Golf
Rory McIlroy is targeting the Mexico Championship in March as his return to tournament action from injury.
McIlroy aggravated a rib stress fracture while finishing runner-up at the SA Open in Gauteng two weekends ago. Those injuries typically take about six weeks to heal, and he believes he’ll be ready to play again in the first World Golf Championship of the year, from March 2-5.
He said the Mexico Championship in Mexico City was ideal because there was no cut.
Horse Racing
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Classic Empire, winner of the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile, is among 418 3-year-old thoroughbreds made eligible during the early nomination period to compete in the Kentucky Derby, Preakness and Belmont stakes.
Five fillies and 18 horses based outside North America, including nine from Japan, are also among the early nominees for the Triple Crown series.
The Kentucky Derby is May 6, the Preakness is May 20 and the Belmont is June 10.
This year’s early nominations are up 13.6 percent from last year, when the early period attracted 368 horses. Another nine horses were made eligible during the late nomination period to raise last year’s total to 377.
It costs owners and trainers $600 to nominate horses during the early period. The late period, requiring a payment of $6,000, is underway and ends on March 20. Horses have a final chance to become eligible at the time of entry for each race when the Derby requires payment of $200,000; the Preakness is $150,000; and the Belmont is $75,000.
MLB
NEW YORK – Billy Bean was given expanded responsibilities by Major League Baseball, which has changed his title to vice president and special assistant to commissioner Rob Manfred.
Bean will handle anti-bullying efforts in addition to his previous work, the commissioner’s office said Tuesday.
Hired in July 2014 as a consultant and given the title ambassador for inclusion, Bean was promoted last January to vice president for social responsibility and inclusion. He will continue to develop strategies with a focus on the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community.
Bean came out as gay in 1999, four years after his final major league season.
NFL
WASHINGTON – A cab driver in Washington got a surprise after mentioning to a group of passengers that John Elway was his all-time favorite quarterback before learning Elway was riding in the backseat.
The encounter happened Friday while Elway was in the capital for the inauguration. A Facebook video posted by a friend of Elway’s shows cab driver Sam Snow listing Elway as his top NFL quarterback, even though he’s a Steelers fan. One of the passengers asked Snow if he would know Elway if he saw him. The driver glanced at the backseat and immediately recognized the Hall of Famer.
PITTSBURGH – Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger isn’t sure he’ll be back in 2017.
Roethlisberger said during his weekly appearance on 93.7 The Fan on Tuesday that he is going to take some time to evaluate whether he wants to keep playing. The two-time Super Bowl winner will turn 35 in March and has missed time in each of the last two seasons with knee issues. Roethlisberger is under contract through 2020.
Associated Press
