HORSE RACING

Union Rags won’t race again because of tendon injury

Belmont Stakes winner Union Rags has been retired because of a tendon injury in his left front leg.

The announcement on Saturday came a week after the colt’s veterinarian had said he would be out with the injury but that his prognosis was “excellent” for a return to the races next year.

Russell Jones, bloodstock adviser to the colt’s owner, part-time Maine resident Phyllis Wyeth, said Union Rags is “a pretty attractive stallion prospect” and that there has been a high level of interest in the horse with his retirement.

SOCCER

SACO EXHIBITION: Oxford United, a professional team from England’s League Two, will open its preseason United States tour on Tuesday night at Thornton Academy in Saco against the Seacoast United Mariners of the National Premier Soccer League.

Kickoff is at 7 p.m. Tickets are $5 and can be purchased by emailing kdionne@seacoastunited.com or calling 603-926-8444 ext. 151.

MLS: Sporting Kansas City goalkeeper Jimmy Nielsen made four saves for his league-leading ninth shutout of the season in a scoreless draw with the visiting New England Revolution.

Matt Reis earned his fourth shutout for New England (6-9-5), which is just 1-7-2 on the road.

FOOTBALL

EASTERN FOOTBALL LEAGUE: Chris Kates scored on a 12-yard keeper and threw two touchdown passes to Anthony Hicks to lead the Maine Sabers to a 33-0 victory over the Granite State Knights in their season opener at Portland.

Steve Barker also scored for the Sabers. Hicks had an interception and Mike LeConte recorded a safety.

NEW ENGLAND FOOTBALL LEAGUE: Charles Warren ran for a pair of touchdowns, and Alexis Colon threw an 80-yard scoring pass to Mark Roberts for the Southern Maine Raging Bulls in a 20-9 season-opening victory over the New Hampshire Wolfpack at Portland.

BASEBALL

FCBL: Connor Lyons hit an RBI single in the bottom of the 11th inning to give the Nashua Silver Knights a 1-0 win over the Old Orchard Beach Raging Tide at Nashua, N.H.

NECBL: Anthony Hajjar hit an RBI single in the bottom of the sixth inning, and a second run scored on an error as the Sanford Mainers defeated the Newport Gulls 2-1 at Goodall Park.

GOLF

PGA: Scott Stallings opened a four-stroke lead at the True South Classic, playing the first 10 holes of the third round at 6 under par before darkness suspended play at Madison, Miss.

Billy Horschel, Heath Slocum and Jason Bohn were tied for second at 14 under.

AUTO RACING

TRUCKS: James Buescher took the lead from Timothy Peters on the last lap, then held off a charge from Brendan Gaughan to win the NASCAR Trucks race at Chicagoland Speedway in Joliet, Ill.

It was Buescher’s third career win, with all three coming this season.

Gaughan finished second after dominating the majority of the race. Peters was third, followed by Matt Crafton and Parker Kligerman.

TENNIS

ATLANTA OPEN: No. 4 seed Andy Roddick outlasted top-seeded John Isner 6-4, 6-7 (5), 6-4 to reach the final against Gilles Muller of Luxembourg, who beat Go Soeda of Japan, 6-4, 6-3.

MERCURY INSURANCE OPEN: Second-seeded Dominika Cibulkova beat Nadia Petrova 7-6 (8), 6-1 to reach the final at Carlsbad, Calif.

– From staff and news services