Monarchos Is Retired

He ran the second-fastest Kentucky Derby in history, but Monarchos will race no more. Injured in a gallop Sunday at Gulfstream Park, the 4-year-old colt has been retired and will begin a stud career next month, owner John Oxley announced Monday.

Preparing to run in the $500,000 Donn Handicap at Gulfstream on Feb. 9, Monarchos suffered a tendon injury near his left front ankle. At first John Ward Jr., his trainer, thought that Monarchos had just nicked himself, but an ultrasound examination showed that the injury was more serious.

“We had high hopes about this horse from the start,” Oxley said. “He fulfilled all the hopes and dreams we’ve had after being in this business for 30 years.”

The gray colt won last year’s Derby in a time of 1:59 4/5 for the 11/4 miles, missing Secretariat’s 1973 record by two-fifths of a second.

In the Preakness two weeks later, Monarchos never reached contention and finished sixth. He was third in the Belmont, but beaten by 13 lengths. Point Given won both of those races.

It was not a good week for the Ward barn at Gulfstream. The day before Monarchos was injured, Yvonne Azeff, an assistant trainer whom Ward credited with helping develop the Derby winner, was crushed when her stable pony fell on her during training hours. Azeff, 41, who rode on the California fair circuit when she was a jockey, was still in a coma Monday.

John Henry, the popular gelding voted horse of the year in 1981 and 1984, had about three feet of his intestine removed during surgery in Lexington, Ky., last Friday. John Henry, who earned $6.5 million, is 27.

Bill Christine

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Soccer

Two Cuban players sought help from a Cuban-American advocacy group before defecting from a team that took part in the Gold Cup tournament, an official of the organization said.

Strikers Rey Angel Martinez, 20, and Alberto Delgado, 22, contacted the Miami-based Cuban American National Foundation before they decided to leave the Burbank Hilton, where the team was staying, late Thursday.

“They told us they wanted to defect and asked for some help,” CANF Executive Director Joe Garcia said.

The men were staying with a friend in the Los Angeles area. They met with an attorney on Saturday and were trying to obtain identification forms, Garcia said.

“The Cuban delegation held their passports and they have no form of identification,” Garcia said.

The Canadian national team and coach have been fined for actions during and after a 2-0 loss to Ecuador at the Orange Bowl in Miami last week in a group match of the CONCACAF Gold Cup.

Rick Lawes, director of communications for CONCACAF, said Canada Coach Holger Osieck was fined for “acting disrespectfully toward game officials as well as match officials on the bench and in the technical area.”

After the match, Lawes said, the Canadian team destroyed locker room property at the Orange Bowl.

“The Canadian Soccer Assn. was fined $5,000, as was the coach,” Lawes said.

“I have been told the association is appealing its fine. It will be reviewed by the disciplinary committee for the Gold Cup.”

Miscellany

Northwestern assistant football coach Mike Dunbar was named offensive coordinator.

Dunbar replaces Kevin Wilson, who left Northwestern for Oklahoma last month. Wildcat Coach Randy Walker also named defensive coordinator Jerry Brown assistant head coach, a position Wilson had held.

Sprinter Jake Jensen retired from track and field after failing a drug test, the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency said.

Jensen, of Mobile, Ala., tested positive for a banned anabolic steroid after finishing third in a meet in Linz, Austria, on Aug. 20, the agency said. He was suspended from competition for two years beginning Saturday.

Ohio State will play Texas Tech in the Pigskin Classic on Aug. 24 in Ohio Stadium.

The game gives the Buckeyes 13 regular-season games and eight home games--both for the first time.

The Pigskin Classic could be the start of a 15-game season for Texas Tech if the Red Raiders qualify for the Big 12 championship game and a bowl game.