ity is that the Raiders should be more competitive this year,

LOUISVILLE, Ky. -- Untapables dominant effort in the Kentucky Oaks gave Rosie Napravnik big momentum in her bid to become the first female jockey to win the Kentucky Derby. Whether she follows up aboard Vicars In Trouble on Saturday in the 140th Run for the Roses and becomes the eighth rider to complete the Oaks-Derby double remains to be seen, but Napravnik is making the Oaks her domain. Untapable gave Napravnik her second Oaks win in three years and put her on the brink of history by surging past My Miss Sophia entering the stretch and rolling to a 4 1/2-length victory Friday in the 140th Oaks at Churchill Downs. "We got the first half completed, so were moving on to the second half of the double," Napravnik said. The overwhelming favourite in the $1 million race for 3-year-old fillies earned, Untapable raced her third straight victory and fifth in seven starts. She has won her last three by a combined margin of nearly 22 lengths. "We got into a great position," said Napravnik, who has ridden the horse for all but one start. "She runs her best when she can get into a great stride and she relaxes so nicely. She has grown up and she is maturing. She is magnificent." Untapables victory also turned up the spotlight on trainer Steve Asmussen, who is being investigated by Kentucky and New York racing officials after an animal rights group alleged he and his former assistant mistreated horses in their care. Asmussen sidestepped the matter, choosing instead to focus on his horses stellar closing run. However, Winchell Thoroughbreds racing manager David Fiske conceded that the attention was "a little bit" of a distraction, adding, "Id be lying if I said it wasnt. ... But we thought we had the goods when we came in here and she proved us right." Thanks to Napravnik, Untapable positioned herself to charge at just the right time. Breaking from the far 13th spot, Untapable stayed within reach of early leaders Sugar Shock, My Miss Sophia and Thank You Marylou before getting clear outside turning for home. The winner ran 1 1/8 miles in 1:48.68, the races second-fastest time, and paid $4, $3.20 and $2.60. "The development of the filly, I think Rosie has been a key part of it," Ausmussen said. My Miss Sophia returned $4.20 and $4.40, and Unbridled Forever paid $6. Untapables dramatic finish followed some pre-race suspense involving two horses who violently balked in the gate. The first was Empress of Midway, partly owned by Louisville basketball coach Rick Pitino. She thrashed and flipped in the gate and then sat down for a tense moment. Jockey Corey Nakatani wasnt hurt in the fracas and stood by watching as workers quickly got the horse out; she walked away uninjured but was quickly scratched. "She just went up in the gate and lost her balance and kind of sat down on her haunches and couldnt get herself back up in the right position," attending track veterinarian Larry Bramlage said afterward. "We didnt see anything obviously wrong and shes back to her barn." Minutes after horses in surrounding gates were guided back in, second betting choice Fashion Plate also had issues before settling down. She hopped out of the gate and quickly fell behind in finishing 11th of 12 entrants. "She was real tight in the gate," jockey Gary Stevens said. "When (Empress of Midway) flipped, she tried to flip. She has never had to stand in the gate that long and shes used to smaller fields. As soon as the gate opened, my race was over." At that point, Napravnik was guiding Untapable to one of her smoothest victories before 113,071, which is saying something considering how dominant she has been this year. It was no contest after Untapable caught My Miss Sophia, quickly gaining a length and widening the gap. Dan Hamhuis Predators Jersey . 1. Did the Senators trade the wrong goalie? Lets make one thing clear: The Ottawa Senators acquired Ben Bishop from the St. Louis Blues for one reason and one reason alone. Mattias Ekholm Predators Jersey .C. -- Kurt Busch put his chances at "70 per cent" at running the Indianapolis 500 this year because of recent developments that have pushed a potential program along. http://www.authenticpredatorspro.com/Nick-bonino-predators-jersey/ . -- Olympic medallist Jennifer Abel of Laval, Que. Matt Irwin Predators Jersey . -- Josh MacDonalds second goal of the game kept his team alive as the Peterborough Petes edged the host Kingston Frontencas 6-5 in overtime on Friday in Ontario Hockey League playoff action. Colton Sissons Predators Jersey .com) - Calgary Flames forward Johnny Gaudreau has been selected as the NHLs Rookie of the Month for December, the league announced Friday.It took GM Reggie McKenzie two years to clean up the mess left in Oakland by former Raiders owner Al Davis. For everything Davis did for the franchise in its 54-year existence, the team was floundering under him late in his time presiding over the team. When McKenzie was hired in early 2012, he probably circled March 11, 2014 on his calendar. He knew it would take two years to complete the teams much needed deconstruction, and it wouldnt be until March this year – the opening of free agency – that the Raiders would have a shot at actually building a sustainable winner. But what happens when you have all the money to spend, but nothing to spend it on? The answer, apparently, is to load up on aging veterans in a weak free agent crop, hoping they have enough gas to elevate the roster to competitiveness while at the same time mentor the fairly barren corps of young players who will one day, hopefully, form the nucleus of a winner. The list of free agents whose motors at this stage in their careers are justifiably questioned is a long one, but it doubles as the list of players who will determine the Raiders ultimate fate this season, so McKenzie needs this gamble to pay off. Matt Schaub, Maurice Jones-Drew, Donald Penn, Justin Tuck, Lamar Woodley, Antonio Smith, and Carlos Rogers will all be leaned on for one – or two – last strong seasonss to bridge the gap while the Raiders build up their crop of young talent.dddddddddddd For their part, the veterans are saying all the right things. Phrases like “playing motivated” and “chip on our shoulder” have been thrown around a lot in Oakland leading up to the season. The reality is that the Raiders should be more competitive this year, but still nowhere near able to challenge for a playoff spot, especially in the tough AFC West. McKenzie and company feel strongly Schaub wont repeat his disastrous 2013 campaign, in which he broke the record for consecutive games throwing a pick-six, but its unrealistic to think the 33-year-old will recapture the magic of his 2009 or 2010 season. Other vets brought in, such as pass rushers Tuck, Woodley, and Smith, are too talented to completely fall off a cliff, the three combining for 21 total sacks just last season. And at running back, so long as Jones-Drew and Darren McFadden alternate their weeks on the sideline with injuries, theres hope for the running game as well. Its nearly impossible for the future to not look brighter than the past in Oakland, while young talents like Khalil Mack and Derek Carr give the fans tangible reasons to get excited. But the future may still be a couple years away. The last two years were the deconstruction period, the next could very well be the rebuilding phase. ' ' '