Biete - Kristall » three of their past five games.Maple

BENSALEM, Pa. -- The gate was full for the Grade 3, $300,000 Smarty Jones at Parx Racing on Monday as 14 3-year-olds went to the post in the 1-1/16-mile stakes. But when the gates opened, Paco Lopez quickly turned the race into a one-horse affair as he smoothly put Awesome Slew on the lead from post 14.I used to ride Quarter Horses, you know, Lopez joked after the race.Once Awesome Slew made the front, the race was basically over. He ran his rivals off their feet, held an eight-length lead at the furlong pole, and coasted home under mild urging to win by seven lengths. He paid $23.80 and was timed in 1:42.92.Wild About Deb finished second, four lengths ahead of Seeking the Soul.Awesome Slews performance has been a long time in the making. A son of Awesome Again owned by the Live Oak Plantation of Charlotte Weber, he has had to overcome a lot of adversity for trainer Eddie Plesa Jr., who has made quite clear this summer how highly he thinks of the colt.Awesome Slew came out of a fourth-place finish last year in the Sanford Stakes at Saratoga with an ankle chip, then got very sick over the winter in Florida with colitis. Since recovering, he has had to play catch-up all season.Plesa finally thought he had Awesome Slew at his best for the Haskell Invitational, but the track came up sloppy, and the horse didnt handle it, losing by 32 lengths.Its like you cant keep coming up with excuses, Plesa said. This win is very gratifying. Paco deserves a ton of credit, and so does the horse and my entire crew, especially the head of the team, Charlotte Weber.The Smarty Jones win was especially meaningful, Plesa said, because the race is named after Smarty Jones, whom his brother-in-law John Servis, sent out to win the 2004 Kentucky Derby and Preakness.Awesome Slews win didnt appear to take much out of him, but Plesa said he most likely wouldnt wheel him back in 19 days in the Grade 2, $1 million Pennsylvania Derby.My gut feeling is probably not, Plesa said, but I will listen to him extra hard and see what he tells me. Its a little quick to come back against that caliber of horses.The win capped a big weekend at Parx for Lopez, who on Saturday guided Cathryn Sophia to an easy victory in the $150,000 Princess of Sylmar Stakes for Servis. The race was a prep for the Grade 1, $1 million Cotillion, where Cathryn Sophia is expected to meet the still-undefeated 2-year-old filly champion of 2015, Songbird. 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TORONTO -- Randy Carlyle returns to the Air Canada Centre on Monday night to lead the Anaheim Ducks against the Toronto Maple Leafs, a team he coached for 188 games over four seasons.The Ducks need a win after losing 6-4 to the Detroit Red Wings Saturday to drop to 1-2 -- with 15 goals allowed -- halfway through a six-game road trip.Id be a fool to say it wouldnt mean something special, Carlyle said of the possibility of winning against the Maple Leafs on their home ice.Meanwhile, the Maple Leafs are coming off the high of defeating the Stanley Cup champion Pittsburgh Penguins 2-1 on Saturday on an overtime goal by Jake Gardiner.We played about as good as we could (Saturday), but it also shows we can play with everybody. Gardiner said. When the Pittsburgh Penguins come in here, its not like were nervous or anything. We expect to win and thats every single night. Whatever team it is, we expect to win.Carlyle, who was 91-78-19 with the Leafs before being replaced 40 games into the 2014-2015 season, also brings with him goaltender Jonathan Bernier, who played three season with Toronto through last season.This is Carlyles second stint with the Ducks, having led them from 2005-2011, winning a Stanley Cup championship in 2007.The Ducks (16-11-5) had a team meeting Sunday and an optional practice. No doubt, defense was the main topic.You cant give up six goals and win in this league, or in any league, Carlyle said after Saturdays game. We scored enough to win, but you cant give up more than two if you want to consistently win games.The Ducks led 3-1 in the second period against the Red Wings.After allowing four goals on 21 shots in the first two periods, Bernier was replaced by John Gibson in the third.I cant really say much, Bernier said. I think (Carlyle) wanted to obviously turn things around. Kind of spark the team. Obviously, you want to stay in there and battle all night. But he tried somethiing where he tried to get the guys going and get momentum on our side.ddddddddddddSaid Rickard Rakell, who scored two goals on Saturday: We have to be better, stronger, around our own net, and better slowing down teams in the neutral zone.The Maple Leafs (12-11-7) wrap up a five-game homestand Monday. They are 1-1-2 during the stand, with two of the losses coming in shootouts and the win in overtime.The win Saturday was only their second in eight games.Obviously, weve been in a lot of games leading in the third, said Mitch Marner, who had two assists against the Penguins. To pull this one out against a good team is pretty important for us. Now weve got to make sure were ready for the next one. I think (the win means) a lot.The Maple Leafs had 49 shots on the Penguins goal on Saturday and have had 40 or more shots in two games in a row for the first time this season. They have had 40 or more shots in three of their past five games.Maple Leafs coach Mike Babcock likes to look at five-game segments with six points the goal for each segment.The win on Saturday allowed the Leafs to reach that goal for only the second time this season with two wins and a point each for the two shootout losses. They were 2-1-2 during the segment.Obviously, its a good win, Babcock said. We got six points in the segment, thats what were trying to do. Even though we suffered some shootout losses we were still able to get our six points.Babcock explained why he uses five-game segments as his measuring stick.When the wheels are off and the standings dont look as good as they should, it gives you a focus, he said. When the standings look too good, it still gives you a focus. It works both ways. It works when youre on the wrong side of things and it works when youre on the right side of things. ' ' '