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Stay Hot keeps cool to score win in La Jolla Handicap

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Stay Hot keeps cool to score win in La Jolla Handicap


DEL MAR — Sometimes, a long road trip turns ugly.

Ask Stay Hot. Actually, ask his trainer Peter Eurton.

After three straight wins by a head or neck in Southern California — starting with the Grade III Cecil B. DeMille Stakes at Del Mar last December — Stay Hot was shipped to Churchill Downs last May to compete in the Grade II American Turf on Kentucky Derby Day.

It didn’t go well. Stay Hot finished last in a field of 14.

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Sunday, Stay Hot raced for the first time since that defeat and won the $100,000 La Jolla Handicap with a strong stretch run under jockey Antonio Fresu — defeating another 3-year-old seeking redemption in King of Gosford.

“That’s about as good as he’s ever done,” Eurton said of Stay Hot, who finished 1½ lengths ahead of King of Gosford, running the 11/16 miles on the turf in 1:40.98. “Welcome home. He just loves being fresh and he gets back to where he wants to be. He was just not a happy horse in Kentucky.”

Eurton discussed Stay Hot’s ill-fated Kentucky trip before the La Jolla Handicap.

“I don’t think he shipped well,” said the trainer. “Physically, he was fine. But mentally, it was just a little much for him after the three races (in 3½ months). He may have needed some space. And it was hot and humid in Kentucky. He schooled nervous and I don’t think he liked the surface.”

Home, sweet home.

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Favorite Final Boss (J.J. Hernandez) took the lead out of the gate, turned back several challenges on the backstretch and was still a head on top entering the stretch. But Stay Hot and King of Gosford (Umberto Rispoli) were moving as Final Boss — who was coming off back-to-back, wire-to-wire wins at Santa Anita — began to fade to fourth.

“He ran his race today,” said Fresu of Stay Hot. “From the outside post (in the field of five), I just wanted to get in a good spot early and get him to relax. He did that. We saved ground. He was ready in the stretch. He’s got that turn of foot and he used it.”

“The ride was perfect, staying on the fence and not trying to go out wide,” Eurton said of Fresu’s efforts.

Meantime, King of Gosford returned just two weeks after placing a disappointing sixth in the Oceanside Stakes on opening day.

Eurton said the Del Mar Derby could be the next stop for the son of Summer Front.

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Air’ Tight

Daughters of Stay Thirst ran 1-2-3 in Sunday’s other $100,000 feature — the 5½-furlong California Thoroughbred Breeders Association Stakes for 2-year-old Cal-bred fillies.

Favored In the Air Tonight (Tiago Periera) finished 5¼ lengths in front of Thirsty Mama (Kyle Frey) with Thirsty in Vegas (Fresu) third another 2½ lengths back. The winner and third-place finisher are both trained by Steve Knapp.

The CTBA was the first of 10 stakes races for 2-year-olds at Del Mar during the summer meeting. Three more will be held next weekend with Friday’s Graduation (5½ furlongs for Cal-bred colts and geldings), Saturday’s Grade III Sorrento (six furlongs for fillies) and Sunday’s Grade III Best Pal (a six-furlong prep for the Grade I Del Mar Futurity).

In the Air Tonight ($6.20) surged after running fifth in the field of eight at the three-eighths pole — finishing strong just as she did when overcoming a 2½-length deficit to win her debut at Santa Anita on May 26.

“She didn’t break right, but the way she had been training, we just knew she was going to run a real big race,” Knapp said of In the Air Tonight. “I really wasn’t concerned with the speed. I thought she would be closer, but I knew she had a real good turn of foot.”

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“I saw the split in the race and so I tried to get close and she responded,” said Pereira. “I knew she would finish strong.”

Notable

With two wins Sunday, Hernandez leads the jockey standings with 15 wins after eight days of the 31-day summer meeting. Umberto Rispoli is second with 11 and Hector Berrios is third with 10 while Fresu’s two wins Sunday moved him into a tie with Frey for fourth with eight.John Sadler leads the trainer standings with eight wins. Defending champion Phil D’Amato is second with seven and Michael McCarthy, Bob Baffert and Mark Glatt are in a three-way tie for third at six.

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San Diego, CA

“Attack of the Killer Tomatoes” After Party for San Diego Comic-Con 2026

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“Attack of the Killer Tomatoes” After Party for San Diego Comic-Con 2026


The Killer Tomatoes are loose in San Diego, and they’re ready to get sauced.

Attack of the Killer Tomatoes is taking over Good Night John Boy (401 G Street) in the Gaslamp on Saturday, July 25 from 7pm-11pm for the official Attack of the Killer Tomatoes: Organic Intelligence after party, celebrating the wild new chapter in the cult classic franchise that first got its start in San Diego back in 1978.

Fans can party alongside cast and crew with meet and greets, “killer” cosplay, exclusive giveaways, DJs, and dancing. There will also be specialty themed cocktails and bites available for purchase, because fighting off killer produce apparently works up an appetite.

Tickets will be available here, though they’re not yet available. We’ll update once we know more.

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Sports Night: Padres End 1st Half on Good Note, Midseason Grades, Manny Heats Up

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Sports Night: Padres End 1st Half on Good Note, Midseason Grades, Manny Heats Up




Sports Night: Padres End 1st Half on Good Note, Midseason Grades, Manny Heats Up – NBC 7 San Diego



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Top-ranked Jannik Sinner beats Alexander Zverev to win Wimbledon again

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Top-ranked Jannik Sinner beats Alexander Zverev to win Wimbledon again


Jannik Sinner is starting to make a habit of responding to adversity in Paris with Wimbledon titles.

The top-ranked Sinner beat Alexander Zverev 6-7 (7), 7-6 (2), 6-3, 6-4 Sunday for his second consecutive title at the All England Club after his German opponent appeared bothered by a knee issue following a slip to the grass on a key point in the third set.

Sinner’s fifth Grand Slam title came in his first tournament since a second-round meltdown at the French Open, when he wilted in a Paris heat wave.

A year ago, Sinner beat Carlos Alcaraz in the final at the All England Club after wasting three match points against his rival in the Roland Garros final.

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It was Sinner’s 10th straight victory over Zverev, who was coming off his first Grand Slam title at the French Open.

Linda Noskova beat Karolina Muchova in an all-Czech women’s final on Saturday for her first Grand Slam title.

Prince William joined his wife Kate and two of their children for the final in a star-studded Royal Box that also included actors Dustin Hoffman, Nicole Kidman and Ben Stiller.

Zverev slips

The top two seeds appeared perfectly matched until Zverev earned his first break point of the match at 3-3 in the third set — 2 hours and 42 minutes in. Sinner produced a drop shot and Zverev slipped and appeared to hyper-extend his right knee as he attempted to change directions behind the baseline.

Zverev grasped his knee in apparent discomfort and Sinner went around the net and helped his opponent up off the grass. Zverev quickly resumed playing but he appeared slightly hampered and slung his racket across the baseline in frustration when he missed a forehand and handed Sinner the first break of the match and a 5-3 lead in the third. Sinner then served it out.

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Zverev had also lost 14 straight sets to Sinner and when he claimed the opening set of the final with a forehand winner up the line to conclude a tight tiebreaker, he let out a loud roar toward his box as he bent over in celebration.

Zverev continually cranked out serves at up to 139 mph (224 kph), while Sinner produced a series of well-placed aces at a slightly lower speed.

But Sinner began to read Zverev’s serve better in the second-set tiebreaker and Zverev started to miss forehands.

Paris meltdown

Amid stifling heat and humidity in Paris in late May, Sinner had his 30-match winning streak ended after coming within one game of a straight-set victory over Juan Manuel Cerundolo, who was ranked No. 56.

Conditions were cooler in southwest London for the final, with clear skies and a temperature of 82 degrees Fahrenheit (28 Celsius) but it was also breezy — which led to a series of shanked shots from both players.

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Sinner went in for medical exams in Milan after the Paris defeat and didn’t play an official match again until he arrived at Wimbledon, where he twice had to come back from a set down in a five-set marathon against Miomir Kecmanovic in the first round.

Sinner then didn’t drop a set the rest of the way until the final, having dominated against Novak Djokovic in the semifinals.

Despite the defeat in the final, Zverev will leapfrog Alcaraz into the No. 2 spot in the rankings on Monday.

Alcaraz missed both the French Open and Wimbledon this year due to a right wrist injury.

Associated Press writer Mattias Karén contributed.

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Wimbledon is keeping the World Cup off its official screens, even in the players’ lounge. Fans and players can still watch on their phones, but tournament TVs will stay focused on tennis.



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