Events in GoodOldGermany » ing the Huskies a needed inside presenc

Horse racings summer season kicks off in a big way this weekend at two of the sports most treasured racetracks, Del Mar and Saratoga.And what a daily double it should be -- Dubai World Cup winner California Chrome taking on six rivals in Saturdays $200,000 San Diego Handicap and undefeated filly Songbird starring in Sundays $500,000 Coaching Club American Oaks.While the Del Mar meet began last week, Saratoga opens its 148th season on Friday and runs through Sept. 5.Stakes races on opening day at the Spa are the Schuylerville for 2-year-old fillies and the Lake George for 3-year-old turf fillies. On Saturday, its the Sanford for 2-year-olds.California Chrome, the 2014 Kentucky Derby and Preakness winner, comes into the 1 1/16-mile San Diego with a 3-0 record this year. The 5-year-old Chrome won the $10 million World Cup in March in his last start.The field also includes 2015 Santa Anita Derby winner Dortmund, Hard Aces, Soi Phet, Crittenden, Follow Me Crev and Win the Space.Chrome leaves from the No. 6 gate, and will have regular rider Victor Espinoza aboard. The race is a prep for the $1 million Pacific Classic at Del Mar on Aug. 20.Outside is good for me, Chromes trainer Art Sherman said. (Espinoza) will be able to break and see whats happening to his inside and go from there.Songbird arrived at Saratoga from California on Wednesday. A comfortable winner in all eight of her races, the 3-year-old filly will be ridden by Hall of Famer Mike Smith in her New York debut. The filly owned by Rick Porter went for jog around the track Thursday morning.She ate up (Thursday) morning and she was bright-eyed and bushy-tailed, Porter said. She went with the pony and jogged for a mile and an eighth. She wasnt too happy to go back to the barn, she probably wanted to do a little more. Shes doing fantastic considering all the travel shes had.In her last start, Songbird won the Summertime Oaks by 6 1/2 lengths.Taking on the 2-year-old champion filly trained by Hall of Famer Jerry Hollendorfer is Carina Mia, Weep No More, Flora Dora and Mo dAmour.A week later, 3-year-olds are center stage after a Triple Crown break when Derby winner Nyquist returns for the $1 million Haskell Invitational on July 31 at Monmouth Park in Oceanport, New Jersey. A day earlier, its Preakness winner Exaggerator and Belmont Stakes winner Creator hooking up in the $600,000 Jim Dandy at Saratoga.Others in the Haskell include Gun Runner (third in Derby), Blue Grass winner Brodys Cause (seventh in Derby, sixth in Belmont) and Iowa Derby winner American Freedom, trained by eight-time Haskell winner Bob Baffert.Last year, more than 60,000 fans showed up at Monmouth to watch Triple Crown champion American Pharoah blow away the field in his first race since sweeping the Derby, Preakness and Belmont. Cheap LeBron James Shoes . Following a lopsided 5-2 loss against the New Jersey Devils on Wednesday night, Paul MacLean told reporters that "theres a lack of focus, theres a lack of leadership and theres a lack of preparation" with his struggling team. That came on the heels of Bryan Murray taking the unusual step of going into the locker room at the Prudential Center and addressing the players himself. LeBron James Shoes Deals . PETERSBURG, Fla. https://www.cheapshoeslebronjames.com/ .Y. -- Jayna Hefford scored the winning goal Friday as Canada survived a scare with a 4-3 win over Sweden at the Four Nations womens hockey tournament. Clearance LeBron James Shoes . The Hall of Fame defenceman told Landsberg that he believes fighting still has a place in todays game, but thinks staged fighting needs be outlawed. Wholesale LeBron James Shoes . -- If Henry Burris has his way, he will be the starting quarterback to lead the Hamilton Tiger-Cats back to the Grey Cup next year. SEATTLE -- For the second straight season, all the attention for Washington is on a freshman.Unlike last year when it was a group of freshmen Washington relied on, this season its a singular freshman that could end up being the reason the Huskies get back to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2011.No pressure Markelle Fultz.In the country, I think hes one of the best (freshmen) coming in, Washington coach Lorenzo Romar said.How far Washington goes this season will largely depend on Fultz, regarded as the most talented freshman to ever walk onto the Washington campus. He comes with buzz and expectations that hell be a potential top five pick if he decides to pursue the NBA after his freshman season. Hes a 6-foot-4 guard with the handle and vision to be a point guard, but the scoring savvy to carry a team offensively.Fultz is entering a unique situation with the Huskies. They are five years removed from their last NCAA trip with increased heat on Romar for the lengthy absence despite a continued pipeline of talent that last season included Marquese Chriss and Dejounte Murray, who both left after their freshman seasons to become first-round NBA picks.Talent is not Washingtons problem. Molding that talent into a unit able to find enough success on the court has been.Thats what Fultz steps into. There are expectations for him to prove hes worthy of the hype. And there are expectations that he will help his team return to the NCAAs.I dont even think about the NBA, Fultz said. I think when people play like they already made it, they dont play as hard as they can possibly play. They just think everybody is supposed to respect them, they dont have to play defense, stuff like that. I play to win, each play, each possession. I hate losing.Surrounding Fultz will be a talented lineup but one devoid of true stars. The loss of Murray, Chriss and senior Andrew Andrews took away 50.7 points per game from last season. Fultz will fill some of that, but others like Matisse Thybulle, Dominic GGreen, Noah Dickerson and Malik Dime need to transition from being role players into legitimate scorers.ddddddddddddHeres what else to watch with the Huskies, who open Nov. 11 versus Yale:DO IT ALL: Thybulle was an athlete as a freshman, asked to play defense, grab rebounds and occasionally contribute offensively. His defense will continue to be the priority because of his length and quickness that make him a challenging matchup for most guards. But the scoring will need to increase. Thybulle was Washingtons second-best 3-point shooter last season, hitting 36.6 percent.FRESHMAN WALL: Learning the college game was a struggle for Dickerson. At times he was an unorthodox force underneath, giving the Huskies a needed inside presence. At other times, he was lost and confused defensively, often finding himself on the bench in foul trouble.Dickerson has dropped between 15 and 20 pounds from last season and hopes to have improved quickness thatll help keep him out of foul trouble.GREEN MACHINE: No one received more offseason praise for improvement than Green. He showed scoring potential off the bench at times as a freshman, but also a penchant for poor shot selection and shaky defense. That must improve this season with Green being counted on as a likely starter on the wing.NEW TO TOWN: Among Washingtons newcomers, the most help should come on the front line. Junior transfer Matthew Atewe and freshman Sam Timmins are not new to the program. Atewe sat out last season after transferring from Auburn, while Timmons enrolled in school last winter but did not play. Both bring size and depth to the Huskies frontcourt.SCHEDULING: Washington does not face the most strenuous non-conference schedule, meaning the Huskies must make the most of their few marquee games. Most notable is a Dec. 7 showdown at Gonzaga, the resumption of a four-year series between the in-state foes. ' ' '