HORSE RACING

Strike averted at Belmont racetrack, so Saturday’s Triple Crown race is on

Belmont racetrack workers struck a labor deal with the New York Racing Association to head off a possible strike on the eve of a Triple Crown bid, the union and state officials said Wednesday.

Vincent McElroen, financial secretary for Local 3 of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, said he didn’t have specifics of the pact but that 80 maintenance workers and starters will be working Saturday.

“The race will go on with normal starters and normal maintenance crew represented by Local 3,” he said.

I’ll Have Another will try to become the 12th horse to win all three legs of the Triple Crown: The Kentucky Derby, Preakness and Belmont Stakes. It’s been 34 years since Affirmed became the last to capture the crown.

• I’ll Have Another went into lockdown, moving into a secured barn shortly after the colt was made the early 4-5 favorite to win the Belmont Stakes.

I’ll Have Another will start from the No. 11 post. Just two Belmont winners have come out of the No. 11 post since 1905. The last was Sarava, a 70-1 shot who ended War Emblem’s Triple Crown bid in 2002.

FOOTBALL

NFL: Tom Coughlin signed a two-year contract extension through the 2014 season with the New York Giants. The 65-year-old Coughlin, who led the team to its second Super Bowl under him in February, has coached the Giants since 2004. His contract was in its final year.

Overall, Coughlin is 82-57 with the Giants. He also went 72-64 in eight seasons with Jacksonville, an expansion team he helped build from scratch.

• Defensive lineman Ty Warren agreed to a restructured deal in time to join the Denver Broncos on the field.

Warren sat out 2010 with a hip injury while with New England and missed all of last season in Denver when he had surgery to repair his torn right triceps.

FIGURE SKATING

INJURY: Two-time U.S. champion Alissa Czisny is resting comfortably after successful hip surgery.

U.S. Figure Skating and Czisny’s mother, Debbie, said Czisny had a torn labrum in her left hip.

BASKETBALL

WNBA: Taj McWilliams-Franklin scored 17 points and the Minnesota Lynx improved to 8-0 with a 79-55 rout of visiting Seattle.

The Lynx moved within one victory of tying the WNBA record set by Los Angeles in 2001 of victories to start the season. The Sparks also won their first nine games in 2003.

• The Los Angeles Sparks waived guard Sharnee Zoll after she tore the ACL in her left knee.

— From news service reports