IN BRIEF

HORSE RACING

Rags to Riches favored in return to Belmont

Finally, Rags to Riches returns to the races for the first time since her sensational Belmont Stakes victory.

After a series of summer setbacks, the popular 3-year-old filly will be the heavy favorite against four rivals in today's $250,000 Gazelle Stakes at Belmont Park in New York, where she gets back to running against her own sex.

Rags to Riches missed several workouts because of elevated temperatures. Held out of the Coaching Club American Oaks on July 21 and the Alabama Stakes on Aug. 18, she's fit, fresh and ready to go after a 98-day layoff.

BASKETBALL

Warriors, Nelson work on contract extension

The Golden State Warriors are close to reaching a deal to rework coach Don Nelson's contract and bring him back for another season.

Nelson, who had two years left on the contract he signed last year, would get a raise from $3.1 million to $5.1 million a year under the new deal, according to the Contra Costa Times. In exchange, the third year of the deal would convert to a team option, the paper said.

Also: Indiana Pacers forward Shawne Williams intends to plead guilty to charges of driving without a license.

Defense attorney John Tompkins said Williams plans to enter a plea agreement on the misdemeanor charge by Oct. 1, the day before the Pacers open training camp.

MISCELLANEOUS

Decision in Landis case must come by Sept. 22

Arbitrators in the Floyd Landis doping hearing met for the final time and declared the hearing officially closed, meaning a decision on the 2006 Tour de France winner's fate must come by Sept. 22.

Landis testified in May as part of a two-week public arbitration hearing to determine whether his positive doping test from last year's Tour should be upheld. He tested positive for synthetic testosterone after Stage 17 of the race.

Also: Meseret Defar set a world record in the women's 2-mile at the Van Damme Memorial meet in Brussels, Belgium, smashing her mark by almost 12 seconds.

The Ethiopian finished in 8 minutes, 58.58 seconds, shaving 11.89 seconds off the 9:10.47 mark she set in May.

Seven cities from four continents are officially in the race to host the 2016 Summer Olympics.

The International Olympic Committee said it had received formal applications from Baku, Azerbaijan; Chicago; Doha, Qatar; Madrid, Spain; Prague, Czech Republic; Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; and Tokyo.

New Mexico received notice from the NCAA of four potential rules violations involving three members of the Lobos' football coaching staff. The university did not identify the coaches but said that two are no longer on the staff.

Head coach Rocky Long was not mentioned in the investigation.

The coaches allegedly helped four prospective student-athletes and a student-athlete who was enrolled at New Mexico to improperly obtain course credits at another college.

Erica Jensen scored in the 25th minute to give UNLV (3-2) a 1-0 women's soccer victory over Pepperdine (0-4-1) in Malibu, Calif.

Alicia Lugo made seven saves for the Rebels.

Stephen Sifuentes tallied two second-half goals to lead the UNLV men's soccer team (2-2-1) to a 4-3 victory over Cal Poly (2-1) at Peter Johann Memorial Field.

The four goals were the most by the men's team since the 2002 season.