Hilfestellungen » Stevens still had a ton of horse,

MADRID -- A meaningless goal is still a goal, especially for someone who really needs a boost.Neymar had been enduring his worst scoring drought since arriving in Barcelona, but he got one in his teams 5-3 friendly win over Al Ahli in Qatar on Tuesday.That could be just the spur he needs.In Sundays Spanish league game against Espanyol, Neymar will be trying to score his first goal in an official match since he signed a three-year contract extension with Barcelona almost two months ago.Neymars last goal for the Catalan club came in the 4-0 win over Manchester City in the group stage of the Champions League on Oct. 19, two days before the new contract was signed to keep the Brazil striker in Barcelona until June 2021.Neymar failed to find the net in the eight matches since then, the longest scoreless streak in his four seasons in Spain.He also hasnt scored since finding out about a month ago that he and his father are each facing a two-year prison sentence and a fine of more than $10 million on corruption charges related to alleged irregularities during his transfer from Brazilian club Santos to Barcelona. They deny wrongdoing.In his debut season in 2013-14, Neymar went six consecutive games without scoring a goal two separate occasions. He never went more than four games without a goal the following season, and in 2015-16 he didnt score in five games in a row late in the season.Although Neymar hasnt been playing poorly, his missed chances have attracted attention. None more than the one in the 68th minute of the clasico against Real Madrid at Camp Nou a few weeks ago, when he had an open shot from close range to give Barcelona a 2-0 lead but sent his strike over the crossbar. Madrid scored an equalizer in the 90th.Neymars missed opportunity might have cost Barcelona the game, but it also kept him from showing his support for Brazilian club Chapecoense, whose players and delegation members died in a plane crash in Colombia.If I had scored I would have shown a Chapecoense jersey, Neymar said. Its what I could have done at that moment to show my support to the relative of those who died.Its been a sub-par season for Neymar compared to a year ago, when he scored 14 goals in his first 17 games. He ended with 31 goals and made the short list for the best player of the year award, finishing behind Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo in the voting.The 24-year-old Neymar has only six goals after 17 official games this season. He did not make FIFAs shortlist this time, and finished fifth in the Ballon dOr award announced Monday.Neymar started the season with Barcelona later than usual because he played for Brazil at the Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, leading the hosts to their first soccer gold medal.He didnt play the last two games for Barcelona because of suspensions -- against Osasuna in the Spanish league and Borussia Moenchengladbach in the Champions League. The coinciding yellow-card suspensions led to some criticism in Spanish media as they gave Neymar extended time off, although he had to spend time undergoing physiotherapy for a minor muscle ailment.Another Barcelona striker who could benefit from the friendly in Qatar is Paco Alcacer, who finally scored his first goal since being signed by the Catalan club this season. He hadnt scored in 10 games with Barcelona and many fans had already been criticizing him.Barcelona is six points behind Spanish league leader Madrid, which is off this weekend because its in Japan for the Club World Cup.---Tales Azzoni on Twitter: http://twitter.com/tazzoni Aaron Hicks Jersey . Burris threw two TD passes, including a key 15-yard fourth-quarter strike to Bakari Grant that effectively countered a Toronto comeback bid and led Hamilton to a 33-19 victory. Aaron Judge Jersey . 8 Iowa State on Saturday, sending the Cyclones to their third consecutive loss. 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It has been 20 years since Cigar ran his last race, in the 1996 Breeders Cup Classic at Woodbine, while more than 76 years have passed since Seabiscuit took his final bow with a victory in the 1940 Santa Anita Handicap. Yet their names live on, in more ways than one, and on Saturday their memories will be summoned once again in significant bicoastal races at Del Mar and Aqueduct.Cigar was the notoriously schizophrenic son of Palace Music who began life as a failed turf horse before a dramatic rebranding turned him into the preeminent main-track competitor of the decade. He retired just $185 shy of an even $10 million in earnings, pocket change he could have stumbled into with minimally more effort in any one of the 10 grass races he lost in 11 tries.On dirt, Cigar was nearly unbeatable. Apart from his first two maiden races, he won 17 of 20 starts on the main track, all of those against older opposition from whatever cream there was of several crops. His 16 straight wins from the autumn of 1994 to the summer of 1996 were the talk of the racing world. Wherever Cigar ran was the place to be.Cigar was voted Horse of the Year in 1995 and 1996. In 1997, the New York Racing Association renamed its NYRA Mile the Cigar Mile, which made perfect sense since the 1994 NYRA Mile marked Cigars first stakes win. For Saturday, the $500,000 Cigar Mile purse has lured a field that includes Anchor Down, Ocean Knight, Divining Rod, Connect, and War Story.Like Cigar, Seabiscuit had a distinctly bifurcated career. By the time he was purchased by Charles S. Howard in August 1936, the horse had been asked to run a ridiculous 47 times at ages 2 and 3 by a succession of Wheatley Stable trainers, including the legendary Sunny Jim Fitzsimmons.Once in the hands of Tom Smith, Seabiscuit was treated like a good horse, which is what he became. He won 24 of 42 starts for Howard, carrying 130 pounds or more a dozen times, and was Horse of the Year in 1938. How popular was Seabiscuit? Read the book. See the movie.When Del Mar inherited Hollywood Parks fall stakes commitments, the former Citation Handicap became the Seabiscuit. Switching names left West Coast racing without a proper homage to Citation, but Seabiscuits California roots were deep, and in his lone appearance at Del Mar he won a controversial match race against South American ace Ligaroti that set the sporting press on its ear.The cast lining up for Saturdays running of the $200,000 Seabiscuit, at 8-1/2 furlongs on the grass, includes Ring Weekend, What a View, Om, and Vyjacck, each coming out of a Breeders Cup appearance.ddddddddddddOm, the winner of the 2015 Del Mar Derby, might be the freshest among them. After making 10 starts over an 11-month stretch, the flashy son of Munnings was given a break last spring by trainer Dan Hendricks, then came back better than ever. He was second in the Del Mar Mile, second in the City of Hope Mile, and came one step away from winning the $1 million Breeders Cup Turf Sprint at Santa Anita on Nov. 5.It was a step he lost at the start, which cost Om and Gary Stevens striking position on the twisting downhill Santa Anita course. They found themselves last early, traveling well but going nowhere. Up in the stands, the pragmatic Hendricks had all but conceded the match.Basically, it was game over until he crossed the dirt, Hendricks said this week from his Santa Anita stable. Then it turned into another race.Did it ever. Stevens still had a ton of horse, and miraculously they began to find creases inside, between, and around the dozen opponents separating Om from the front-running Obviously. In the final 50 yards, they passed the classy Pure Sensation like he was tied to a post and were gobbling up Obviously when the wire arrived -- too soon. The difference was a nose, and $380,000 in prize money.Hendricks could be forgiven if he had pounded his head over the tough loss. After three decades as a trainer, he has never been so close to a Breeders Cup score. But 12 years in a wheelchair after a dirt-bike accident cultivate a certain equanimity when it comes to such mundane matters as a lost horse race. Hendricks preferred to look at the Cup result as at least half fulfilling.Luckily, we got through with a clean trip because he could have gotten blocked pretty easily considering as big a field as it was, Hendricks said. After the fact, we were just glad we were second and had a lot of fun with it. We cant complain.Best of all, Om is raring to go again.He actually came out of his race fresher and stronger, not losing any weight, than he has a lot of his other races, Hendricks said. Only running three-sixteenths of a mile might have helped.Om, owned by Kulbhushan and Shashi Sareen, will race next year at age 5, according to Hendricks.We never even thought about stopping, Hendricks said. Hes healthy, happy, and sound. I cant ask more for a horse than that. He should have a real big year.And it could start on Saturday. ' ' '