Briefs | Track and Field: Bryan Clay injures hamstring, may miss nationals

Track and field

Clay tweaks hamstring, questionable for nationals: Olympic decathlon champion Bryan Clay injured his left hamstring while practicing for the U.S. track championships and said he's questionable for the start of the meet today in Eugene, Ore.

Clay, who has been training at the University of Washington, said he will warm up before the first event and will decide whether he can compete in the sport's most grueling competition. He hurt himself Tuesday during a light practice.

"If this were a week ago, or 10 days ago, it's no big deal," he said. "But it happened two days before and I can't work magic."

If he can't go, it will have repercussions beyond this week. Only the top three finishers at the nationals can advance to the world championships in August, and Clay's Olympic title last year does not earn him an automatic spot. Defending champions from the 2007 worlds do earn wild-card spots in the 2009 worlds, but Clay withdrew from that decathlon with an injury while he was in second place.

Auto racing

Mosley to step down after deal to prevent F1 split: The cash-strapped Formula One series prevented a breakup when the FIA's divisive and scandal-plagued president, Max Mosley, agreed to scrap a planned budget cap and step down at the end of his term.

Mosley will immediately take a back-seat role until his 16-year tenure ends in October, a move aimed at easing some of the acrimony that has blighted F1 in recent months.

Mosley backed down on the voluntary $65 million budget cap at the World Motorsport Council. Instead, teams were given a watered-down order to reduce costs to early 1990s levels.

But the Formula One Teams Association, which instigated the breakaway, had already implemented a series of cost-cutting measures themselves this season amid the global economic downturn, restricting on-track testing and the use of wind tunnels for aerodynamic testing.

Horse racing

Owner: Rachel Alexandra to skip Breeders' Cup: The co-owner of Preakness winner Rachel Alexandra doesn't plan to run the star filly in the Breeders' Cup, preventing a potential matchup with champion mare Zenyatta on the synthetic surface at Santa Anita.

Jess Jackson said Rachel Alexandra, who has won six straight races dating to last year, could run against the boys again this summer. But he ruled out taking part in horse racing's world championships on Nov. 6-7, after the poor performance by his two-time Horse of the Year Curlin in last year's Breeders' Cup Classic.

Curlin had dominated on traditional dirt surfaces but struggled to a fourth-place finish on Santa Anita's Pro-Ride synthetic track in the only out-of-the-money finish of his career. Curlin won 11 of 16 races and was retired as Thoroughbred racing's leading money earner with more than $10.5 million.

"I have a very strong dislike for plastic surfaces, and I don't believe she should be exposed to that," Jackson said. "I'm not going to run her on plastic. We don't need to risk her that way."

College basketball

Jordan dropping basketball for studies: Michael Jordan's son, Jeff, is leaving Illinois after two seasons. The former walk-on guard surprised nearly everyone by announcing he plans to focus on his studies, just a few months after Illinois coach Bruce Weber said Jordan had a chance to earn more playing time and even a leadership role during his junior year.

Williams leaving Duke: Guard Elliot Williams, who started 11 of Duke's final 12 games, is leaving the school after one season because of family medical reasons. He plans to transfer to a school closer to his hometown of Memphis, Tenn.

BYU coach says cancer appears gone: Brigham Young men's coach Dave Rose, just weeks after learning he had a form of pancreatic cancer, said doctors appeared to have gotten all the cancerous tumor during emergency surgery to remove his spleen. He won't have to undergo chemotherapy.

Soccer

Toronto FC prevails: Dwayne De Rosario and Pablo Vitti scored to give host Toronto FC (6-5-4) a 2-0 victory over the Red Bulls (2-11-4), extending New York's road winless streak to 21 regular-season games.

Colorado, Dallas tie: Omar Cummings scored the tying goal in the 84th minute and the Rapids (5-2-6) extended their franchise-record unbeaten streak to eight by tying visiting FC Dallas 1-1. David Ferreira scored for Dallas (3-7-5).

New England, Kansas City tie: New England defender Darrius Barnes deflected Hercules Gomez's shot past goalkeeper Matt Reis in the 85th minute for an own goal to give the Kansas City Wizards a 1-1 tie with the host Revolution in a Superliga tournament game.

Boxing

Senate urges Obama to pardon first black champion: The Senate is urging President Obama to pardon the late black heavyweight champion Jack Johnson, who was sent to prison nearly a century ago because of his romantic ties with a white woman. The Senate approved the resolution by voice vote.

WNBA

Shock's Pierson out for season: Detroit Shock forward Plenette Pierson is expected to miss the rest of the season after shoulder surgery.

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