Digest (Sept. 30): Just Howard captures Commonwealth Derby at Laurel Park

Skeedattle Associates' Just Howard won his fourth straight race and earned his first graded stakes victory Saturday by three-quarters of a length over Voodoo Song in the $200,000 Commonwealth Derby (G3) at Laurel Park. Under jockey Feargal Lynch, who won four races, three of them stakes, on the "Class on the Grass" program, Just Howard stalked pacesetter Voodoo Song, the 3-5 favorite, through early fractions of 22.97 seconds, 46.47 and 1:10.33 in the 11/8-mile turf race. The Maryland-bred son of English Channel trailed by 11/2 lengths at the top of the stretch but steadily gained on the pacesetter and finished in 1:45.81, a record for the Kelso Turf Course layout. Sent off at 7-1, the fourth choice in the field of six, Just Howard returned $16.80. Voodoo Song held second, beating Stuart Janney III's Profiteer by a length.

Milestone: Trainer Mary Eppler, who became the first woman to win a training title at Laurel Park last year, saddled her 800th career winner when Our Independence won Friday's eighth race. Claimed for $20,000 by Eppler Aug., 26 at Monmouth Park, Our Independence won at first asking for Eppler, winning a $45,000 optional claiming event on the turf. It was the 5-year-old's third consecutive victory.

Colleges

Centennial grad's goallifts Salisbury to victory

Ruthie Lucas (Centennial) scored in the 80th minute to send Salisbury to a 1-0 victory over Mary Washington in women's soccer Saturday. ... No. 8 Johns Hopkins scored three straight goals to take a 3-1 win over Haverford. ... Host McDaniel scored the first four goals en route to a 5-1 over Washington College.

Men's soccer: UMBC started the America East season with a 1-0 victory against No. 12 New Hampshire. Senior Sammy Kahsai scored in the eighth minute to for the Retrievers (6-2-2). ... Sophomore Brian Saramago netted a pair of goals within five minutes to lead Loyola Maryland past Navy, 2-0. ... Senior Jonah Muniz scored 35 seconds into the second overtime as 11th-ranked Johns Hopkins beat visiting Muhlenberg.

Field hockey: Johns Hopkins beat host Haverford, 1-0, on senior Clare Kavanagh's goal.

Men' golf: Army West Point took a 2.5-1.5 lead over Navy after the four-ball portion of the 80th annual Army-Navy match in Annapolis. The Ryder Cup format had the two teams play four-ball matches on the first day and seven singles matches today.

Volleyball: Annika Schwartz became Stevenson's all-time kill leader in a MAC Commonwealth sweep of Lycoming and Hood.

Sprint football: Navy posted a 33-0 wint over Franklin Pierce, limiting their visitors to 82 yards of total offense and five first downs.

ET CETERA

Carroll teenager establishesmark for sheepshead catch

The Maryland Department of Natural Resources has confirmed a teenager from Carroll County set a state fishing record in the Atlantic Division for sheepshead. Sykesville resident Robert Martin, 17, caught an 18-pound sheepshead Sept. 23 off the coast of Ocean City. After hearing rumors sheepshead were biting, Robert and his father, Brad Martin, took a few days off to fish in Ocean City. The father and son caught 11 sheepshead on their first day out on the water. Around 9 a.m. their second day out, Robert felt an unusually strong tug on the line and landed his record fish.

—From Sun staff and news services