Sports briefs 3/1/04

Baseball

John Smoltz is one player who's clearly concerned about steroids in baseball. The Atlanta Braves closer called for tougher testing Sunday, saying the sport's integrity is at stake. "The more this becomes a monster, the more it plays into everybody's mind," Smoltz said after a spring training workout in Kissimmee, Fla. "There's a way they should do tests. Do them the way they should be done -- not a platform that's just a smoke screen."

Basketball

All-Star point guard Jason Kidd of the New Jersey Nets plans to have an MRI on a sore left knee that has bothered him in recent games. The injury was disclosed Sunday night after Kidd spent the final 14-plus minutes on the bench in the Nets' 100-83 loss to the Los Angeles Lakers. The MRI will be performed today. Kidd hopes to play in Denver on Tuesday against the Nuggets.

Horse racing

Kentucky Derby and Preakness winner Funny Cide still can't beat Peace Rules at the Fair Grounds. Peace Rules held off a late charge by Saint Liam and Funny Cide to win the $500,000 New Orleans Handicap by a head Sunday at the Fair Grounds, becoming just the second horse to win the Louisiana Derby as 3-year-old and the Handicap at 4. With Jerry Bailey aboard, Peace Rules covered the 1 1/8 miles in 1:48.61. He defeated Funny Cide on the same track last year. Master Derby won both races in 1975 and 1976. The winner of the eight-horse field paid $9.20, $4.60 and $3.60. Saint Liam paid $6.20 and $5, and Funny Cide, who finished 2 3/4-lengths back, paid $4.60.

Miscellaneous

The White House wants to organize a summit of representatives from the major sports leagues and the U.S. Olympic Committee to discuss steroid use by athletes. Officials at major league baseball, the NFL, NBA, NHL and USOC confirmed Sunday they were contacted by the White House about such a meeting. The White House had no immediate comment Sunday. Spokesmen for the NFL, NHL, NBA and baseball said those sports would participate but added no date had been set.

Motorsports

The IRL season opener turned into a Penske shootout, with newcomer Sam Hornish passing teammate Helio Castroneves on the last lap to win Sunday's Toyota Indy 300. Hornish, a two-time IndyCar Series champion is now a three-time winner in four tries at Homestead Miami Speedway. The 200-lap race on the 1 1/2-mile oval was filled with passing and two- and three-wide racing that kept fans on their feet. Hornish took the lead on lap 173 from Tomas Scheckter. Castroneves moved into second place on the next lap and took the lead from his new teammate on lap 176.

Tennis

Three-time French Open champion Gustavo Kuerten beat Agustin Calleri 3-6, 6-2, 6-3 Sunday in the rain-interrupted final of the Brasil Open. The match was suspended Saturday with Kuerten leading 1-0 in the third set. Kuerten, a Brazilian, also won this tournament in 2002.

Track & Field

Stacy Dragila won her eighth national indoor pole vault title Sunday, but failed in three attempts to reset her American record. Dragila jumped 15 feet, 5 inches for the victory at the U.S. Indoor Track and Field Championships. She did not even come close in her three tries at 15-9, which would have broken her indoor mark of 15-8 1/4. Meanwhile, Jen Toomey won the 1,500 meters in 4 minutes, 9.82 seconds, to go with the 800 title she won Saturday. North Carolina junior Laura Gerraughty won the shot put with a collegiate record toss of 62-9 1/2. Other winners on the final day of competition included Jamie Nieto and Amy Acuff in the high jump, Savante Stringfellow and Tameisha King in the long jump, Christian Cantwell in the shot put, Jonathon Riley in the 3,000 and Joanne Dow in the 3,000 race walk.-- From wire reports