens did not feel well and left Tuesday’s OTA practice. The team’s medical staff sent Kitchens to a hospital, where a CT scan revealed a defect in his aorta.

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Coach Rex Ryan says the New York Jets are not close to deciding on a starting quarterback and he won’t make that call until he feels “100% comfortable.” Mark Sanchez, the incumbent trying to revive his career, and Geno Smith, the rookie from West Virginia, are competing for the job.

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The Denver Broncos are mourning the deaths of running backs coach Eric Studesville’s parents in an auto accident in the Texas Panhandle. Al and Jan Studesville were killed Tuesday when an 18-wheeler crossed into the westbound lanes on U.S. Highway 54 and struck the Wisconsin couple’s motorcycle head-on, according to the Texas Department of Public Safety.

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USC is apparently the destination of choice for Delvon Simmons, a defensive lineman who played the last two seasons at Texas Tech and tweeted Wednesday that he was going to be a Trojan.

The 6-foot-5, 290-pound Simmons, from McKeesport, Pa., signed a national letter of intent with North Carolina in February 2011. But he was granted his release, at his request, and enrolled at Texas Tech.

Last season, Simmons played in 13 games and had six tackles for losses, including two sacks. He requested and was granted his release to transfer.

—Gary Klein

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Penn State’s trustees are on a mission to promote the reforms they have enacted as a result of the Jerry Sandusky child molestation scandal, hoping their record might persuade the NCAA to reconsider its crippling penalties against the university before they are due to expire in 2018.

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Star goalkeeper Hope Solo will make her return to the U.S. team roster after fully recovering from left wrist surgery. Solo, who has 135 international appearances, will be available for matches against South Korea on June 15 and June 20, her first time back with the U.S. women since February.