rivilege, Shubin testified.Anthony Sassano, an agent with the atto

ARCADIA, Calif. -- For the last quarter of a mile, Songbird and Beholder refused to yield. They ran neck-and-neck, with their Hall of Fame jockeys looking for the tiniest edge.Gary Stevens, aboard Beholder, called it just a street fight.The 6-year-old mare landed the final blow, with Beholder edging Songbird by a nose in the $2 million Distaff on opening day of the Breeders Cup on Friday at Santa Anita.Even jockey Mike Smith had to agree it was an amazing, amazing race after his 3-year-old filly Songbird lost for the first time in 12 races.It was fun to be part of a battle, Stevens said. The show that those two just put on is worth the price of admission for everybody that showed up. This was horse racing at its best.It was a thrilling finish to the four Cup races, three of which involved New York-based long shots winning on an 80-degree day.Nine Cup races will be run on Saturday, capped by the $6 million Classic in which California Chrome is the early favorite.Beholder ran 1 1/8 miles in 1:49.20 and paid $8.60, $3.60 and $3 as the 3-1 third choice.Ive had some good feelings in racing, but this is tops right here, said Stevens, a three-time Kentucky Derby winner.It was Beholders third Cup victory, having won the Distaff in 2013 and the Juvenile Fillies in 2012. She was supposed to have run in last years Classic at Keeneland against male horses, but developed a fever.The Distaff was Beholders final career race, ending on her home track, where she was never worse than second in 16 starts at Santa Anita. She finished with 18 career victories. The 6-year-old mare is a three-time Eclipse Award winner.She was really at her best, Hall of Fame trainer Richard Mandella said.Songbird returned $3.20 and $2.80 as the even-money favorite. The loss spoiled her 11-0 career record.You saw the real Beholder show up today, maybe even the best race she ever ran in her life, Smith said, and she had to do it to beat us.When the win photo was shown on the video board, the announced crowd of 45,763 roared at the slight margin between Beholder and Songbird, who was along the rail with Beholder on her outside.It was closer than I thought it was, Stevens said.Songbird set the pace through the early stages of the race, with Im a Chatterbox and Beholder in close pursuit.On the far turn, Im a Chatterbox and Beholder both went after Songbird but by the top of the stretch it was a two-horse duel Beholder and the 3-year-old filly. They kept it up through the stretch, with neither horse willing to give an inch. Nor were their jockeys: the 53-year-old Stevens and 51-year-old Smith.I put my head in front and Songbird came back again, Stevens said. She put Songbird away three different times through the stretch, and she kept coming back, like she wouldnt go away.Smith thought he could put a length or two between his filly and Beholder when they got to the far turn.But, man, she jumped on me, he said of Beholder. I couldnt do it.Stevens let out a pretty loud holler just past the finish line.Coming down the stretch, I was riding with my head down, riding for all I was worth, he said. I was thinking that finish line has got to be coming.Mandella earned his ninth career Cup victory, along with sharp farewell from Beholder.She kicked me on the way up, he said. Shes 90 percent of the time the sweetest thing you could find. The other 10 percent is dynamite.Forever Unbridled was another 1 1/4 lengths back in third and paid $4.40 to show.Stellar Wind, the 5-2 second choice who finished second last year, finished fourth in the eight-horse field.Im a Chatterbox was fifth, followed by Curalina and Land Over Sea.Argentina-bred Corona Del Inca was euthanized after sustaining multiple fractures of her right front leg in the race.The mares injuries were much more serious than it appeared after she was pulled up at the top of the stretch by jockey Pablo Falero, according to on-call veterinarian Dr. Scott Palmer.He said Corona Del Incas injuries were so severe that there was no way she could be kept comfortable nor the prognosis be good for treatment. For those reasons she was euthanized.The days biggest upset belonged to Smith aboard 11-1 shot Tamarkuz, who won the $1 million Dirt Mile by 3 1/2 lengths for trainer Kiaran McLaughlin. It was Smiths 23rd career Cup victory; he leads all jockeys in victories and money won in the world championships.In the $1 million Juvenile Turf, 6-1 shot Oscar Performance won by 1 1/4 lengths, giving jockey Jose Ortiz and trainer Brian Lynch their first Cup victories.Trained by Chad Brown, 6-1 shot New Money Honey won the $1 million Juvenile Fillies Turf by a half-length under Javier Castellano. Kemba Walker Hornets Jersey . He says so-called TRT is only one problem and he wants to go even further than the ban. "Its about time," St-Pierre told reporters at a promotional event in Montreal on Friday. "I think its a good thing. Percy Miller Hornets Jersey . The 17-year-old native of Marystown, N.L., pulled out of Skate Canada International last month in Saint John, N.B., with the same problem. https://www.hornetslockerroom.com/Nicolas-Batum-City-Edition-Jersey/ . -- Ken Appleby made 32 saves for his first shutout of the season to lead the Oshawa Generals to a 2-0 win over the Belleville Bulls on Wednesday in Ontario Hockey League action. Cody Zeller Hornets Jersey . Now, correct me if Im wrong but I saw one official distinctly pointing at the net indicating a good goal but after an inconclusive review they overturned the goal. Shouldnt the ruling on the ice (good goal) stand after an inconclusive review? Why was this overturned? James Veaudry Pembroke, ON -- Hey Kerry, Youll get a lot of these, but why was the Montreal goal against Nashville Saturday night overturned? Eller puts the puck on net and the on ice ruling from the ref behind the net is a Montreal goal. Devonte Graham Jersey . The Islanders dealt Thomas Vanek to the Montreal Canadiens after less than a year on Long Island. Meanwhile, the Oilers dealt long-time sniper Ales hemsky to the Ottawa Senators on Wednesday for a fifth-round pick in 2014 and a third-rounder in 2015. BELLEFONTE, Pa. -- A man who says he was the boy observed being sexually abused by Jerry Sandusky in a Penn State shower more than 15 years ago gave conflicting statements to authorities and was considered to lack credibility, investigators said during an appeal hearing Monday.The man has settled with Penn State based on a claim that he is Victim 2 and was seen by graduate assistant Mike McQueary being attacked by Sandusky, then an assistant football coach, in 2001. The man gave differing statements to Sanduskys lawyers and to police investigators, according to testimony, and neither side called him to the stand during the 2012 trial.The identity of Victim 2, and the mans claim to be Victim 2, figures into Sanduskys bid for a new trial or to have charges dismissed because of a reference during lead prosecutor Joe McGettigans closing argument before a jury convicted Sandusky of 45 counts of abuse involving 10 victims.McGettigan told jurors there were others unknown to us, to others presently known to God but not to us. The appeals hearing is Sanduskys chance to prove his claim that McGettigan was referring to Victim 2 and so he knew that statement was false.The man who claims to be Victim 2 contacted Sanduskys then-lawyer, Joe Amendola, soon after Sandusky was first charged in November 2011 and gave a statement saying he was in the shower that night but had not been abused. He had also made a similar denial of abuse to investigators in September 2011, testified Cpl. Joseph Leiter, a retired state police investigator.But he subsequently hired attorney Andrew Shubin, who testified Monday on the second day of the hearing that he believes his client is Victim 2 and was raped by Sandusky, who was in court. He is serving a 30- to 60-year sentence.Asked if he had aany doubts, Shubin said he was not sure how to answer that.dddddddddddd. But he said the man is his client and he would not represent anyone he did not believe.Shubin declined to answer when asked whether he ever tried to hide the mans whereabouts from police and prosecutors, citing attorney-client privilege.I have never spoken about that issue and never waived that privilege, Shubin testified.Anthony Sassano, an agent with the attorney generals office, testified that he heard from someone -- he said he wasnt sure whom -- that the man was hidden at hunting camp somewhere so we couldnt find him to interview him.Sassano said that the man contradicted himself to agents when asked if he ever told anyone of abuse and that his drawing of the locker room where he claims to have been seen by McQueary did not fit the actual Lasch Building locker room.That led me to believe he was never in that particular locker room, Sassano testified.Prosecutors did not find the man credible, Sassano said.I dont know if they formed their opinion off my opinion or they had their own separate opinion, Sassano said. We all arrived at the same conclusion.Testimony on Monday also delved into claims of improper leaks of material from the grand jury that investigated Sandusky before he was charged. The hearing is expected to conclude Tuesday.Sandusky testified during the first day of the hearing and strongly denied his guilt. He has already lost direct appeals to the states Supreme and Superior courts and is now seeking relief under the Post-Conviction Relief Act that is confined to newly discovered evidence, constitutional violations and ineffective lawyering. ' ' '