HARNESS RACING

Walter Case Jr. drives to 3 wins in return

Walter Case Jr. drove three winners in his return to Scarborough Downs on Saturday.

Case Jr.’s career came to an abrupt halt in 2004 when he was convicted of felonious assault after stabbing his estranged wife. He was sentenced to five years in prison at Belmont Correctional Institution in Ohio. He was released in 2008, six months early for good behavior.

The Maine Harness Racing Commission approved a provisional one-year license for Case, a Lewiston native, last week.

Case won the second, sixth and 10th races on the card Saturday. He drove to third in both the third and ninth races.

BASKETBALL

NBA G LEAGUE: The Maine Red Claws acquired the rights to Chris Flemmings, the No. 7 pick NBA G League draft, in a trade after Saturday’s draft.

Maine acquired Flemmings, a 6-foot-5 guard from the University of North Carolina-Wilmington, from the Reno Bighorns, along with a future fourth-round pick. The Red Claws sent Dominic Cheek, who they drafted with the 24th pick, as well as a future second-round pick and the player rights to Josh Hagins, to Reno.

Also Saturday, Maine drafted Leron Barnes, a 6-5 guard from Houston, in the second round and Jordan Price, a 6-5 guard from La Salle, in the third round.

AUTO RACING

XFINITY: Christopher Bell raced to his first NASCAR Xfinity Series victory, beating dominant Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Erik Jones after they made contract with four laps left at Kansas Speedway in Kansas City, Kansas.

Bell led for just four laps, hanging in second place behind Jones for much of the race before sliding in front of him shortly before the collision. Jones was coming from the top of the track when he hit the back of Bell’s car.

FORMULA ONE: Lewis Hamilton stormed through qualifying to grab pole position for the U.S. Grand Prix in Austin, Texas, with title rival Sebastian Vettel getting a big push on his final lap to grab second.

That sets up a Sunday duel as Hamilton chases a possible fourth career season championship. The Mercedes driver holds a 59-point lead over Vettel with four races to go and Vettel will be desperate to push for the win.

GOLF

PGA TOUR: Justin Thomas fired a 2-under 70 in windy conditions to share the lead with fellow American Scott Brown after the third round of the CJ Cup in Jeju, South Korea.

Thomas offset a lone double bogey and a bogey with five birdies to reach the clubhouse at 9-under 207.

CHAMPIONS TOUR: Bernhard Langer matched the course record with a 9-under 63 to take a three-stroke lead in the Dominion Energy Charity Classic, the first event in the PGA Tour Champions’ Charles Schwab Cup Playoffs in Richmond, Virginia.

Langer had nine birdies in his second straight bogey-free round to reach 14-under 130 on The Country Club of Virginia’s James River Course.

EUROPEAN TOUR: Tournament host Sergio Garcia will take a one-shot lead into the final round of the Andalucia Valderrama Masters after shooting a 3-under 68 in Sotogrande, Spain.

The Spaniard had six birdies and three bogeys to reach 8 under for the tournament, just ahead of English golfer Daniel Brooks, who shot a 7-under 64 for the best round of the week.

LPGA TOUR: Eun-Hee Ji carded a 3-under 69 to open up a six-stroke lead after the third round of the Taiwan Championship in Taipei, Taiwan.

– Staff and news service report

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