Mayweather-Cotto video: Postfight analysis of Floyd's toughest fight and Web links

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LAS VEGAS -- Floyd Mayweather improved to 43-0 on Saturday night, but not without a fight. Mayweather withstood perhaps his toughest test to date, outlasting Miguel Cotto in a unanimous decision victory at MGM Grand.

For anybody who missed the fight -- or just wants to see this battle again -- HBO will replay it next Saturday at 10:15 p.m. ET along with the Saul "Canelo" Alvarez-Shane Mosley fight from the undercard.

Check out the accompanying postfight analysis from MLive.com's David Mayo, where he explains how he scored the fight, why Mayweather's style against Cotto might be what he is going forward and who might be his next opponent.

Here are some links from around the the Web after Mayweather's win:

• Yahoo! Sports' Kevin Iole says Mayweather made a statement against Cotto that he's not only an entertainer outside the ring, he can do some damage inside as well. Iole also noted it was the first time since Mayweather's fight against Oscar De La Hoya in 2007 that you could actually tell he's been in a fight afterward. [Yahoo!]

• ESPN.com's Dan Rafael wrote "On this night, Mayweather took the test from Cotto inside the ring. He passed. Again." Rafael scored the bout 116-112 for Mayweather. [ESPN]

• SI.com's Bryan Armen Graham wrote Mayweather proved he was better than ever: "If Saturday's fight is indeed the end for Mayweather, one of the most divisive figures in the sport's rich history couldn't have picked a braver way to go out. It was a fight anyone fortunate enough to witness will be talking about for years, the night he finally -- for all his counterintuitive bluster through the years -- actually gave the fans what they wanted." [SI.com]

• SI.com's Chris Mannix scored the bout 116-112 for Mayweather, but also says the fight was closer than the scorecards indicate. Mayweather swept the final three rounds on all of the judges' scorecards. [SI.com]

• LA Times writer Lance Pugmire actually scored the bout 115-113 for Cotto. Pugmire had Cotto winning rounds 2, 3, 6, 7, 8, 10 and 11. You can check out his round-by-round recap for his reasoning. [LA Times]

• NY Times writer Greg Bishop writes that Mayweather seemed to draw energy from a bloody nose, a result of some direct shots from Cotto. Because of the great action in the fight, Bishop said Saturday was a night nobody seemed to mind Mayweather wasn't fighting Manny Pacquiao. [NY Times]

• The Telegraph's Gareth Davies wrote "This was Mayweather at his brilliant best, taking risks at times when he countered off the ropes, but showing mastery of his offensive and defensive skills."

5 things from Mayweather-Cotto

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LAS VEGAS -- Five things we learned from Saturday's Floyd Mayweather Jr.-Miguel Cotto card at the MGM Grand:

1. There's good, there's very good, and there's great

With every fight, Mayweather is moving up the all-time list. For years, one knock on his record was that, as good as he frequently looked, we didn't know how he would react when he was rocked or when he was in a real dogfight. We know now. When Shane Mosley hurt him badly in the second round of their fight two years ago, Mayweather turned it around and dominated every minute of every subsequent round. When Cotto dragged him into the trenches Saturday night, Mayweather engaged him, firing off the ropes; and when it looked like the effectiveness of that technique was waning after Cotto's blistering eighth round, Floyd changed strategies completely and sailed away with the final third of the bout.

There are plenty of reasons that those fans who don't like Mayweather will find to support their position. But his skills and ability shouldn't be among them. We are watching a genuinely great boxer in his pomp. Whatever our feelings of him as a person, we should allow ourselves to enjoy and marvel at his talent.

2. Seriously, enough's enough. It's time

For all the talk of "that" fight, for all the yapping from both sides, the prospect of Floyd Mayweather fighting Manny Pacquiao has, in the buildup to Saturday's contest, rarely if ever seemed more remote. But now, more than ever, it has to happen. Cotto was the best of the rest and he has been summarily dispatched. Outside of, say, Sergio Martinez or perhaps, in the case of Pacquiao, a fourth meeting with Juan Manuel Marquez, there's nobody left. Assuming Pacquiao makes it past Timothy Bradley Jr. on June 9, Mayweather-Pacquiao has to be next. Even as he poured cold water on the prospect of the fight ever happening, Mayweather admitted that "there's really nobody else out there for me."

3. Miguel Cotto was sold short

Even among those who gave Cotto credit for his skill and experience, who offered the caveat that against almost any other likely opponent, he would be favored, the Puerto Rican star was given next to no chance. One person who didn't sell him short, at least publicly, was Mayweather, and as he stood at the postfight news conference with his face uncharacteristically marked up, it was clear why. Cotto fought with enough intelligence and persistence that, through eight rounds, the outcome of a Mayweather fight was genuinely in doubt. He fought an almost perfect game plan; it's just that on this night, against this man, it wasn't enough.

4. Canelo Alvarez is a work in progress

There was much to be impressed with in Alvarez's victory over Mosley: He was unruffled, he was steady, he didn't panic when an accidental head-butt opened up a cut over his left eye. He planted his feet and threw compact punches with plenty of torque that thudded off Mosley's head with real impact. At the same time, there are still some areas for improvement, as is to be expected from such a young fighter. Alvarez could stand to be more active, to throw more punches, to start earlier. When he threw combinations, they were beautifully effective; he just didn't throw them enough. A case could be made that, after almost folding Mosley in half with body shots in the ninth, Alvarez should have taken it up a notch and tried to finish him. But for all the doubts and incomplete grades, this fight also highlighted the talent that is there, and the reception from the crowd underlined the stardom that assuredly awaits Alvarez as long as the wins keep coming.

5. The ride is over for Shane Mosley

Whatever doubts had been raised about Mosley's commitment to battle after the disappointing performances against Pacquiao and Mayweather, the 40-year-old erased them with his determined effort to stand and trade with the younger, stronger Alvarez. But while he was not afraid to pull the trigger, Mosley's punches lacked the speed and snap that were his trademark when he was at his peak. He looked at times almost as if he were punching through treacle. It is often said that the last thing a fighter loses is his punch, but Mosley had nothing in his arsenal with which to deter his younger foe. As Mosley admitted, when the young kids start beating you, maybe it's time to turn to promoting. Mosley has had a terrific career. It's time for that career to end on the relative high note of making a defiant last stand.

Mayweather Wins Unanimously Over Cotto

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Floyd Mayweather Jr. used his speed and accuracy Saturday night to take a unanimous decision over Miguel Cotto in a bruising bout to win a piece of the 154-pound title.
Mayweather found himself in a real fight, complete with a bloody nose and an opponent in Cotto who was never going to quit. The win for Mayweather did not come easy, as Cotto landed some hard punches and kept attacking all the way to the final bell.
"You're a hell of a champion," Mayweather told Cotto in the ring afterward. "You're the toughest guy I ever fought."
Mayweather dominated late, rocking Cotto in the 12th round to pull out a win and remain unbeaten in 43 fights. Unlike most of his fights, though, Mayweather got his nose bloodied and engaged in some bruising exchanges he usually likes to avoid.
Two judges scored the fight 117-111 and the third had it 118-110. The Associated Press had Mayweather winning 116-112.
Fighting just a few weeks before he enters a county jail to serve a three-month sentence for domestic abuse, Mayweather found himself in a tough fight against a game opponent who never stopped moving forward. But he was faster and more accurate than Cotto and seemed to wear him down in the final rounds.

He's a tough competitor. He came to fight, he didn't just come to survive. I dug down and fought him back.

- Floyd Mayweather Jr., About Miguel Cotto

In the last round, Mayweather landed his best punch of the night, a left uppercut that seemed to hurt Cotto. He followed that with several flurries to the head to wrap up a decision that until the later rounds had been in doubt.
The decision was roundly booed by the crowd at the MGM Grand arena, which cheered wildly every time Cotto landed a punch.
"He's a tough competitor," Mayweather said. "He came to fight, he didn't just come to survive. I dug down and fought him back."
Cotto was never down, though he seemed hurt several times during the fight, particularly in the 12th round.
"The judges said I lost the fight, I can't do anything else," Cotto said. "I'm happy with my fight and performance and so is my family. I can't ask for anything else."
Mayweather, who was guaranteed $32 million, was forced to fight every minute of all 12 rounds against the Puerto Rican champion. He did it after weighing in at 151 pounds, the heaviest he has ever been for a fight.
The weight didn't seem to affect Mayweather, and neither did the heavier 10-ounce gloves at super welterweight. But he took some punishment, including a bloody nose during the middle rounds, before coming back to dish some out in the later rounds.
"When you fight on pay-per-view you have to give the fans what they want, and that's excitement," Mayweather said.
Mayweather entered the ring unbeaten in his 16-year pro career, and a 6-1 favorite to stay that way. The fighter who has become the biggest pay-per-view attraction in the sport padded his already thick wallet with the fight, but he was forced to earn every penny of it.
The win gave Mayweather the 154-pound title held by Cotto, and assured him of still being a champion when he reports to jail June 1 for a sentence stemming from a domestic abuse case involving his former girlfriend and their children.
"In life there's obstacles," Mayweather said. "When it comes to June 1, I have to accept it like a man."
Mayweather will be in jail when Manny Pacquiao fights in the same ring June 9 at the MGM Grand against Timothy Bradley. Though boxing fans have clamored for a Mayweather-Pacquiao fight, it has yet to be made — and may never be made.
That's partly because of Mayweather's insistence that Pacquiao submit to Olympic-style drug testing, though Pacquiao has already said he will do that.
"I want to fight Pacquiao but he needs to take the tests before we make that fight," Mayweather said.
Cotto came out looking slow and overmatched in the first round, but quickly settled into a routine, attacking Mayweather from behind his left jab. But Mayweather got more aggressive coming out to start the fourth round, and landed a series of rights to the head that stunned Cotto and kept him from moving forward effectively.
Mayweather fought good portions of the fight on the ropes, using them for leverage and counterpunching to Cotto's head when he opened up. He was not only quicker than Cotto, but more accurate, often landing in between Cotto's defenses.
"He's ready to quit," trainer Roger Mayweather told his nephew after the sixth round.
But Cotto was relentless, coming forward and hitting Mayweather with good shots to the head. Toward the end of the eighth round he landed several punches to the head, prompting Mayweather to shake his head as if they didn't hurt, but by then Mayweather was bleeding from the nose and looked like he had taken some punishment.
Punch stats showed Mayweather landing 179 of 687 punches to 105 of 506 to Cotto.
Cotto, who fell to 37-3, was guaranteed his biggest purse ever, $8 million.

Kentucky Derby: Gutierrez Rides I'll Have Another to Win Read more: http://latino.foxnews.com/latino/sports/2012/05/06/kentucky-derby-gutierrez-rides-ill-have-another-to-win/#ixzz1u7QjFy97

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Making his Kentucky Derby debut at 25, Mario Gutíerrez rode I'll Have Another past highly regarded Bodemeister to win by 1 1-2 lengths on Saturday, beating one of the deepest fields in years.
Gutíerrez got his chance to ride I'll Have Another after trainer Doug O'Neill and owner J. Paul Reddam happened to see him at Santa Anita in Southern California.
I'll Have Another looked like just another horse at the Kentucky Derby. Until the final furlong, that is. That's when the chestnut colt — sold for a paltry $11,000 made his move.
I'll Have Another stormed out of post No. 19 — the first winner from there in 138 runnings of the Derby — and bided his time back in mid-pack while Bodemeister set a blistering pace on a muggy, 85-degree afternoon at Churchill Downs.
"He's an amazing horse. I kept telling everybody, from the first time I met him, I knew he was the one. I knew he was good," jockey Mario Gutíerrez said. "I said in an interview, even if they allowed me to pick from the whole rest of the field, I would have stayed with him, 100 percent, no doubt about it."
"I don't know if he won or not, but he really looked good in the irons to me," said Reddam, who owns CashCall, a lending company in Anaheim, Calif. "I said, 'We need to try some new blood.'"
It was another chapter in Gutíerrez's unusual route to the Derby winner's circle. He followed in his father's footsteps as a jockey, getting on quarterhorses in Veracruz, Mexico, at 14. After a stint in Canada, he eventually started getting noticed on the West Coast, especially after winning the Santa Anita Derby last month.
"Top trainers, top owners, of course, they're not going to know anything about me," he said.
Still, Gutíerrez was largely a mystery to the record crowd of 165,307, who didn't know 15-1 shot I'll Have Another or the jockey had the right stuff until the 20-horse field turned for home. That's when Gutíerrez, who moved up between horses around the final turn, positioned his colt not far from the rail and set him down to run.
"I know my horse was reaching every single step of the way, but I wasn't going to stop riding until I was passing the wire," he said. "That is when the horse race is finished."
I'll Have Another overhauled a tiring Bodemeister to win by 1 1-2 lengths. He paid $32.60, $13.80 and $9. He ran 1 1-4 miles in 2:01.83.
Bodemeister, trained by three-time Derby winner Bob Baffert, was second and returned $6.20 and $5.60 as the 4-1 favorite. Dullahan was a neck back in third and paid $7.20 to show.
O'Neill didn't waste any time vowing that I'll Have Another will go on to the Preakness in two weeks.
"Maryland, here we come, baby!" he said.
They'll go to Pimlico as one of the favorites as a result of I'll Have Another's Derby win and his catchy name. It has nothing to do with alcohol; it's Reddam's response to his wife's nightly query of "Do you want any more cookies?" as he lounges on the couch.
It's an offer the portly Reddam rarely refuses.
I'll Have Another made his way to the starting gate accompanied by his stable pony, Lava Man, another cheap purchase turned into a career winner of more than $5 million by O'Neill. The trainer has made his name predominantly in Southern California, although he's won three Breeders' Cup races.
One of his best horses, Steviewonderboy, was the winter favorite for the 2006 Derby before being sidelined by injuries early that year.
"When you tell people you're in the horse racing game, they ask you, 'Have you won the Kentucky Derby?'" O'Neill said. "Now I can say, 'Yes, I have, 2012.'"
A hot pace was anticipated from speedster Trinniberg, although, surprisingly, it was Bodemeister under jockey Mike Smith who bolted to the front and forced Trinniberg to take a backseat. In the late afternoon heat, Bodemeister set impossibly fast fractions. He ran the opening quarter-mile in 22.32 seconds and the half-mile in 45.39.
"I told Mike, 'Look, if he breaks great and feels like running, we can win it," said Baffert, who was hospitalized just five weeks ago following a heart attack in Dubai. "That's the only time I've run second where I've been happy because he ran his race."
Meanwhile, I'll Have Another was comfortably galloping along behind the speedsters. Gutíerrez angled his colt clear on the final turn and took dead-aim at Bodemeister, who was clearly in front at the top of the stretch.
"I knew we were in trouble when I saw Doug's horse coming," said Smith, who won the Derby with 50-1 shot Giacomo in 2005.
Union Rags, the 5-1 second choice, never had a chance. He got pinched at the start and was trapped between rivals. Gemologist, the 8-1 third choice, lost for the first time in six starts, finishing 16th.
Hansen, the Breeders' Cup Juvenile winner and 2-year-old champion, faded to ninth.
Went the Day Well finished fourth, followed by Creative Cause and Liaison.
Rousing Sermon was eighth. Daddy Nose Best was 10th, followed by Optimizer, Alpha, El Padrino, Done Talking and Sabercat. Trinniberg was 17th, followed by Prospective, Take Charge Indy and Daddy Long Legs, who was last.

Mayweather Vs. Cotto Full Fight Video Highlights

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Miguel Cotto and Floyd Mayweather went to war in a great HBO pay-per-view main event that saw Mayweather get a deserved, but very hard fought, victory. Cotto was able to punish the body and land enough punches to Floyd's face to actually draw blood from a man who almost never gets hit clean.
For Cotto, it was a fight that proved that he is truly an elite fighter, capable of hanging with any man in the world. While Floyd was forced to fight an entertaining, crowd pleasing fight and couldn't coast to an easy decision victory. It was a fight that may be deserving of a rematch as a mega-fight between Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao seems unlikely and Oscar De La Hoya says that Saul "Canelo" Alvarez, who trounced Shane Mosley on the undercard, isn't quite ready to step up to Floyd.

Floyd Mayweather Bieber Said Knock You Out!

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Of course Floyd Mayweather took care of business last night against Miguel Cotto -- he had the dreaded masters of intimidation in his corner, like Lil Wayne, 50 Cent and ... Justin Bieber?

Bieber walked out with Mayweather before the fight and was in the ring with him after to celebrate the victory.

It's unclear how the two hooked up, though Bieber did once compare himself to Mayweather in an interview. Earlier in the day, Bieber tweeted, "cinco de mayo.... #MayweatherCotto yeah @FloydMayweather today is a BIG day."

Mayweather Vs. Cotto And UFC On Fox Results: 10 Brightest Stars From Weekend's Combat Action

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Last night was a phenomenal night for fight fans. The UFC returned to Fox with an exciting effort that, while lacking starpower to bring big ratings, certainly brought enough action to reward those that did choose to tune in. Boxing had a great night as well with some big fights that actually delivered.

Let's take a look at the five best performances from the evening's action (in no particular order). Remember, this isn't about winning or losing, it's about coming out of the night in a better place than you entered. So yes, it's similar to the earlier winners and losers post, but covering all weekend and a bit different in scope:

• Nate Diaz - I thought Miller was a horrible match-up for him, representing someone who did the things that a better fighter can do to beat Nate. Instead, Diaz dominated the clinch and did whatever he wanted at range. I don't exactly see Nate as a guy who beats Frankie Edgar or Ben Henderson, but it's going to be fun to watch him try.

• Floyd Mayweather - Yeah, obviously the two guys who won main event fights go on the list, but Floyd actually put on a deeply crowd pleasing fight, remained undefeated and will probably pocket close to $50 million when he gets his cut of everything. He's off to jail for a short stint (which will be reduced to six months most likely), but he's turned the PR battle against Manny Pacquiao in his way with smart media plays and now by taking on a game Cotto and coming out on top.

• Saul "Canelo" Alvarez - Alvarez came out and did what was expected, landing huge shots on Shane Mosley for twelve rounds. It may have been predictable, but he continues to carry the aura of a true superstar and he fought a Mosley that was actually punching back. Canelo also suffered the first cut of his career and didn't seem to care, continuing to fire away with huge bombs.

• "Sugar" Shane Mosley - Since we're on the topic, Mosley may have gotten thoroughly roughed up against Canelo, but he at least did it in a way he can be proud of. After looking absolutely awful against Mayweather, Pacquiao and Mora and never pulling the trigger, he fought every second of the twelve rounds against Alvarez, never backing down and landing as many punches as he could. He stood in there and fought like hell, even as the fight slipped away from him. He didn't shoot down the idea of retiring after the bout and it certainly wouldn't be the worst thing for him to hang up his gloves.

• Lavar Johnson - Johnson is awesome. He's plenty flawed but he comes to engage in crowd pleasing slugfests and color me shocked that he's managed to win his first two fights in the UFC. This was a fight where all logic suggested that he'd get busted up by a better, more "technical" striker. Instead, he survived exchanges and a few bad positions before just getting too rough for Barry in the clinch and knocking him out in a spectacular moment.

• Alan Belcher - I expected him to win, but I didn't expect him to win after going to the ground and have Palhares latch onto a leg. Belcher remained calm on the ground, waited until he could safely adjust position, rather than freaking out and leaving something exposed, and then punished Palhares. That's a pro level performance and one that moves Belcher in the direction of possibly contending for a title.

• Marco Huck and Ola Afolabi - Neither man got their hand raised yesterday afternoon in Germany, but both made a case that they deserved it after an unbelievable cruiserweight fight. American audiences never really embraced the cruiserweight (200 lb.) division for boxing but it's big internationally and very strong at the moment with a lot of very good fighters. Huck is the #1 cruiserweight on the planet and Afolabi ranks #7 over at Bad Left Hook. The two went back and forth in their battle, as the nature of the fight wore on both men, neither backed down, continuing to fire heavy leather until the final bell. You can read Bad Left Hook's recap of that fight here.

• Michael Johnson - Johnson has improved so much over his last two fights, it's truly remarkable. His expected role was to "play opponent" to Tony Ferguson, Instead he used a really nice striking game. Joe Rogan nailed it during the broadcast, pointing out that Johnson's success was coming from not just throwing the strikes (leg kicks and left hands) that were working over and over, but mixing up his attack, making Ferguson unsure of what was coming next and creating openings.

• Louis Gaudinot - Yeah, Dodson probably got the "bigger" flyweight win, but Gaudinot won the better fight. I thought Gaudinot vs. John Lineker was the more exciting fight (not that there was anything wrong with the Dodson fight, mind you). The two men absolutely threw down in a fun fight and deserved the fight of the night bonus.

Mayweather: Pacquiao fight isn't happening because of Arum

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It's a future that most certainly doesn't include Manny Pacquiao as his next opponent, Mayweather says.

"I'm just really tired of the media and the people being fooled," he said. "The truth is, (Pacquiao's promoter) Bob Arum is not going to let the fight happen. It's not on me. I went to Pacquiao and offered him $40 million, and told him I would wire him $20 million within 48 hours. He turned me down and said he wanted a 50-50 split. I'm like, how can you ask for 50-50 and you're not doing the same numbers that I'm doing.

• STORY: Mayweather beats Cotto by unanimous decision

• PHOTOS: Floyd Mayweather Jr.'s career in pictures

"So once he's free from Bob Arum, will the fight happen? Absolutely. But as of now, he's with Bob Arum so the fight isn't going to happen."

Asked if 21-year-old Mexican superstar Saul "Canelo" Alvarez, who defended his WBC 154-pound title in a unanimous decision victory against Shane Mosley in the co-main event, might be on his short list of possible opponents, Mayweather skated around the question, praising Alvarez but saying he "fought nothing but young pups coming up."

Could this have been Mayweather's last hurrah?

"I don't know right now," he said. "I really don't know. I'll go back home, sit down with (manager) Al (Haymon), sit down with HBO, sit down with my staff and see where we go from here. I don't have to fight if I don't want to. They say save the best for last, and I say, the last fight was a hell of a fight."

Mayweather will have plenty of time to think. He's scheduled to begin serving a prison sentence on June 1.

That's the day Mayweather will leave his family, his freedom and his lavish Las Vegas lifestyle behind, and report to the Clark County Detention Center here to begin serving an 87-day sentence for misdemeanor domestic violence.

Mayweather had faced more than 30 years but a plea bargain resulted in his current sentence. He was supposed to begin serving the time in January, but petitioned judge Melissa Saragosa to move it back to June 1, citing the $100 million economic impact his Cinco de Mayo fight, already reserved, would have on Las Vegas' economy.

It is a date Mayweather is loathe to admit bothers him. He calls June 1 "just another day."

"Everybody knows my situation. June 1st is just an obstacle that's in my way," he says. "When I go away, the only thing it can do is make me stronger as a person. And say to myself, 'Next time you're faced with that situation, approach it in a different way.' When it's all said and done, man can't judge. Only God can judge."

Mayweather's best friend, rapper 50 Cent, did time himself and knows what Mayweather is facing. "One day is two days too many to spend without being able to get up and go and move as you please," he said on HBO's 24/7 series.

Once Mayweather, who earned a record $32 million guaranteed for the Cotto fight, serves all or part of his sentence, he must decide who his next opponent will be, or even if there will be a next opponent.

"I don't know where we're going to go from here because we basically fought everyone in the sport," he said.

Mayweather (43-0, 26 KOs) and Cotto (37-3, 30 KOs) put on a show that will be long remembered as perhaps his toughest battle. He won by unanimous decision in a fight that was closer than the judges' scores of 117-111 twice and 118-110 would indicate.

It's the type of fight Mayweather has seldom engaged in because the style would shorten his career, he says.

"I could've just outboxed (Cotto) and moved, and made it a boring fight," Mayweather, 35, said to his supporters who packed the post-fight press conference and hung on his every word. "But it's a recession. You guys spent your hard-earned dollars to come see me, so I said, (expletive), let me give you guys what you want to see.

"Before I leave this sport, at least I can give the fans one toe-to-toe battle. I could've stayed on the outside and just outboxed him all day. I looked for the knockout. And he's tough as hell."

Kentucky Derby 2012: Miss America, Mary J. Blige Among Stars At Churchill Downs (PHOTOS)

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LOUISVILLE, Ky. — The horses and roses weren't the only famous attractions at the 138th Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs in Louisville.

Actors, musicians and even Miss America, Laura Kaeppeler, strutted down the red carpet leading into the historic racetrack on Saturday. The Run for the Roses usually draws those looking to be seen.

Country singer Miranda Lambert, former University of Kentucky basketball star Anthony Davis and Terry O'Quinn, noted for his role as "John Locke" on the television series "Lost," also made the walk of the famous.

O'Quinn appeared a bit lost when quizzed about his betting plans. When asked which horse he would bet on, O'Quinn replied: "You tell me."

New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick and defensive linemen Chris Canty, Amobi Okoye and Connor Barwin arrived later in the day.

Kentucky Derby 2012: Mitch McConnell Becomes The Soul Of Graciousness

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I picked the winner of the Derby, "I'll Have Another," but for shamefully accidental reasons. Everybody's having another here, juleps, Buds or whatever. So it seemed appropriate.

A certain welcome giddiness takes over during the Derby race. People sing "My Old Kentucky Home" and cry. People who don't like each other share the sagas of their respective dice. People almost forget what they do and who they are in the real world they inhabited before the call to the post -- and the world they will inhabit after they go home.

Sen. Mitch McConnell, who is known in Washington as a relentless and somewhat humorless partisan, became the soul of graciousness as the horses came out on the track. He retreated to the back row of the stands we were in so that my wife, who had never been to the Derby, could have a better view. McConnell made the same offer, and it was gratefully accepted, to Cathy Yarmuth, the wife of Louisville's Democratic congressman, John Yarmuth. "I've seen a lot of those so move up in front," he said. He forgot about politics and talked about sports. He was affable. It is what you do at the Derby. "I'm glad you're having a good time," he said, and even seemed to mean it.

And we were.

Kentucky Derby notebook: Union Rags pinched at start, fails to be a factor

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The Dixie Union colt ridden by Julien Leparoux was pinched back at the break and caught in-between rivals that cost him early position after being one of the most talked about contenders coming into Saturday’s race

“He broke a step a step slow and he usually breaks well from the gate,” Leparoux said. “Then he got bumped and we dropped far back.”

That was only the half of it.

After Union Rags settled into stride, Leparoux had trouble finding a clear running path.

“I had nowhere to go where I could make a move,” Leparoux said. “I knew it was going to be tough to come back.”

The winner of the Fountain of Youth Stakes eventually rallied from 18th to finish seventh.

“He just had a rough trip,” trainer Michael Matz said.

Tarnished gem

Gemologist failed to run his winning streak to six.

The horse trained by Todd Pletcher had won twice at Churchill Downs, but expectations were tempered because of weak competition. Against an especially deep field in the Kentucky Derby, he was fifth until the final half-mile when he fell off the pace and finished 16th.

“I had a beautiful trip. I saved all the ground into the first turn, very comfortable down the backside,” jockey Javier Castellano said. “We were able to relax right behind the speed. Unfortunately, I don’t know why he didn’t run his race.”

Castellano thought the 85-degree heat might’ve had hurt Gemologist, while WinStar Farm president Elliott Walden searched for answers.

“He didn’t run much. It’s very disappointing,” Walden said. “He just didn’t show up.”

Day of disappointment

Last year’s Kentucky Derby-winning group failed to pull a repeat with Went the Day Well after its previous success with Animal Kingdom.

Team Valor Inernational, trainer Graham Motion and jockey John Velazquez looked to be the first owner-trainer-jockey combination to repeat in the Derby since 1973.

But Went the Day Well fell as far back as 17th before closing to finish fourth in a crowded start.

“We didn’t break out of there well and it was screwed up from there on,” Velazquez said. “The horse next to me clipped heels coming out of the gate, so now I’ve got to steady and go inside of him.

“We go to the first turn, and he gets pushed over and I have to steady again.”

Velazquez called it a bad trip, but far from his worse.

“Not at all,” Velazquez said. “I just got shut off.”

Injured Indy?

Trainer Pat Byrne is concerned that Take Charge Indy might have suffered an injury in the Kentucky Derby.

The Florida Derby winner finished 19th. Jockey Calvin Borel, a three-time Derby winner, felt the horse might have had a breathing problem.

Byrne is more concerned with the colt’s legs.

“He’s walking a little gingerly in his left front,” Byrne said. “We probably need to X-ray the ankle.”

Byrne is hoping the problem is nothing serious.

“It’s disappointing but we move on,” he said. “We know it wasn’t a talent issue. Something obviously went wrong.”

Take Charge Indy owners Chuck and Maribeth Sandford live in Marengo, Ill.

Rosie returns

Jockey Rosie Napravnik was back at Belmont Park on Saturday less than 24 hours after she became the first female jockey to win the Kentucky Oaks.

Napravnik was aboard Believe You Can on Friday in the Derby’s counterpart for 3-year-old fillies.

“It’s just been a whirlwind — I haven’t had a chance to sit down and relax yet,” said Napravnik, who returned to finish third on Wildcat Frankie at Belmont, her first race home since her victory. “After the (Oaks) I had over 100 text messages, along with voicemails, Twitter, Facebook messages. We’ve been getting tons of support.”

Napravnik said she had flight delays from her scheduled early morning flight because the plane needed repairs and ended up being three hours late to the park.

“It was a bit of a rough morning,” she said. “It was lucky for me that my first two mounts today at Belmont were scratched, because I wouldn’t have made it.”

Believe it

Believe You Can received extra attention on Saturday as trainer Larry Jones’ newest star filly following the Oaks win.

“She’s wanting treats and she thinks she deserves some reward,” Jones said. “She gets all kind of peppermints, carrots, sweet potatoes, you name it. Whatever she wants, she’s pretty well going to get.

“She ate every bite of her supper, so right now we’re good. She looks bright and happy.”

Jones doesn’t know what will be next for Believe You Can, but will point the 3-year-old to the Mother Goose on July 21. Believe You Can is now the fifth winner in the last eight Kentucky Oaks to also have won the Fair Grounds Oaks.

“There is no better place to prep,” Jones said. “What can you say? It works.”

It had been an especially tough time recently for Jones after his wife, Cindy, was kicked by a yearling and broke three ribs, an arm and dislocated her shoulder. Then, Havre de Grace had a career-ending injury in training last month before colt Mark Valeski was pulled out of Kentucky Derby consideration Tuesday.

Jones believes his luck may be changing.

“May’s turning around,” Jones said. “Maybe we’ll be OK.”

Star power

The 138th Kentucky Derby had no shortage of athletes.

Olympic skier Lindsey Vonn trod the red carpet leading into the historic track on Saturday wearing 6-inch heels, while New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick came to check out the horses.

A few minutes after Belichick entered, a group of defensive linemen — Chris Canty of the New York Giants, University of Louisville alum and Chicago Bears tackle Amobi Okoye and Connor Barwin of the Houston Texans made an appearance. Tennessee Titans defense end Kamerion Wimbley followed a short time later

Tennis players Andre Agassi and his wife, Steffi Graf, arrived to cheers from the crowds.

Kentucky Derby 2012: Hats & Champagne Galore! (PHOTOS)

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Happy post-Cinco de Derby, everyone! How are those margarita/mint julep hangover headaches feeling?
Personally, we're reviving ourselves with a look back at yesterday's fab Derby fashion. You might not have noticed, what with Cinco de Mayo festivities distracting you or the actual horse racing going on (I'll Have Another won the big competition, FYI), but the 2012 Kentucky Derby brought out some lovely hats.
Mixed into the champagne-sipping, horse-cheering fans were several behatted celebrities, including Debra Messing, Tinsley Mortimer, Star Jones, Miranda Lambert and Erin Andrews.
Despite this past year's revived interest in small, quirky fascinators (we wonder why...), the Derby hats were big, bold and bright. There were lots of flowers involved. They were quite matchy-matchy to everyone's outfits. And for the most part, they weren't necessarily the ones we would have chosen... but who really cares when you're drinking champagne from mini bottles with straws??
See the celebs and the regular folks who got dolled up for the Kentucky Derby. Which fascinator was your fave? Vote on the pics!

Kentucky Derby 2012: Take Charge Indy to have surgery for chip in ankle, will miss summer races

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LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Florida Derby winner Take Charge Indy came out of his 19th-place finish in Saturday’s Kentucky Derby with a chip in his left front ankle and will miss the major summer races, trainer Pat Byrne said Sunday morning.

Tom Keyser

Take Charge Indy will have surgery this week to remove a chip from his left front ankle.

Byrne said Take Charge Indy would undergo surgery early this week to have the chip removed. After 60 days of inactivity, Take Charge Indy will resume training, and Byrne hopes to get the horse back for a fall campaign.
“We’d love to make the Breeders’ Cup Classic with him,” Byrne said Sunday morning. “We’ll have to get a prep into him end of September, early October. Main thing is we have an excellent prognosis with him, and we hope to be back in the fall.”
Byrne said that Take Charge Indy would have the surgery performed at the Woodford Equine Hospital in Versailles, and then do his layup time at nearby Fairlawn Farm, operated by Dr. Bill Baker.
Byrne said he hoped to have Take Charge Indy back under tack in July.
Though jockey Calvin Borel thought Take Charge Indy may have bled during the Derby, Byrne said an endoscopic examination indicated that he did not.
“Looking at the race, he was going so easy down the backside, Calvin had a great position and at the three-eighths pole his head came up and he said he switched leads on him,” Byrne said.
Take Charge Indy was one of several horses based in south Florida this winter that did not fare well in the Derby. Though Dullahan and Went the Day Well finished third and fourth, respectively, Union Rags (seventh), Hansen (ninth), Alpha (12th), El Padrino (13th), Gemologist (16th), Trinniberg (17th), and Prospective (18th) were extremely disappointing.
Trainer Todd Pletcher said Gemologist, who entered the Derby 5 for 5 including a victory in the Wood Memorial, was going to spend a week at WinStar Farm in Lexington, before rejoining him at Belmont Park. El Padrino, the Risen Star winner, was flown to Belmont on Sunday. Neither is under consideration for the Preakness, but Pletcher said the Belmont Stakes on June 9 is possible for either or both.

“Both horses seemed to come back in good order, no physical excuses,” Pletcher said. “They both had totally opposite trips. Gemologist broke great, he was first out of the gate, he put himself in position. He may have been a touch rank before he got settled, but he turned loose of the bridle pretty early. El Padrino broke horribly and tried to make steady progress, but couldn’t make an impact.”
Alpha, the Wood Memorial runner-up also was flown back to New York on Sunday. Trainer Kiaran McLaughlin said he felt his horse “melted in front of our eyes” in the paddock due to the heat and large crowd.
McLaughlin said jockey Rajiv Maragh told him he liked the trip Alpha was getting early on in the race, but “down the backside he felt like he never fired and was one-paced.”
McLaughlin said Alpha would not go on to the Preakness, but is possible for the Belmont Stakes.
Shivananda Parbhoo, owner of Trinniberg, said his horse “couldn’t get the distance.” He was to van back to Calder on Monday and will prepare for the Grade 2 Woody Stephens, a seven-furlong race on the Belmont Stakes undercard.

Derby winner I'll Have Another headed to Pimlico on Monday

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But during a long night of celebrating – O’Neill, predictably enough, copped to uttering the name of his horse many times to the bartender – the California trainer and the colt’s connections decided otherwise.

He will ship to Pimlico Monday and is expected to arrive around 5 p.m. to prepare for the Preakness, second leg of the Triple Crown.

“We just figured getting over there and getting settled in would be a good idea,” O’Neill said this morning, at a mostly quiet track.

Mostly quiet until the discovery of a body at about 4:45, outside barn eight, which attracted dozens of police, including a homicide detective and the crime lab. Police said the body was that of an adult Hispanic male and they are treating it as a homicide.

I’ll Have Another came out of his rousing win, in which he chased down Bodemeister to win by 1 ½ lengths, well. O’Neill, who won his first Derby with his third try (he had two horses in 2007), faced the inevitable questions about his horse’s Triple Crown worthiness shortly after arriving at the barn.

“I think this is the kind of colt who can keep it going,” he said.

He said I’ll Have Another is versatile enough to handle any length or type of race.

We’ll find out on May 19.

Of course, his chances at Pimlico depend largely on who he’ll face.

So far, this is what we know for sure:

Bob Baffert, trainer for second-place finisher Bodemeister, is undecided on whether he'll bring his speedy colt (who would probably be the favorite). He could also bring Liason, who went off paying 56.20 to win Saturday but finished sixth, or a fresh horse. He said he likely won't make a decision on Bodemeister until next Monday.

Third-place finisher Dullahan does not seem likely to head east. Trained by Dale Romans, who won the Preakness with Shackleford last year, the colt will probably be saved for the Belmont.

“I’d be very surprised if we went to the Preakness,” owner Jerry Crawford said. “It’s shorter at 1 3/16 miles, has sharper turns, and it would be three races in five weeks for Dullahan. The Belmont seems more likely.”

Graham Motion hasn’t decided whether Went the Day Well will race in the state where he is based. The Fair Hill based trainer and 2011 Kentucky Derby winner, with Animal Kingdom, was distraught at his barn Sunday morning.

“We had a chance to make history,” he said, referring to repeating. “You don’t get that very often.”

He felt that Went the Day Well was good enough to win but had terrible racing luck.

Finally, Union Rags is a possibility for the Preakness, as well. The 9-2 morning line second favorite broke poorly, couldn’t find space and needed a very strong close to finish 7 ^th. Trainer Michael Matz, also based in Fair Hill, bathed his colt on Sunday and had nothing but regrets.

“I don’t mind getting beat,” he said, “if he gets to run. He didn’t get to run.”

There should be more news on Preakness possibles at some point today, and I’ll pass that along when I have it.

Done Talking, the Hamilton Smith-trained colt based at Laurel, will not go to the Preakness. He made it through the race fine and shipped back to Baltimore at about 7:30 Sunday.