Curlin triumphant at Churchill Downs

Curlin, the 2007 Horse of the Year, easily won his fifth straight race in the Stephen Foster Handicap yesterday at Churchill Downs, his first North American start this year. With Robby Albarado aboard, Curlin took the lead after the second turn and cruised. Einstein was second, with Barcola third. Curlin won the $6 million Dubai World Cup in his last start in March. It was Curlin's first race at Churchill since his third-place finish last year in the Kentucky Derby . . . Jockey Kent Desormeaux still can't figure out what went wrong in Big Brown's last-place finish in the Belmont Stakes. "Regardless of whether I had to earn it or not, I don't think it would have mattered what kind of trip I had, it just wasn't Big Brown's day," Desormeaux said. Trainer Rick Dutrow questioned Desormeaux's ride and his actions after the Belmont loss, but Desormeaux said they are on even terms now.

The New England Turf Writers Association's Hall of Fame class of 2008 includes Timely Writer, a four-time Grade I winner and two-time stakes winner at Suffolk Downs; trainer George Handy, who began his career in 1946 and is still active; and Jim Hannon, who has been the voice of New England racing for the majority of his nearly 40 years as an announcer . . . Coldheartedrevenge, who went off at 15-1, won the $50,000 New Hampshire Sweepstakes at Rockingham Park while equaling the track and New England records for aged pacing geldings. Coldheartedrevenge won Rockingham's signature event by 1 1/2 lengths in 1:50, tying the mark set by Basil Hanover in 2006.

Roger Federer reached the Gerry Weber Open final in Halle, Germany, and pushed his record winning streak on grass to 58 matches with a 6-1, 6-4 victory over Nicolas Kiefer. Federer will face Philipp Kohlschreiber, who beat seventh-ranked James Blake, 6-3, 7-5, knocking the American out of the tournament for the second straight year . . . French Open champion Rafael Nadal beat four-time champion Andy Roddick, 7-5, 6-4, to reach the final at the Queen's Club in London for the first time. Nadal will face second-seeded Novak Djokovic, who dispatched fourth-seeded David Nalbandian, 6-1, 6-0 . . . Top-seeded Nikolay Davydenko beat unseeded Fabio Fognini, 6-2, 6-3, and second-seeded Tommy Robredo ousted Juan Monaco, 6-4, 6-4, to reach the final at the Warsaw Open . . . Second-seeded Maria Kirilenko and unseeded Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez advanced to the final of the Torneo Barcelona. Kirilenko defeated Stephanie Cohen-Aloro, 7-5, 6-3, while Martinez Sanchez rallied to beat doubles partner Nuria Llagostera Vives, 2-6, 6-3, 6-1.

Jake Deitchler, an 18-year-old from Minnesota unfazed by any deficit or opponent, pulled off two major upsets in Las Vegas to win the US 145 1/2-pound Greco-Roman trials and become the first high-schooler on the Olympic wrestling team in 32 years. Deitchler's stunning performance overshadowed 21-year-old Henry Cejudo's ascension to the freestyle team at 121 pounds only two years after he won the US nationals as a high schooler. Cejudo withstood three full matches in the finals to outlast 2004 silver medalist Stephen Abas . . . Ryan Reser, long one of America's top judo athletes, made the Olympic team in his third attempt at qualifying by beating Chuck Jefferson at 161 pounds in the trials in Las Vegas. Also in the judo finals, Wakefield's Ronda Rousey (70 kg class) and Daniel McCormick (100-plus kg class) were among the nominees to the Olympic team . . . Mike Day won the US BMX trials in Chula Vista, Calif., to secure a spot on the three-man team that will represent America when BMX makes its Olympic debut in Beijing. Day joins Kyle Bennett; Bennett was exempt from the trials because he won USA Cycling's yearlong Olympic points qualifying competition. Jill Kintner is the women's BMX qualifier . . . Nike is allowing seven of the Olympic hopefuls it sponsors to don Speedo International's new full-body swimsuits instead of the Nike product for the trials in Omaha. Since the February launch of Speedo's sleek LZR Racer, swimmers wearing the suit have set 38 world records.

The Patriots signed fifth-round draft choice Matthew Slater to an undisclosed contract. Slater, the first of the team's seven picks to sign, is vying to make the roster as a return man while having the versatility to play safety and receiver . . . Jason Isringhausen was activated from the 15-day disabled list, as the St. Louis Cardinals scrapped a scheduled bullpen session for the closer a day after using five relievers in a blowout loss to the Phillies. Isringhausen had been on the DL since May 16 . . . Joey Logano, 18, became the youngest winner in Nationwide Series history, cruising to victory in the Meijer 300 at Kentucky Speedway in Sparta, Ky. . . . US figure skating champions Evan Lysacek, Mirai Nagasu, Tanith Belbin, and Ben Agosto have been entered in Skate America, which kicks off the Grand Prix season Oct. 24. Also in the strong field are former US champions Kimmie Meissner and Johnny Weir and former world champion Miki Ando of Japan.