Today S Race

SOLOMONS -- Yesterday morning was calm off the mouth of the Patuxent River, prompting a long postponement in the Audi-Yachting Race Week at Solomons Island.But shortly after noon, a weak southerly came in and built to a steady 8 knots, and the day's race went on with a windward-leeward contest.Classes A through C, containing the largest and fastest boats, sailed an 8-mile version of the course, while the other three classes sailed to a closer windward mark for a 6-mile version.In the 13-boat IMS class, Division B, it was the fifth straight win for the Norfolk, Va.-based team of Gray Kiger and Gene Thayer on their Tripp 40, Fatal Attraction.

Many people know a workaholic, but today at Laurel Park there will be at least one overzealous worker who is a horse. Silmaril, the 2-1 favorite in the $80,000 What A Summer Stakes, is that horse. She is the star of trainer Chris Grove's stable at the Bowie Training Center and will be running with a chance to become only the fifth female Maryland-bred to win $1 million in purses. She would also be 17th among all Maryland-breds to reach the $1 million plateau. Cigar tops all Maryland-breds with $9,999,815 in winnings.

WARSAW, Va. - Let's get one thing straight: I am not shaving my legs. As I look around at the bicyclists in the pack waiting for the start of the Tour de Warsaw, the hairy calves emerging from my Lycra shorts put me in the distinct minority. There are theories about why cyclists shave their legs - a streamlined passage through the air, easier-to-clean scrapes after crashes - but I don't buy any of them. A year on the local competitive cycling circuit, which began when I came to this town on the northern neck of Virginia for my first serious race a year ago, has taught me better.

INDIANAPOLIS -- The original Danica Patrick is back at Indianapolis Motor Speedway with something she hasn't had since she rocked the racing world by almost winning the Indy 500 as a rookie in 2005. A chance. "Last year was definitely like, `Go out there and do the best you can, and bring it home [in one piece].' We really did not feel like we had a shot at all," she said while preparing for today's 91st running of the 500. Last year she did a little acting for her public. "I probably made the mistake of talking about it, saying I wanted to win, of course," said Patrick, one of three female drivers in today's race.

LAUREL -- Laurel Race Course offers two stakes events on an 11-race program today -- one for the tried and true, and one for horses seeking that exalted level.First is the $75,000 Goss L. Stryker Stakes for Maryland-bred 3-year-olds. Two races later, experienced sprinters battle in the Northern Wolf Handicap.Forry Cow How, Gala Spinaway and Haymaker are top contenders in the Stryker. They were the one-two-three finishers in the Star de Naskra Stakes in a previous meeting.The $50,000-added Northern Wolf makes its debut today.

Points, points, points. These days, everyone is looking at the leader board in Winston Cup racing. The championship race is nail-bitingly close. But what about the drivers who aren't at the top? "When you're running 15th or 20th, you don't get caught up in points," said Jeff Burton, who was running in that vicinity last season and is 16th going into today's New England 300 in New Hampshire. "I think there is too much made, so much made of, the points race that people think it's the only thing to race for."

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. - They're a handful of veterans. Men with championships. Men with record-setting performances. Men with talent. Terry Labonte, Rusty Wallace, Ricky Rudd, Mark Martin, Kyle Petty. They have three championships and 139 wins among them. But, as they line up for today's 45th annual Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway, they are a combined 0-for-108. "My heart goes out to those guys," said 1967 race winner Mario Andretti, one of just three drivers to win the 500 in his second try. "But that's the great mystery of it and the unfair aspect.

INDIANAPOLIS -- The original Danica Patrick is back at Indianapolis Motor Speedway with something she hasn't had since she rocked the racing world by almost winning the Indy 500 as a rookie in 2005. A chance. "Last year was definitely like, `Go out there and do the best you can, and bring it home [in one piece].' We really did not feel like we had a shot at all," she said while preparing for today's 91st running of the 500. Last year she did a little acting for her public. "I probably made the mistake of talking about it, saying I wanted to win, of course," said Patrick, one of three female drivers in today's race.

If Smoke Glacken, the gray Maryland-bred speedster, is to win this year's Eclipse Award for sprinting, he must run today like a champion for about 1 minute and 8 seconds.That's how long the Frank J. De Francis Memorial Dash will last. In the minutes leading up to the Grade II race at six furlongs, or three-quarters of a mile, bettors at Laurel Park and around the country will cast their midsummer votes. Smoke Glacken will be heavily favored to win his sixth straight stakes at a mile or less.

It's April, which means spring has sprung and warm weather and sunny days (we hope!) are on the horizon. Savor the outdoors this weekend with one of Maryland's venerable traditions: the steeplechase. Originally run on a course oriented to church steeples (how it derived its name), the steeplechase now refers to a distance race for horses and riders, who have to navigate terrain that includes fences and ditches. Today's race is the 97th running of the My Lady's Manor, with jockeys and horses competing for a $30,000 purse.

It's April, which means spring has sprung and warm weather and sunny days (we hope!) are on the horizon. Savor the outdoors this weekend with one of Maryland's venerable traditions: the steeplechase. Originally run on a course oriented to church steeples (how it derived its name), the steeplechase now refers to a distance race for horses and riders, who have to navigate terrain that includes fences and ditches. Today's race is the 97th running of the My Lady's Manor, with jockeys and horses competing for a $30,000 purse.

INDIANAPOLIS - A tiny woman with a pleasing smile, an engaging personality and the ability to drive very fast has given the Indianapolis 500 and open-wheel racing in general a feeling of anticipation it has been lacking for a decade. The retirement during the 1990s of the giants of American racing - A.J. Foyt, Al Unser, Mario Andretti, Rick Mears and others - followed by Tony George's creation of the Indy Racing League in 1996 left a split in the ranks of Indy-car racing that is still festering.

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. - They're a handful of veterans. Men with championships. Men with record-setting performances. Men with talent. Terry Labonte, Rusty Wallace, Ricky Rudd, Mark Martin, Kyle Petty. They have three championships and 139 wins among them. But, as they line up for today's 45th annual Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway, they are a combined 0-for-108. "My heart goes out to those guys," said 1967 race winner Mario Andretti, one of just three drivers to win the 500 in his second try. "But that's the great mystery of it and the unfair aspect.

Points, points, points. These days, everyone is looking at the leader board in Winston Cup racing. The championship race is nail-bitingly close. But what about the drivers who aren't at the top? "When you're running 15th or 20th, you don't get caught up in points," said Jeff Burton, who was running in that vicinity last season and is 16th going into today's New England 300 in New Hampshire. "I think there is too much made, so much made of, the points race that people think it's the only thing to race for."

Winston Cup points leader Jeff Gordon was in a good mood as he talked last week from his home in Florida. With eight races to go, counting today's UAW-GM Quality 500 in Charlotte, N.C., Gordon realizes he needs a good finish today, but he also is starting to think about wrapping up the title. "To me, if we have to wrap it up in 10-degree weather, in six feet of snow at New Hampshire, that's fine with me," he said. "No matter when, where or how, I'll be happy. But it does take a toll on your nerves when it comes down to the final race."

WARSAW, Va. - Let's get one thing straight: I am not shaving my legs. As I look around at the bicyclists in the pack waiting for the start of the Tour de Warsaw, the hairy calves emerging from my Lycra shorts put me in the distinct minority. There are theories about why cyclists shave their legs - a streamlined passage through the air, easier-to-clean scrapes after crashes - but I don't buy any of them. A year on the local competitive cycling circuit, which began when I came to this town on the northern neck of Virginia for my first serious race a year ago, has taught me better.

The beauty of traveling along the Triple Crown trail is that its secrets are revealed one by one.Last weekend, most of the top 3-year-olds in Florida popped out of the shadows for the Fountain of Youth Stakes at Gulfstream Park. Today, a few other Kentucky Derby contenders make cameo appearances in allowance races at the South Florida track.And tomorrow, two of the top contenders in California, including one highly touted filly, compete in the San Rafael Stakes at Santa Anita Park. The performance of the filly, Honest Lady, will begin answering the question: Just how good are these fillies who keep running faster than the males?

The beauty of traveling along the Triple Crown trail is that its secrets are revealed one by one.Last weekend, most of the top 3-year-olds in Florida popped out of the shadows for the Fountain of Youth Stakes at Gulfstream Park. Today, a few other Kentucky Derby contenders make cameo appearances in allowance races at the South Florida track.And tomorrow, two of the top contenders in California, including one highly touted filly, compete in the San Rafael Stakes at Santa Anita Park. The performance of the filly, Honest Lady, will begin answering the question: Just how good are these fillies who keep running faster than the males?