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LEXINGTON, Ky. — Forte’s last start over a mile was impressive enough that trainer Todd Pletcher wasn’t too shocked at what he achieved in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile, or the way he did it.

Forte served notice as an early Kentucky Derby favorite, rallying from mid-pack to overtake Cave Rock and win the $2 million Breeders’ Cup Juvenile by 1 1/2 lengths on Friday at Keeneland. His fourth victory in five starts comes just over a month after he won the Breeders’ Futurity at the track by a neck.

Pletcher’s colt went off as a 4-1 choice in the 1 1/16-mile race but had work to do running in the middle on the backstretch. Forte quickly made his charge through the 10-horse field and got off the rail to close in on Bob Baffert-trained Cave Rock, the 4-5 favorite, and the leaders by the final turn.

“The last time, he made the lead pretty comfortably,” Pletcher said of Forte. “But he got to waiting and laying on the horse next to him, so today, if we were lucky enough to get in a position to get (the lead), we wanted to give ourselves plenty of space and not get close to the horse next to him.”

Forte turned it on entering the stretch, racing past Cave Rock at the eighth pole to claim his third consecutive victory as a 2-year-old, perhaps solidifying his credentials for Horse of the Year honors. Mike Repole, whose stable co-owns the horse with Florida Panthers owner Vincent Viola, was giddy over his good fortune, just five months after he won the Belmont Stakes with Mo Donegal.

“My whole family thinks you just show up and you win a Grade 1 (race) and that that’s normal,” he said. “I’m not fooled about how blessed I am that this is happening.”

Wonder Wheel preceded Forte’s rally with one of her own in the $2 million Juvenile Fillies, and in more dramatic fashion.

The dark bay filly surged past Leave No Trace in the final furlong for a three-length victory. It was her fourth win in five starts, including last month’s Darley Alcibiades at Keeneland, with a second and likely sealed her claim as the top 2-year-old female.

“She didn’t break very well,” jockey Tyler Gaffalione said of her 1 1/16-mile trip in 1:44.9. “I got pushed back a little further than I wanted to be. … Spots kept opening up inside so I just going forward and it just worked out.”

The $1 million Juvenile Turf capped the five-race stakes card with its most exciting ending, as Victoria Road nosed past Silver Knott after running three-wide at the top of the stretch. It looked like a dead heat at the wire before a photo finish showed the Irish-bred colt eking out his fourth consecutive victory with a head bob. Curly Larry and Mo was the early pace setter before finishing 14th.

“I thought in the lane he had won,” jockey Ryan Moore said. “And when the out rider was saying it was close, I was pretty sure he held on.”

Mischief Magic came on late to earn a one-length victory over Dramatised in the $1 million Turf Sprint. Meditate had it a little easier in the Juvenile Fillies Turf, beating Pleasant Passage by 2½ lengths.

The championship went off on a clear, sunny day at the picturesque track in the heart of Bluegrass horse country. The grandstands were filled, a huge difference from the 2020 running without spectators because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

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3 tossed from Giants-Rockies after Devers homer

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3 tossed from Giants-Rockies after Devers homer

DENVER — Rafael Devers‘ 30th home run of the season was a weird one.

Colorado Rockies pitcher Kyle Freeland along with San Francisco Giants third baseman Matt Chapman and shortstop Willy Adames were ejected from Tuesday night’s game following a benches-clearing incident that started after Devers hit a two-run homer in the first inning.

Devers hammered a sweeper over the right-field wall, and Freeland took exception to Devers’ celebration, shouting at him as he neared first base.

That caused several players to charge toward the infield, where Chapman appeared to make contact with Freeland. Adames also was in the middle of the scrum.

The umpires restored order before sorting out the situation and announcing the ejections. It did not appear that any punches were thrown.

Devers waited at first base while the umpires were meeting and then trotted around the bases several minutes after he actually hit the homer.

The Giants had to shuffle their defensive infield after the two ejections, moving Devers to third base for the first time since he was traded to the club from the Boston Red Sox in June. Christian Koss moved from second base to shortstop, Casey Schmitt entered the game at second base and Dominic Smith entered at first.

Antonio Senzatela came in the game to pitch for the Rockies.

Devers’ 30th homer also ended a skid for the Giants — sort of. He is the first San Francisco player to hit 30 homers in a season while wearing a Giants uniform since Barry Bonds in 2004, but he hit his first 15 long balls with the Red Sox.

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Ohtani belts 100th HR with Dodgers in record time

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Ohtani belts 100th HR with Dodgers in record time

PITTSBURGH — Shohei Ohtani hit his 100th home run with the Los Angeles Dodgers, but the Pittsburgh Pirates spoiled the milestone with a 9-7 win Tuesday night.

Ohtani’s solo shot off prospect Bubba Chandler (2-0) was the second-hardest hit homer in MLB this season at 120 mph. It was home run No. 46 for Ohtani this season and the hardest-hit ball of his MLB career, according to ESPN Research.

Playing his 294th game with the Dodgers, he became the fastest to reach 100 home runs in team history, ahead of Gary Sheffield (399). It took him 444 games to hit 100 home runs with the Angels.

After the home run, Teoscar Hernandez hit a two-out RBI single and Andy Pages led off the next inning with his 24th homer, tying it 4-4.

Henry Davis put the Pirates back ahead on an RBI single off Edgardo Henriquez (0-1) in the sixth. Jared Triolo added a two-out, two-run double.

Chandler gave up three runs and six hits in four innings of relief. The 22-year-old has two wins and a save in his first three major league appearances.

Dennis Santana walked Miguel Rojas and gave up Ohtani’s second double to start the ninth before retiring the next three batters for his 12th save.

Clayton Kershaw yielded four runs, four hits and a pair of walks in the first inning. He recovered to last five innings, denying the Pirates of another hit while giving up two walks over the final four.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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Red Sox’s Anthony exits with oblique tightness

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Red Sox's Anthony exits with oblique tightness

Star Boston Red Sox rookie Roman Anthony left Tuesday night’s 11-7 win against the Cleveland Guardians because of left oblique tightness and will undergo an MRI on Wednesday, according to manager Alex Cora.

Anthony could be seen grabbing at his lower back on a swinging third strike in the bottom of the fourth inning. He did not take the field in the top of the fifth, with Nate Eaton replacing him in right field at Fenway Park.

Anthony’s absence would be significant for a Red Sox team that entered Tuesday night just 2½ games behind the first-place Toronto Blue Jays in the AL East. Anthony has been a catalyst to Boston’s resurgence since his June callup, with the 21-year-old hitting .291 with an .861 OPS, eight home runs and 31 RBIs entering Tuesday.

Anthony entered the season as baseball’s No. 1 prospect. He has since signed an eight-year, $130 million extension with the team.

Teammate Marcelo Mayer, who entered the season as baseball’s No. 6 prospect, joined the big league club before Anthony in May but has since had season-ending wrist surgery. Kristian Campbell, the third of Boston’s touted prospects, opened the season as the club’s starting second baseman but was sent down to Triple-A Worcester in June after some early struggles.

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