Sports Digest

Zenyatta improves to 16-0 Zenyatta improved to 16-0 with an easy victory in the Apple Blossom Invitational at Oaklawn Park. The 6-year-old mare came from behind in her usual running style Friday to tie the modern mark shared by 1948 Triple Crown winner Citation and 1995-96 Horse of the Year Cigar. Zenyatta defeated four other horses in the 1 1-8-mile race that didn't include racing's other female superstar, Rachel Alexandra. Her owner passed on a chance to participate in what would have been a dream matchup worth $5 million if both horses had shown up. Jockey Mike Smith never had to go to his whip on the 1-9 wagering favorite, who made her winning move around the stretch turn. Ovechkin reaches 50 goals again Alex Ovechkin has joined Wayne Gretzky and Mike Bossy as the only players to reach at least 50 goals in four of their first five NHL seasons. Ovechkin entered the Washington Capitals' game against the Atlanta Thrashers on Friday night with 48 goals, one behind league leader Sidney Crosby of Pittsburgh. But Ovechkin pulled even with Crosby with a goal in the second period, then got No. 50 in the third to pull ahead. Ovechkin also had a first-period assist, helping him take over the league lead in points, too. The Russian left wing's career high for goals in a season is 65, in 2007-08. Washington has one more regular-season game, Sunday against Boston. Allmendinger earns first career pole A.J. Allmendinger has earned his first NASCAR Sprint Cup Series pole. Allmendinger ran a lap at 134.675 mph Friday in the Richard Petty-owned No. 43 Ford at Phoenix International Speedway. He will start on the front row Saturday with Scott Speed, who is part of the Red Bull team for which Allmendinger used to drive. Sprint Cup points leader Jimmie Johnson, who has won four of the last five races at Phoenix, qualified 16th. Denny Hamlin qualified 26th for his first race since surgery March 31 to repair a torn ACL in his left knee. He will start the race, but Casey Mears is standing by to take over if needed during the 375-lap race on the mile track. Ice Edge, Reinsdorf group sign Coyotes memornadums Two groups seeking to buy the Phoenix Coyotes have signed memorandums of understanding on a new lease with the city of Glendale, a significant step toward purchase of the financially troubled NHL franchise. The documents were signed Friday by Chicago sports mogul Jerry Reinsdorf and by Anthony LeBlanc, head of Ice Edge Holdings, a group of Canadian businessmen. Both deals would change the team name to either the Glendale Coyotes or Arizona Coyotes and would keep the team in Glendale. Both deals provide huge city financial backing for the Coyotes The city council will vote on the proposals next Tuesday. If the council approves both, it would be left to the NHL to determine who would buy the team. The league bought the Coyotes out of bankruptcy last year when no buyer could be found that would keep the team in Glendale. Former NBA player arrested again Former NBA player Isaiah Rider has been arrested on suspicion of assaulting his fiance and reneging on a $150 cab fare. Police say the 39-year-old Rider was taken into custody Thursday after an officer spotted him driving erratically in a vehicle with three small children inside. Neighbors reported seeing Rider argue with his fiance outside their Mesa home Sunday and have a tug-of-war over her purse. Police say Rider then took a cab ride to Phoenix and ran away instead of paying the driver. Rider, a former UNLV player, was drafted fifth overall in 1993 by Minnesota. He also played for Portland, Atlanta, Denver and the Los Angeles Lakers in a career that ended in 2001. Rider has a long history of run-ins with police and has been arrested on numerous charges of fraud, battery, domestic violence, false reporting, kidnapping and possession of narcotic drugs. Son of Giants manager Bruce Bochy undergoes Tommy John surgery Kansas right-hander Brett Bochy, the son of San Francisco Giants manager Bruce Bochy, had Tommy John reconstructive elbow surgery Friday. The procedure was performed by noted orthopedic surgeon Dr. James Andrews in Pensacola, Fla. The 6-foot-2, 182-pound redshirt junior was 2-0 with an 0.78 ERA and five saves in 23 innings over 12 games. He had 34 strikeouts and issued seven walks while holding opposing hitters to a .177 average. Bruce Bochy said his son would spend some of the summer in the Bay Area rehabilitating. The recovery period is typically 10 to 12 months. Last season, he was 5-0 with a 4.34 ERA in 30 relief appearances over 37 1-3 innings. Monterrey keeper Ortiz tests positive Omar Ortiz, the backup goalkeeper for Monterrey, has been suspended by the Mexican soccer federation after testing positive for banned steroids. The Mexican federation on Friday said it was giving Ortiz a provisional suspension for a positive test on March 6 following a match against Pachuca. The federation said the 34-year-old tested positive for the steroids dromostanolone and oxymetholone. Ortiz said in a statement that he did not know the substances were prohibited. Geoffrion wins Hobey Baker Award Eds: SUBS 2nd graf to CORRECT statistics. DETROIT (AP) -- Wisconsin forward Blake Geoffrion, the grandson of Hockey Hall of Famer Bernie "Boom Boom" Geoffrion, received the Hobey Baker Memorial Award on Friday night as college hockey's top player. Geoffrion has helped lead Wisconsin to the NCAA championship game Saturday night against Boston College. He has 28 goals and 22 assists in 39 games this season. Geoffrion's great grandfather, Howie Morenz, also is in the Hall of Fame.