Briefs | Gordon, Johnson, Bowyer look strong in Chase

Auto racing

Talladega troubles narrow list of major Chase contenders: For the first half of Sunday's race, it looked as if Jeff Burton, Martin Truex Jr. and Kyle Busch were making inroads toward getting back into contention for NASCAR's Chase for the Nextel Cup during the Car of Tomorrow's debut at a restrictor-plate track.

One by one, Talladega Superspeedway in Alabama dashed those hopes, and the 12-driver Chase seemingly has turned into a three-man battle. Leader Jeff Gordon is nine points ahead of Hendrick Motorsports teammate Jimmie Johnson, with Richard Childress Racing's Clint Bowyer in third, 63 points behind Gordon.

"Obviously, this about wraps it up for us," said Burton, minutes after his RCR Chevrolet blew an engine, relegating him to last place in the UAW-Ford 500 and the Chase with six races left.

Likewise, Truex had his engine fail. He is in 10th place.

Busch, meanwhile, got caught in an 11-car wreck triggered when Bobby Labonte lost control of his car. Busch, who is eighth in the standings, didn't sound shocked by the misfortune.

"We circled [this race] on the calendar," he said. "This was the one we were going to wreck in."

Wurz exits Formula One: Williams driver Alexander Wurz, 33, has retired from Formula One racing. The F1 season ends Oct. 21 in Brazil.

Horse racing

John Henry was a two-time Horse of the Year: John Henry, North America's Horse of the Year in 1981 and 1984, was euthanized at Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington. He was 32.

Park spokeswoman Lisa Jackson said the Hall of Famer's health had declined over the weekend. He had lost body mass and was in kidney failure, she said.

John Henry, considered one of the elite horses of the 20th century, won 39 of 83 starts and earned $6,597,947 in his career. The gelding won four Grade I stakes races as a 9-year-old in 1984.

College basketball

Danridge has surgery: New Mexico swingman Tony Danridge had surgery on his broken left leg, an injury the senior suffered in a pickup game last week. He averaged 12.5 points last season.

"Hopefully, he will be available to us in early January," said Steve Alford, first-year New Mexico coach.

Hockey

Ex-Seattle Thunderbird Laich scores winning goal: Brooks Laich, a former Seattle Thunderbird, snapped a third-period tie to give the Washington Capitals a 2-1 NHL victory over the host New York Islanders. The Capitals improved to 3-0.

In other games, Ottawa beat New Jersey 4-2 and Detroit defeated Edmonton 4-2.

Blake has leukemia: Toronto forward Jason Blake, 34, has a form of leukemia that he said leaves him in no immediate danger and is treatable.

Blake, who scored 40 goals last season for the Islanders, has started treatment for chronic myelogenous leukemia and said he doesn't expect to miss playing time.

NHL Network to launch in U.S.: The league is launching a network in the United States.

The NHL Network, available in Canada since 2001, will begin airing this month through carriage agreements with Cablevision, Comcast, Cox Communications, DirecTV, Dish Network and Time Warner Cable.

Owen, 1960 gold medalist, dies: Edwyn "Bob" Owen, who played on the 1960 team that won the first Olympic gold medal in hockey for the United States, was found dead in a burning car Friday near a Topeka, Kan., park. He was 71.

Investigators said part of the engine probably made accidental contact with dry grass, leading to flames that spread to the car. Autopsy results said Owen died of smoke inhalation, thermal burns and heart disease.

Running

Kastor triumphs: Deena Kastor, a Mammoth Lakes, Calif., resident who was the 2004 Olympic bronze medalist in the marathon, won the national 10-kilometer championship in Boston in 32 minutes, 1 second. Katie McGregor of Minneapolis was second in 32:41.

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