Records continue to fall at MVRC

Records continue to fall at MVRC

Austintown

Three more records, including a single program handle of more than $1.245,819, highlighted Tuesday’s racing at Hollywood Gaming at Mahoning Valley Race Course.

The total handle for the nine-race card eclipsed the previous mark of $1,182,223 set on Dec. 28 by more than $60,000.

Tuesday’s program, which featured a fast track made even faster by the recent crisp, cool weather (22 degrees at the start of the card), also saw track records broken at the distances of 5 Ω & 6 furlongs.

In the fourth race, Luckysdream ($10) battled House of Prayer through early fractions of 22.18 & 44.59 before defeating him to win the $10,000 claiming race by a Ω length, covering the 5 Ω furlongs in 1:02.65.

The final time bettered the previous mark set 11 months ago by more than .50 of a second. Ridden by Sammy Bermudez and making his first start for new owner/trainer Glen Kopp, the Kentucky bred seven-year-old gelding earned $8,400 for the win, his 14th overall from just 40 career starts.

Two races later, War Colony ($12), drew clear from his rivals under jockey Terry Houghton in the stretch to win by an impressive seven lengths. Making his first start at the level, the Premier Stables Unlimited owned and Nabu Morales trained eight-year-old Not for Love gelding stopped the teletimer for the six furlongs in 1:09.66, the first ever sub 1:10 clocking at Mahoning Valley Race Course.

The victory was worth $6,195 and was also the third on the afternoon for the owner and trainer duo.

Brookfield bowling fund-raiser set

HUBBARD

The Brookfield High School bowling team will hold the Moonlight Bowling Fund-raiser— on Saturday at Bell-Wick Bowl.

Registration begins at 9 p.m. and includes three games, two-player teams, Scotch Doubles format and a chinese auction. Age limit is 18-and-over and the fee is $20 per team. For lane reservations, call 330-534-1179.

2 MLB players sue Al-Jazeera America

Two Major League Baseball players have filed defamation lawsuits against Al-Jazeera America over statements made in a documentary about performance-enhancing drugs in sports.

Ryan Zimmerman of the Washington Nationals and Ryan Howard of the Philadelphia Phillies filed the suits Tuesday in U.S. District Court in Washington. The suits refer to the documentary “The Dark Side: Secrets of Sports Doping,” which Al-Jazeera America broadcast Dec. 27.

The suit alleges that Charles Sly, a pharmacist who appeared in the documentary, made false statements when he said Zimmerman and Howard both took a human growth hormone.

The documentary also suggested that Denver Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning took HGH while recovering from neck surgery.

Each suit seeks an unspecified amount in damages.

Coker steps down as UTSA head coach

SAN ANTONIO

Larry Coker, who built the Texas-San Antonio football program from scratch in 2009, stepped down Tuesday after five seasons.

The 67-year-old Coker had a 26-32 record at UTSA, including 3-9 this past season.

Coker was considered a major hire for the fledgling program. He won a national title with Miami in 2001 but was fired there in 2006.

Coker took over at UTSA two years before it played its first game. When he took the job, the Roadrunners hadn’t yet signed a single player, had no football facilities or even a schedule for their first season. His best season with the Roadrunners was 8-4 in 2012 but the team never made it a bowl game.

Coker had one other winning season, 7-5 in 2013, but couldn’t sustain the success. The Roadrunners had consecutive losing seasons the next two years.

Staff/wire report