Clan-Members » going 1-1/2 miles on Belmont Stakes Day. Kid Cr

MADRID -- Sergio Ramos only contribution to Spain in a World Cup qualifier this weekend will be a pep talk to his teammates.Ramos visited the teams training camp this week ahead of Saturdays match against Macedonia, but the captain wont be on the field in the southern city of Granada because of an injury -- one of the many players missing as Spain tries to defend its Group G lead in European qualifying.Spain coach Julen Lopetegui also wont be able to count on playmaker Andres Iniesta, striker Diego Costa, defender Gerard Pique, left back Jordi Alba and defensive midfielder Javi Martinez.Costa was the latest to be dropped from the squad on Thursday, being released because of a thigh injury that had kept him from practicing with the rest of the squad during the week. Celta Vigo forward Iago Aspas was named as his replacement, joining the national team for the first time.We are going to try to turn difficulties into opportunities, Lopetegui said. We cant lament anything. Im happy with the players that we called up, and they are going to help us achieve victory in both matches.Three days after hosting Macedonia, Spain will play a friendly against England at Wembley Stadium.Lopetegui will have to work extra hard to set up his defense, which is not used to being without veteran central defenders Ramos and Pique at the same time. Ramos is nursing a left knee injury, while Pique is recovering from sprained ligaments in his right ankle.Weve had to restructure the defense the best way possible, Lopetegui said, not dismissing the possibility of having to improvise with right back Cesar Azpilicueta at center back.The Chelsea player has played in the position in the past.Other options for Lopetegui include Real Madrids Nacho Fernandez, Real Sociedads Inigo Martinez, Sevillas Sergio Escudero and Borussia Dortmunds Marc Bartra.With Costa not playing up front, Alvaro Morata and Aritz Aduriz should get a chance to perform alongside each other in the lineup. Other forwards in the squad include Lucas Vazquez, Manuel Nolito Agudo, Jose Callejon and Victor Vitolo Machin.Its great to have so many options, said Aduriz, who was called up after scoring five goals in an Athletic Bilbao win in the Europa League last week. We are all here to help.At midfield, it will be difficult to substitute for Iniesta, who has been sidelined because of right knee injury. Among the options available for Lopetegui are Juan Mata, Thiago Alcantara and Jorge Koke Resurreccion.Some important players couldnt come because of injuries, but that creates an opportunity to those who are here, reserve goalkeeper Sergio Asenjo said.Spain and Italy have seven points each after three games in Group G, with the Spaniards ahead on goal difference. Albania and Israel are one point behind, while Macedonia and Liechtenstein have yet to earn points.Italy plays at Lichtenstein the same day that Spain hosts Macedonia.Only the group winner automatically secures a spot for the World Cup in Russia. The second-place team must go through a playoff to try to make it to the 2018 tournament.Spain is coming off a 2-0 win at Albania. Italy and Spain drew 1-1 in Turin in October.---Tales Azzoni on Twitter: http://twitter.com/tazzoni John David Crow Jersey . Jon Montgomerys gold medal in skeleton at the Whistler Sliding Centre and his subsequent auctioning off of a pitcher of beer in the village square elevated him to folk-hero status. George Mira Jersey . Pence singled in the winning run with no outs in the ninth inning to give the Giants a 7-6 victory over the San Diego Padres on Sunday. http://www.custompatriotsjersey.com/ . The Hall of Fame defenceman told Landsberg that he believes fighting still has a place in todays game, but thinks staged fighting needs be outlawed. Aaron Hernandez Jersey . The 29-year-old from Port Colborne, Ont., has nothing but good things to say about former U.S. marine Liz (Girlrilla) Carmouche ahead of their co-main event Wednesday on the UFCs "Fight for the Troops" televised card in Fort Campbell, Ky. J. T. OSullivan Jersey . Scott Kazmir allowed four hits in seven shutout innings, Michael Brantley hit a two-run homer in a three-run first inning and the Indians maintained their hold on an AL wild-card spot with a 4-1 win over the Houston Astros on Saturday night. The Grade 1 Delaware Handicap at Delaware Park on Saturday is sandwiched among four playable supporting races. The Del Cap is slotted as race 9 at 5:15 p.m. Eastern. It is preceded by the $50,000 Hockessin Stakes and a third-level optional-claiming race and is followed by the Grade 3 Kent Stakes and the $50,000 Carl Hanford Memorial.There are rolling daily doubles and pick threes throughout the five-race sequence and a pick four that begins with the Hockessin and concludes with the $200,000 Kent. The card will be streamed live on DRF.com.The Kent, a 1-1/8-mile turf race for 3-year-olds, is about as wide open as an eight-horse race can be and matches horses from the barns of Steve Asmussen, Chad Brown, Mike Maker, Shug McGaughey, Bill Mott, and Todd Pletcher.Converge, trained by Brown, is the only graded stakes winner in the field and has made his last four starts in graded company. Four-time winner Keystoneforvictory, trained by Maker, is the only horse in the field with more than two victories. And American Patriot, conditioned by Pletcher, has the best last-out Beyer Speed Figure, an 89 he earned in winning a first-level optional claimer going the Kent distance at Belmont Park.Motts runner, Mighty Mo, did not run his best race last out while finishing fourth in the Paradise Creek Stakes at Belmont in May. He tracked a loose-on-the-lead Too Discreet in that seven-furlong grass sprint and then flattened out in the stretch.Too Discreet set tepid fractions of 23.05 and 46.07 seconds before coming home quickly with a final three furlongs in 34.21 en route to a final clocking of 1:20.28. Mighty Mo may fare better in this longer race that should be run in a more even manner. He figures to be either on the front end or tracking Keystoneforvictory.Two starts back, Mighty Mo finished second by a neck to Highland Sky in the Woodhaven Stakes at Aqueduct. Highland Sky has since finished second by a neck to Camelot Kitten in the Grade 3 Pennine Ridge at Belmont Park and second by a neck to Deauville last Saturday in the $1.25 million Belmont Derby.Three starts ago, Mighty Mo won a Gulfstream Park maiden race over Sir Dudley Digges, who has since won the $1 million Queens Plate for Maker.Edgar Prado, who won the $200,000 Robert Dick Memorial at Delaware last Saturday, has the mount on Mighty Mo. It would be fitting if Mott were to win the Kent, as last week a horse he trains, Suffused, was shipped to Delaware but had to be scratched from the Dick Memorial after the tracks third-party Lasix administrator failed to treat her with the anti-bleeding medication.ddddddddddddInspector Looney, trained by McGaughey, and Madtap, trained by Asmussen, should both appreciate the added distance of the Kent. In their most recent starts, they closed well to be second going a mile in allowance company. Inspector Looney overcame a very wide trip in his race.* Chief Istan merits attention in the Hockessin, a six-furlong race for 3-year-olds and up. He came into the Mr. Prospector at Monmouth Park last out undefeated in three starts but was finished early and badly beaten. Based with Larry Jones at Delaware, he has since worked five furlongs and may well return to form Saturday.* Catcha Rising Star finished second to the graded-stakes-winning Onus in a course-record performance at Belmont while making her 4-year-old debut. She is well spotted by Graham Motion in this 7-1/2-furlong optional claimer on turf.* The late-running Kid Cruz will be favored in the Hanford Memorial, a 1-1/16-mile dirt race for 3-year-olds and up.Kid Cruz had won two stakes in a row before finishing seventh in the Grade 2 Brooklyn going 1-1/2 miles on Belmont Stakes Day. Kid Cruz can be a bit lazy at times, but jockey Jose Ortiz knows him well and is sure to keep him properly motivated in the Hanford.* Warrioroftheroses is an all-or-nothing type of runner. He comes into the Hanford off an eight-length optional-claiming victory at Delaware for trainer Damon Dilodovico and is sure to gun for the lead.* Bodhisattva broke a seven-race losing streak dating back to his Federico Tesio Stakes victory in April 2015 while being reunited with trainer Jose Corrales last out. Bodhisattva rallied from 12 lengths back in the Pimlico optional claimer to win by 3-3/4 lengths and earn a career-best 94 Beyer.I was expecting him to run well last time, but I wasnt expecting him to really come out the way he did, Corrales said. I wanted to make one move, and the jockey rode him the way I wanted, and it was a good result.Taylor Hole rides again Saturday. ' ' '