In Brief

HORSE RACING

Derby contender Uncle Mo set
for 3-year-old debut in March

The connections of leading Kentucky Derby contender Uncle Mo said the colt will make his 3-year-old debut in a recently created race to be run at Florida's Gulfstream Park on March 12.

Owner Mike Repole and trainer Todd Pletcher said Tuesday their choice for Uncle Mo's first race of 2011 is the $100,000 Timely Writer. If the mile race does not draw enough entries, Uncle Mo's second option is the $350,000 Tampa Bay Derby, also March 12.

Uncle Mo has won all three of his starts and was voted 2-year-old champion after winning the Breeders' Cup Juvenile in November. Uncle Mo is stabled at Palm Meadows, just north of Gulfstream Park in Hallandale Beach, Fla.

The Timely Writer was created last week by Gulfstream.

Also: NBC will broadcast all three legs of horse racing's Triple Crown through 2015, reuniting the sport's three biggest jewels on one network for the first time since 2005.

NBC Sports Group announced that NBC and Versus will provide more than 25 hours of race coverage centered on the Kentucky Derby, Preakness and Belmont Stakes. Terms were not disclosed.

NBC has carried the Derby and Preakness since 2001. The Belmont was carried by ABC from 2006 to 2010.

Santa Anita will add an extra day of racing starting March 23, creating a five-day race week that will remain in effect through closing day April 17.

The change is pending approval from the California Horse Racing Board. The track in Arcadia, Calif., will remain on a four-day race week schedule through March 20.

COLLEGES

Oklahoma football sanctioned for secondary infractions

Oklahoma's football team has been required to give players a week off from athletic training during the offseason after reporting a series of secondary NCAA rules violations related to offseason workouts.

The Sooners reported to the NCAA that four assistant coaches had improperly questioned players about their lack of participation in voluntary offseason workouts, and that some players had been working out more than the allowed eight hours per week.

The violations were included in documents released to The Associated Press following an open records request. Other violations included a handful of self-reported impermissible text messages and phone calls by assistant coaches to recruits and their fathers.

Also: Oklahoma defensive tackle Stacy McGee was arrested on a marijuana possession citation and released over the weekend.

According to a Norman, Okla., police log, McGee was cited with possession of marijuana and drug paraphernalia Sunday evening. McGee played in all 14 of the Sooners' games last season and started 11 times.

He is the third Oklahoma starter arrested by Norman police in a month. Receiver Kenny Stills was arrested on a complaint of driving under the influence, and safety Tony Jefferson was booked on a complaint of interfering with official process last month.

Paige Emerson's two-run homer in the bottom of the seventh inning gave the UNLV softball team a 4-3 victory over Southern Utah at Eller Media Stadium.

Kylie Wagner had a two-run single in the fifth for the Rebels (5-5). UNLV pitcher Amanda Oliveto allowed six hits and three runs -- all unearned -- while striking out eight in a complete game.

MISCELLANEOUS

Federer, Djokovic advance
at Dubai Championships

Roger Federer won his first match since losing in the Australian Open semifinals by beating Somdev Devvarman of India 6-3, 6-3 in the first round of the Dubai Championships in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.

Novak Djokovic, who beat Federer in Australia and went on to his second Grand Slam title, won his Dubai opener against Michael Llodra of France by the same score.

Also: Tim Clark withdrew from golf's Match Play Championship in Marana, Ariz., because of an elbow injury and was replaced in the 64-man field by J.B. Holmes.

Clark won The Players Championship a year ago and was the No. 22 seed.

Because the brackets have been set, Holmes will take Clark's position in the draw. He will face Camilo Villegas in today's opening round.

Rugby World Cup officials said it's too early to judge what effect an earthquake in Christchurch, New Zealand, that killed at least 65 people will have on this year's tournament.

The magnitude 6.3 quake struck at lunchtime Tuesday, causing havoc in the South Island city that is to be one of the World Cup's key venues.

No reports have been received of damage to the city's main stadium, but hotels have been damaged and city infrastructure shattered. The city center is in ruins, and roads have been destroyed.

The event runs from Sept. 9 to Oct. 23.