Bodemeister drew the No. 7 post Wednesday and was made the 8-5 morning-line favorite for Saturday’s second leg of the Triple Crown.

The colt trained by Bob Baffert set the pace in the Derby before being overtaken in the stretch by I’ll Have Another, who won by 1 1/2 lengths.

Baffert, a five-time Preakness winner, was delighted to receive the No. 7 post in the 11-horse field.

“With him, anything in the middle would be fine,” the Hall of Fame trainer said. “With the Preakness, you just don’t want to be stuck on the inside where you have to use your horse a little bit. The Derby winner drew really well, also.”

I’ll Have Another will start from the No. 9 post as the second favorite at 5-2. The colt who won the Derby out of the No. 19 post at Churchill Downs, will again be ridden by Mario Gutierrez.

“Anything with a nine in it, we feel very good about. We’re cool with it,” trainer Doug O’Neill said. “We talked about the possibility of being inside Bodemeister and really forcing our hand to push him early. Now it’s in Mario’s hands to still kind of push Bode, but we’ll be on the outside of him.”

Asked about having the second-favorite in the field despite winning the Derby, O’Neill said, “Bob Baffert has won five of these. I’ve never run a horse here. I totally respect that. I just hope anyone who bets Bodemeister is regretting it Saturday night.”

A win would give I’ll Have Another the chance to become the first Triple Crown winner since Affirmed in 1978.

“I’m confident,” O’Neill said. “You never know. But as long as we continue to train like our horse is training, we won’t be that far off Bodemeister. If anything Bodemeister might be behind us early.”

The odds were set Pimlico Race Course handicapper Frank Carulli. The field is the smallest since 2007, when Curlin beat Derby winner Street Sense in a nine-horse field.

Also entered are Tiger Walk (30-1), Teeth of the Dog (15-1), Pretension (30-1), Zetterholm (20-1), Went the Day Well (6-1), Creative Cause (6-1), Daddy Nose Best (12-1), Optimizer (30-1) and Cozzetti (30-1).

Creative Cause trainer Mike Harrington, whose horse finished fifth in the Derby, was delighted with the No. 6 post.

“I don’t think it affects our running style,” Harrington said. “With 11 in there, post position is not nearly as important as the Derby. The middle is great. You couldn’t ask for anything better.”

Hall of Fame trainer D. Wayne Lukas has a long shot with Optimizer, but spoke optimistically after getting the No. 10 post.

“I love it. I love the horses inside of me,” Lukas said. “I love the whole thing. If they gave me a pick, I would have picked that one. It turned out great. Every time they drew another one, it looked better.”

(Copyright 2012 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

The woman who admits to orchestrating a murder for hire plot pointed right to the defendant when asked to identify the hitman.

On the witness stand, 37-year-old Shontay Hickman described the murder of her former boss, Dr. Albert Ro. The details were so gruesome, Ro’s wife burst out of the courtroom in tears.

Hickman—who was Ro’s dental assistant—says she hired her cousin as the hitman, 25-year-old Dante Jeter, who’s on trial. Hickman told jurors in September 2006, she picked up Jeter and two of his friends. She says the foursome went to the office and the men stabbed and beat Ro to death.

Hickman says Ro said, “Please don’t hurt me” and he said, “Take whatever you want” and at one point, he said, “Oh, God.”

Hickman admits to stealing insurance checks from Ro, more than $17,000 worth. Worried about getting caught, she ordered the hit.

Jeter’s defense attorneys argue Hickman is only testifying in exchange for a shorter sentence, 40 years in prison instead of life without parole. But Hickman insists it’s to bring closure to Ro’s loved ones.

She says, “I just want to come clean and be over with it so they can get through it and be done with having to go through this. I don’t want them to have to keep reliving what happened.”

Jeter faces several charges, including first degree murder.

Hickman testified two other men are also responsible for Ro’s death but police have yet to identify them.

Adam May talks to Micheal Andretti about the future of the race.

The new organizers just got the deal on Wednesday. They’re very confident this year’s race will be a huge success.

After many twists and turns with business agreements, the Baltimore Grand Prix is officially back on.

The city Board of Estimates approves a new deal with two groups; race-on and Andretti Sports Marketing.

“We believe in the City for a long time. This is a world-class city that deserves a world-class event,” J.P. Grant, organizer of the Baltimore Grand Prix, said.

The new organizers are well aware last year’s race mangers went broke, failing to pay the city and a numerous local contractors.

“We’re going to make sure we get everyone behind this thing. Instead of making it a hinderance to business, we’re making it help business,” Andretti, the organizer of the Baltimore Grand Prix, said.

The new five-year contract requires an upfront payment for city services, and guarantees admission and amusement tax payments.

May: “You said you believe Baltimore could be the second best Indy race after Indianapolis. Why?”
Andretti: “If you look at how huge it was last year, it was an amazing event and it was the first year.”

Last year’s inaugural race brought 160,000 spectators to downtown Baltimore and economic impact of almost $50 million, filling city and state coffers with almost $2 million each.

“Race fans and race drivers all thought it was the best circuit last year and we look forward to it being a success again this year,” Baltimore Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake said.

Andretti tells WJZ that although the deal is for five years, he thinks the race be here at least 20 years.

The race will be held Labor Day weekend.

A news conference is scheduled for Wednesday afternoon. WJZ will bring you the latest on Eyewitness News at 4, 5 and 6 p.m.

Brown died Wednesday at Johns Hopkins University Hospital in Baltimore. Hospital spokesman Gary Stephenson confirmed Brown had died after a hospital stay that began April 18.

Thanks to Brown and his deep, gravelly voice, go-go music was uniquely identified with Washington. That’s where he continued to play the city’s club circuit late in life.

Brown’s hit “Bustin’ Loose” with his group, the Soul Searchers, helped define go-go’s sound. It spent several weeks atop of the R&B chart in 1979. Rapper Nelly later sampled Brown’s “Bustin’ Loose” for his massive hit “Hot in Herre,” which won Nelly a Grammy.

(Copyright 2012 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

Political reporter Pat Warren explains what happens next.

Some Marylanders will be writing bigger checks and getting smaller tax refunds.

Gov. Martin O’Malley takes in the sun at a public event while his tax hike foes rake him over the coals.

“The governor ran around this session, talking about every manner of tax increase. He wanted a sales tax increase. He wanted a gas tax increase. I couldn’t keep track of what proposal he was proposing next,” said House Minority Leader Del. Anthony O’Donnell.

On Wednesday, O’Malley got an income tax increase– although the proposal originated in the House and that’s where it got final approval.

“Eight-seven percent of the people of the state of Maryland will have no increase in their taxes. And those who do and who make a quarter of a million dollars, they will be paying  6 and a half dollars a week extra,” said House Majority Leader Del. Kumar Barve.

Single filers will see no increase up to $100,000. Taxpayers filing jointly will see no increase up to $150,000.

One dollar later and the hikes kick in at increments of a quarter percent.

So if you are a two-wage earner household making $150,001, your rate increases to 5 percent. At $175,001, it’s 5.25 percent. At $225,001, it’s 5.50 percent. And anything over $300,000 will be taxed at 5.75 percent.

“These have not been easy years,” O’Malley said.

The income tax increases are intended to avoid a so-called doomsday budget that called for $500 million in cuts that the General Assembly passed in its regular session.

The bills passed Wednesday include a tax hike on small cigars and smokeless tobacco and a transfer of payments of teacher pensions from state to local governments.

Homeowners on Wendell Avenue in Parkville describe their neighborhood as a place for families, but police say between July and November last year, one couple hid a 15-year-old sex slave.

“This is a particularly heinous crime that involves a couple deliberately recruiting a 15-year-old girl for the purposes of using her for a sex slave,” said Elise Armacost.

Detectives say 48-year-old John Blaes and 36-year-old Margaret Jones met the teen on a singles website and chatted for a few months. When they learned that she was in North Carolina, they drove to that state, picked the girl up and brought her back to Wendell Avenue.

“Our investigation in Baltimore County showed that they had sex with her multiple times a week, they videotaped and photographed her while having sex and they distributed those images on the internet,” Armacost said.

Police say Blaes and Jones—who were heavily into bondage and masochism—wanted to use the photos to recruit more women to join in. Police say they were tipped off when the girl’s mother called and reported her daughter a runaway who was being abused by the couple.

Neighbors say they never knew what was happening in the house down the street.

“It’s terrible,” said Paul Green.

Back in November, police obtained a search warrant for the house. On the computer were various pictures of the teen girl in various states of undress and bondage.

They face several charges, including production and distribution of child pornography.

According to police reports, the couple told detectives that they fed, clothed and took care of the girl like parents during the time she lived with them.

Mary Bubala has more on the high achiever.

Manion, a native of Clarksville, won just over $58,000. Her literary portfolio was chosen from 35 others at Washington College.

“To all the finalists up here, we have all had a creative writing class with each and every one of them and I can speak for the tremendous amount of talent I am a part of,” Manion said.

The literary prize was established by a gift from Sophie Kerr– a writer who died in 1965– leaving the bulk of her estate to Washington College.

Manion took the prize based on four short stories and an excerpt of her thesis.

She thanked her family for their support.

“To my family and friends, mom for always believing in me, and Casey, dad for always encouraging me to continue writing and to win the Sophie,” Mamion said.

Manion will receive the actual award during Washington College’s graduation this Sunday.

Manion is a graduate of Notre Dame Prep in Towson.

Mary Bubala reports about 90 percent of the energy used for washing clothes is for heating the water.

There are two ways to reduce the amount of energy used–use less water and cooler water. Switching from hot to warm water can cut a load’s energy use in half.

Try to wash and dry full loads. But if you have a smaller load, make sure you adjust the water level.

Thousands of protesters will descend on Thurmont and security will be tight.

The massive G-8 Summit will bring crowds to Thurmont, near where eight of the world’s most powerful leaders will meet in secret at Camp David for high-level discussions on everything from world hunger to events in the Middle East.

It’s an event Frederick County’s sheriff calls unprecedented.

“Camp David will be the safest place on the planet, I can assure you of that,” said Sheriff Chuck Jenkins.

He had just eight short weeks to plan after President Barack Obama shifted the location from Chicago. The more remote Camp David will provide a shield from media and protesters, including Occupy Baltimore.

To get its message out, one anti-hunger group began painting messages on Route 77.

“These are people who are really important to see this message and to act,” said Laurie Moskowitz. “What we want to say to them is make history. This is a chance to really go bold on this.”

Summits of world leaders in urban areas have sparked violence in the past. The public won’t be allowed near Camp David.

“When you meet in a place like Camp David that is secluded like this, you can keep it secret and you can keep it secure,” said Bob Scheiffer.

The security is expected to cost millions of dollars. Local officials want the federal government to pay for it.

To learn more about preparations, click here or call 301-600-3000.

WJZ will have complete coverage as world leaders come to Maryland for the G-8 Summit. Mary Bubala will be live near Camp David and Vic Carter will report from the White House Thursday and Friday.

Pomp and circumstance and a warm welcome for Archbishop Lori, who promises to fight for Catholic values and religious liberty.

Hundreds of priests, bishops and cardinals on hand at the official installation ceremony for Archbishop William Lori.

“We priests have such a devotion to him because he’s been a leader of the flock for so long now,” said Fr. Gregory Gresko.

The service drew hundreds of the Catholic faithful from across the country, including from Connecticut, where he last worked.

“We are going to miss him tremendously,” said Sister Joan Magnetti.

As Lori took the seat at the head of the cathedral, he became the 16th Archbishop of Baltimore, the oldest diocese in the country. Lori replaces Cardinal Edwin O’Brien, who leaves for Rome Thursday.

“Now, dear friends, you and I must be loyal Americans by being bold and courageous Catholics,” Lori said.

In his first homily as Archbishop, Lori called on Catholics to bring their faith and values to the public square.

“To proclaim the person of Christ, to teach the values that flow from faith and reason, to defend the sanctity of life from conception to natural death and to uphold the institution of marriage as between a man and a woman,” Lori said.

His strong advocacy for the Catholic positions on social issues are welcomed by many in the flock he now shepherds.

“We’re just really excited about him, his views and his idea of the traditional church,” said Sister Phillip Joseph.

With the installation now over, the Archbishop will immediately get to work getting to know the community. On Thursday, he’ll be out serving the needy at Our Daily Bread in Baltimore.

The Baltimore archdiocese is home to some half a million Catholics.

Watch the raw video:

William Lori Installed As New Archbishop Of Baltimore

Mike Schuh reports Tuesday night’s raid has shut down a multimillion-dollar operation.

Wednesday morning, agents say out-of-state cars filled the parking lot in front of Healthy Life Clinic in the 1100-block of York Road. A sign that read “closed until further notice” greeted them.

Federal agents and county police raided the clinic, took evidence and then shut it down.

“They were prescribing pills for non-medical purposes,” said Carl Kotowski, Baltimore DEA.

A federal indictment states that four agents were prescribed pain pills but showed no symptoms of pain, had no hands-on exam by a doctor or physician’s assistant.

Their prescription: 168 OxyContin–the maximum number of the highest dose.

“They went to see the doctor or physician’s assistant, but it wasn’t long, very little questions asked,” Kotowski said.

How big was the business? The feds say the clinic saw 120 patients a day, who they charged $3-350 cash. That adds up to over $9 million a year.

Sources tell the feds the owners of the clinic were paying doctors $1200 a day to write the prescriptions.

Dr. Gary Bauman has a dental office nearby. He complained to police almost as soon as the clinic opened in November.

Bauman “Knew right away. We’d come in the morning and there’d be cars filled here; four, five, six people in a car–all out of state,” he said.

Bauman says he has seen money, drugs and prescriptions change hands in the parking lot.

“I was just afraid something bad was going to happen,” he said. “It’s a relief that nothing bad happened. There were a lot of unsavory people hanging around.”

The feds say this investigation is far from over. The five doctors and physician’s assistants who actually wrote the prescriptions are being scrutinized and their powers to write prescriptions might be taken away.

The two people under arrest are in the county jail. Police say for legal reasons their names won’t be released until Thursday.

Dry, very refreshing air will settle into the mid-Atlantic starting tomorrow.  Expect sunshine, low humidity and temperatures in the mid-70s.  That weather will carry into Friday.  We are pretty sure that this weekend is going to remain nice.  However, tonight’s front is going to move out to sea and then spin up a new storm.  We think that storm will stay southeast of us through the weekend, while we bask in sunshine and warm air.  But if that storm does drift our way, it would change that forecast.  Make sure you check back in to get the latest on the forecast as we move into the weekend.

If that storm doesn’t get here earlier, it will arrive early next week.  Clouds and some showers will return to the area Monday into Tuesday.

The Baltimore City Police Department began the investigation against Sergeant Dennis Workley and charges against him were brought by the State’s Attorney’s office.

Baltimore Police Deputy Commissioner Anthony Barksdale stressed that his department had initiated action.

“We will continue to aggressively investigate allegations of misconduct and corruption among our ranks and hold individuals accountable,” he said.

Here are some of the answers viewers emailed to us thus far:

“I believe it it a young Lunar Moth,” said Matthew DiPietro.

“You caught Tinkerbell,” said Ron Sebeck Sr.

“It is a luna moth,” said Earl Stone.

“It’s a new mini stealth bomber,” said Jerry Jones.

Interior Secretary Ken Salazar will join Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley and National Park Service Director Jon Jarvis at a ceremony Wednesday at Sandy Point State Park in Annapolis. State, local and tribal leaders will also participate in the ceremony.

The designation is part of President Barack Obama’s America’s Great Outdoors initiative.

Four rivers in five states will be recognized for their significance to 17th century American Indian cultures and trade
routes. The rivers are the Susquehanna, Chester, Upper Nanticoke and Upper James.

The Captain John Smith National Historic Trail allows visitors to re-live John Smith’s exploration of the Chesapeake Bay from 1607 to 1609.

(Copyright 2012 by The Associated Press.  All Rights Reserved.)

Prince George’s County fire department spokesman Mark Brady says several pieces of equipment will be required to transport those passengers to hospitals, and traffic is likely to be tied up. The crash occurred Wednesday morning on southbound Interstate 95 — the inner loop of the Beltway — just past Kenilworth Avenue in Greenbelt.

Brady says there were no serious injuries.

(Copyright 2012 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

The Democratic governor sent a tweet that is among hundreds of short messages the Washington-based group One spray-painted Wednesday on state Route 77 near Thurmont. The presidential retreat is located inside nearby Catoctin Mountain Park.

O’Malley’s message reads: “Together, let’s end hunger.”

An O’Malley spokeswoman says the governor joined the campaign because he has set a goal of ending childhood hunger in Maryland by 2015.

Officials of the eight leading industrialized nations are meeting at Camp David Friday and Saturday.

A spokeswoman for One says the orange paint is washable, so the group is hoping thunderstorms avoid the area.

(Copyright 2012 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

The Council approved the fee Tuesday under which patients will be charged $300 to $800 for ambulance services. In most situations, the fee would be paid for by health insurance. People without health insurance and people below a certain income threshold would be exempt.

Volunteer firefighter groups oppose the fee in part because they worry it would make residents hesitant to call for assistance. A majority of local jurisdictions including Prince George’s, Fairfax and Prince William counties have the fee.

The fee would take effect in January 2013. Officials said they expect it to be challenged again on the November ballot.

(Copyright 2012 by The Associated Press.  All Rights Reserved.)

Organizers of the Know Drones Tour say they’ll demonstrate Thursday afternoon at the Frederick office of Rep. Roscoe Bartlett.

They want the Republican congressman to send survivors of U.S. drone strikes more than $88,000 in campaign contributions he has received from drone makers and related businesses.

The group also plans to visit the Frederick office of Bartlett’s Democratic opponent, John Delaney.

They’ll also demonstrate Friday and Saturday in Frederick and Thurmont as leaders of the eight leading industrialized nations meet at Camp David.

Critics say drones are being used for surveillance of the American public. They say the program turns the entire planet into a battlefield.

(Copyright 2012 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

Authorities say the incident occurred in the 10500-block of Sugarberry Street in Waldorf about 2 p.m. Tuesday.

Police say the boy had been in a car seat in the back seat of the vehicle when his mother pulled over to give some mail to a postal worker. Police say the boy unbuckled himself, left the car and walked into the roadway where he was struck by an oncoming SUV.

The boy was pronounced dead at the scene.

(Copyright 2012 by The Associated Press.  All Rights Reserved.)

Police say the death of Pernell Dawkins, 43, was ruled a homicide this week. He was found suffering from a gunshot wound on July 17, 2011, in the 300-block of Ridge Road. Police say Dawkins was paralyzed as a result of the shooting and transferred to a rehabilitation center in Maryland, where he died in March.

The case was classified as a homicide after an autopsy was performed by the chief medical examiner’s office in Baltimore.

(Copyright 2012 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

Reporter Andrea Fujii is a new mom.  Leah Fujii Johnson came into the world May 15 at 5:22 p.m. She weighs 7 pounds, 6 ounces.

Andrea and husband Whit — a reporter for CBS News — couldn’t be happier, and everyone is doing well!

Congratulations, Andrea and Whit!

Click here to see more pictures of baby Leah.

The Commuter Connections program run by the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments says 58 Bike to Work Day pit stops will be open throughout the district, Maryland and Virginia.

The stops offer food, entertainment and prizes for cyclists. Organizers say commuters who bike to work help reduce traffic and pollution while also getting exercise.

Last year’s event attracted nearly 11,000 bicyclists and organizers say this year looks to be even bigger.

(Copyright 2012 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

This woman has priorities. First stop is the Smithsonian Institution, followed by the National Zoo to see the pandas, harmonica-playing elephant and other animals.

On Thursday, the 90-year-old actress visits the Smithsonian Associates, an educational division of the museum complex, to discuss her career and longtime passion for animals. She will be signing copies of her book, “Betty and Friends: My Life at the Zoo.”

White says her interest in animals started in the womb. She says her parents were animal nuts long before she was born.

Then on Friday, White will have a private tour of the National Zoo to see their research efforts behind the scenes.

(Copyright 2012 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

Royal Caribbean is bringing its ship, Grandeur of the Seas, to the port next year.

Grandeur is being renovated right now.

Royal Caribbean says it’s a state-of-the-art ship with new and updated dining and entertainment.

It will offer cruises year round to the Bahamas, Bermuda and New England and Canada.

Singleton has been a broadcaster for the New York Yankees for 16 years and covered last night’s game between the Yankees and the Orioles where the Orioles won 5-2. He thinks the Orioles can be legit contenders for the playoffs.

“I think they are playing excellent ball. Every time you win a ball game that’s a little bit more confidence that you have as a team and I just thought it was the type of game teams need, successful teams need, to win,” he said.

Singleton also said that he believes Adam Jones of the Baltimore Orioles can be an elite player.

“He is on his way to being one of the better center fielders in the league. He’s very good right now. I think defensively he’s good. He’s already won a Gold Glove. Last year he had more assists than any other center fielder in baseball. I think there are certain things he can do a little better, maybe steal bases. He’s emerging,” he said.

Singleton also gave his thoughts on the Orioles catcher, Matt Weiters.

“He’s your all-star catcher in the American League. I like the way he goes about his business. I like the way he’s tough behind the plate. I like the way that he calls games, and leads the pitching staff. I just think that he’s somebody, that when his time comes, you better show him the money,” he said.

Singleton also takes time to volunteer for a local Baltimore non-profit organization called “The Cool Kids Campaign”. He said the goal of the organization is to help kids and their families deal with Cancer, and hopes they are helping a lot of people.

“It’s just something that is near and dear to my heart. Both my parents died from Cancer. I just felt that you had to get involved in the community and that’s the way I chose to do it, and hopefully we are helping a lot of people,” he said.

Singleton is hosting the Ken Singleton Celebrity Golf Classic from June 23-25th to raise money for the Organization.

-Sarah Davis

David Walters is accused of pulling the fire alarm Monday night while watching the movie at the Regal Cinemas Theater in Abingdon.

He allegedly got upset because the movie was closed captioned.

If he’s convicted, the stunt could land Walters in prison for up to five years.

For the second straight year, the nascent National Volleyball League will open its season with an event held in conjunction with the Preakness, taking the stage in the often wild, party-like atmosphere found on the infield of the aging horse racing course in Baltimore.

Reigning Olympic gold medalists Phil Dalhausser and Todd Rogers will be among those competing for the $50,000 purse, with the semifinals and finals scheduled to take place just before Kentucky Derby winner I’ll Have Another heads into the starting gate.

“It should be cool,” said Dalhausser, will be making his domestic debut in the run-up to his second Olympic Games. “I
imagine a lot of people will be partying there. It should be crazy.”

When the AVP tour suspended operations in 2010, it left precious few opportunities for American players to compete domestically.

This is likely the only time Olympic hopefuls such as Jen Kessy and April Ross play in the United States before heading to London.

“We get to play in the center of a racetrack, which we’ve never done before,” Kessy said Tuesday during a gathering of Olympic hopefuls in Dallas. “We’ve played under the Eiffel Tower, but never in the center of a racetrack.”

This isn’t the first time 200 tons of sand has been dumped on the infield at Pimlico. The Pro Beach East Volleyball Tour launched its season there in 2009, and last year, the National Volleyball League opened its first full season during Preakness weekend.

“The Maryland Jockey Club has tried to create a new dynamic in the infield and the proof is in the pudding this year with the Olympic teams competing at Pimlico on Preakness Day,” Maryland Jockey Club president Tom Chuckas said. “What a big coup for us to have Phil Dalhausser and Todd Rogers here just two months prior to the London Games.”

The infield at Pimlico has long belonged to a younger generation.

Grammy Award winners Maroon 5 and multi-platinum rapper Wiz Khalifa are scheduled to perform this year, along with British rockers The Darkness and Nashville-based country music band Little Big Town, the stages set amidst numerous vendor stands where beer tends to flow like water.

The volleyball tournament begins Friday at Baltimore Beach, with the semifinals and finals moving to the infield on Saturday. The men’s final is scheduled for 2 p.m. and the women’s final at 3:30 p.m., with post time for the 137th Preakness Stakes at 6:18 p.m.

“We’re really excited about this,” said Kessy, who along with Ross narrowly missed qualifying for the Beijing Olympics. “And to get to play on U.S. soil is kind of rare these days.”

While the AVP tries to reorganize, the best chance for elite players to compete comes through FIVB stops in far-flung places such as Brazil and the Czech Republic. Dalhausser and Rogers, for example, just finished a two-week stay in China.

All the extra time on the road creates major hurdles in training and nutrition, and could ultimately affect the performance of the U.S. team in London.

“It’s sad, because it was the other way around,” Kessy said. “It used to be that we played in the domestic tour and we chose the FIVB’s that we wanted to play in, but hopefully that will change. Cross our fingers.”

(Copyright 2012 by The Associated Press.  All Rights Reserved.)

His nervousness had nothing to do with saddling up the Kentucky Derby winner Saturday with the Triple Crown hanging in the balance.

O’Neill didn’t care that it was too wet to send I’ll Have Another out on the track, and he certainly wasn’t uneasy about the
Preakness coming down to another duel between his horse and Derby pace-setter Bodemeister.

No, the usually laid-back O’Neill was fretting over his assignment Tuesday night at Camden Yards: Throwing out the
ceremonial first pitch before the game between the Baltimore Orioles and New York Yankees.

“I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t in my hotel room throwing shampoo bottles at pillows,” he said Tuesday morning. “My biggest thing is not bouncing it. The more people say don’t bounce it, the more likely you will bounce it. I’m just trying to stay focused on throwing it straight and strong and not embarrassing the I’ll Have Another team.”

He did a fine job. Standing in front of the mound, O’Neill peered for an imaginary sign from Orioles infielder Ryan Flaherty, who was poised behind the plate. O’Neill then went into an exaggerated windup and unleashed a high pitch that Flaherty snagged after leaping from his crouch.

O’Neill broke a trend by shipping the his horse to Pimlico Race Course just two days after the Derby, and he arrived in town two days after that. Since then, he’s been preparing I’ll Have Another for the Preakness and doing all things Baltimore.

O’Neill watched the Baltimore Ravens rookies practice last weekend and had lunch with coach John Harbaugh. On Monday night, he tried crabs for the first time.

“It’s a lot of work with a mallet. I felt like a carpenter,” O’Neill said. “It was good. We experienced the common food of
Baltimore. I think next time I’ll look for the crab cakes. That’s the lazy man’s way of eating crab. Pulling the legs and cracking this and that, it does seem like too much work.”

On the topic of work, O’Neill decided I’ll Have Another didn’t have to do any Tuesday on a wet, dreary morning at Pimlico.

“With I’ll Have Another being as fit as he is and the fact he’s doing so good, we figured the weather forecast is supposed to be nice starting tomorrow, so why take him out there?” O’Neill said. “Like the rest of us, we all like a day off. We gave the whole barn a day off. He looks fantastic.

“You would expect good energy, which he has. We needed a lip chain to keep him on the ground. He was prancing around there. He’s happy. We’ll probably walk him a couple of more times throughout the day. He’ll probably be a little stir crazy without going to the track. I just thought it was the safest, smartest move.”

Since rallying past Bodemeister in the Derby, I’ll Have Another has showed absolutely no sign of fatigue. If the rousing run to the finish took anything out of him, it sure didn’t show in his appetite.

“Every morning we find a clean, licked-up feed tub,” O’Neill said. “He’s a really mellow horse in the stall. He’s a horse that
every morning looks like he had a good night’s sleep.”

Many of the horses that ran in the Derby, including Union Rags and Hansen, have opted out of the Preakness. O’Neill, on the other hand, threw I’ll Have Another into the Preakness mix at the winner’s circle at Churchill Downs.

“You need a special horse to do it,” he said in front of Barn D at Pimlico, the temporary home of I’ll Have Another. “I could see where those guys probably want a little more time to recover. Fortunately, I’ll Have Another has recovered super quickly. It’s still going to be a tough race with Bodemeister and Graham Motion’s horse (Went The Day Well).”

Win or lose, O’Neill won’t soon forget this magical two-week stay in Baltimore.

“The fact we get paid to do something we all love is incredible,” he said. “As friends and family come visit the barn,
you can see how they just love the whole environment. We’re enjoying every minute of it. Who knows if we’ll ever be back again with a Derby winner? Hopefully we will be. We are just soaking it all in. We’re so blessed to have a brilliant horse like him.”

(Copyright 2012 by The Associated Press.  All Rights Reserved.)

Playing for the sixth time in 11 days, Los Angeles gave San Antonio its toughest first half of the playoffs before fading fast. And unlike their stunning Game 1 comeback at Memphis in the first round, the Clippers didn’t have the wind this time.

Manu Ginobili added 22 points for the Spurs, who’ve won 15 in a row. It’s the longest winning streak sustained in the NBA playoffs since the 2004 Spurs won 17 straight.

“It’s the playoffs. It’s going to be physical. We knew that coming in,” Duncan said. “We just expected to attack the basket as much as possible.”

Eric Bledsoe led the Clippers with 23 points.

Game 2 is Thursday night.

That gives the beat-up and banged-up Clippers one full day of rest — which is all the time they’ve had to recover between games for the past week and a half.

Los Angeles couldn’t even fly home first after knocking out the Grizzlies on Sunday in Game 7 of a grueling series that had the Clippers hobbling next to Texas. Blake Griffin scored 15 points in 28 minutes a day after estimating his sprained left knee had him feeling “80 percent” at best.

The Clippers said the injury is bad enough that their All-Star and leading scorer might be missing up to two weeks if this were the regular season. But unlike in Game 7 on Sunday, Griffin didn’t take a seat in the fourth quarter until the Spurs were safely ahead in the final minutes.

Rookie Kawhi Leonard added 16 points, hitting all three of his 3s, and Danny Green added 15 points for the Spurs.

The marquee matchup of the series — All-Star point guards Tony Parker and Chris Paul — was a fizzle. Paul, who ended the first round with an aching hip, scored just six points and didn’t make a single basket in the second half. Parker had seven points and 11 assists.

Caron Butler scored 15 points and Nick Young had 13 for the Clippers. Los Angeles cut the deficit to single digits with a 10-burst in the fourth quarter before San Antonio, which hasn’t lost in a month, ran away with its 11th double-digit victory during this dominating winning streak.

The Clippers didn’t even need San Antonio’s help getting more bumps and bruises: Mo Williams, already playing with his sore right fingers taped, took a lump on the head when teammate Reggie Evans kicked him with an errant foot after Williams fell on his back in the lane.

Williams wobbled when he tried standing, sat back down, and the Clippers burned a timeout. He never left the game, but the Clippers weren’t getting any fresher.

Parker, meanwhile, finally felt the hard knocks and slow-him-down shoves that Utah repeatedly promised but never delivered in the first round. Sometimes, the All-Star looked in vain to officials when the whistle didn’t blow. When that didn’t work once in the first quarter, he kept jabbering about a no-call on the last possession while lining up to shoot free throws on the current one.

Popovich, pacing and sensing an impending technical foul, silenced his leading scorer.

“Tony!” Popovich snapped from the sideline. “Shoot!”

Parker waved off the NBA Coach of the Year — he was under control. But his frustrations didn’t end there. He was 1 for 9 despite playing 38 minutes, scoring all but two of his points at the foul line.

Notes: Before this became the deepest Spurs team yet under Popovich, Butler said he came so close to signing with the Spurs after the lockout that he canceled a flight to San Antonio when the Clippers counteroffered. “They made a great pitch,” Butler said. …Leonard finished fourth in the Rookie of the Year voting, the highest finish for a Spurs player since Ginobili finished fourth in 2003. Said Popovich: “He’s done a good enough job to make me trust him to be in the starting lineup. I’m happy for him.”

David West scored 16 points and grabbed 10 rebounds, George Hill added 15 and the Indiana Pacers took home-court advantage away from Miami by beating the Heat 78-75 in Game 2 of the teams’ Eastern Conference semifinal series Tuesday night.

LeBron James scored 28 points for Miami and Dwyane Wade finished with 24, but both missed big chances for the Heat late. James missed two free throws with 54.3 seconds left and Miami down one, and Wade was short on a layup that would have tied the game with 16 seconds remaining.

Mario Chalmers’ 3-pointer to tie bounced away on the final play, and the series was tied 1-1.

Danny Granger scored 11 points and Paul George added 10 for Indiana, which took advantage of Heat forward Chris Bosh’s absence and outrebounded Miami 50-40.

Game 3 is Thursday in Indianapolis.

James had a chance to give Miami the lead with 1:22 left, but his shot was blocked from behind by George, who was fouled two seconds later. He missed both free throws, keeping the Indiana lead at 76-75. And after Wade missed a jumper, James was fouled by Granger — his sixth — battling for the rebound with 54.3 seconds remaining.

James couldn’t connect on either, and the Heat didn’t score again.

Bosh is expected to miss the rest of the series with a strained abdominal muscle. Without him, James and Wade combined for 52 points — and no other Miami player scored more than five.

A dreadful third quarter by Miami — 3 for 17 shooting — allowed Indiana to lead by as much as 11, before the emotions picked up considerably in the fourth.

Wade was steaming when he missed a shot after trying to create contact with Indiana’s Dahntay Jones with 9:53 left. As Wade argued, Jones went the other way and set Leandro Barbosa up for a score that put the Pacers up 63-56.

Chalmers turned the ball over on the next possession, and as the Pacers took off for what set up as a 2-on-none break, Wade caught Darren Collison from behind and knocked him over. A flagrant-1 was called, Collison hit both free throws, the Indiana lead was nine and tensions were suddenly high.

It all seemed to spark Miami.

The Heat scored the next six points, James — who got hit in the head by Granger with 7:25 left, sparking a bit of shoving that led to double-technicals given to both players — added a putback off an offensive rebound and Wade did the same about a minute later, getting Miami within 69-66 with 5:57 left.

James missed a free throw that would have tied it with 4:30 remaining, but after George got the rebound, James dove in to create a jump ball situation. The MVP easily won the tap, sending it to Wade, whose bank shot over West put Miami back on top 72-71.

Barbosa scored on the next Indiana possession. The Pacers weren’t rattled, and left celebrating minutes later.

Indiana scored 16 points in the first seven minutes of the first half, then scored 17 in the next 17 minutes. And even after a drought like that, Miami’s lead was only 38-33 at the break.

George missed four shots in a 60-second span early on, setting the tone for an icy-cold half by the Pacers. Indiana was up 16-9 midway through the first when the Heat went to a smaller lineup that paid quick dividends.

Three baskets at the rim — a layup by Wade, then James firing a pass to Turiaf for a dunk, followed by a Wade touch pass to James for another slam — erased most of the early deficit, and defense did the rest. Indiana missed 24 of 29 shots in one stretch, and after Hibbert used his size advantage to get three shots in the first 1:11, he only got two attempts over the rest of the half.

Miami was 0-for-7 on shots that would have pushed its margin to double digits in the first half, continuing a trend from Game 1. Neither team ever led the series opener by more than nine either, and when George made a 3-pointer with 6:09 left in the third, the Pacers had pulled into a 46-all tie. A steal and dunk by George followed on the next possession, putting the Pacers back on top.

Before long, the Pacers had that first 10-point edge of the series. Collison’s jumper with 1:29 left in the third put Indiana up 59-49, and the margin was 61-52 entering the fourth.

For as bad as Indiana’s first half was offensively, Miami’s third quarter was equally dreadful — the Heat were outscored 28-14 on 3-for-17 shooting in the period, the third-worst shooting effort by the reigning East champs in any quarter this season.

Los Angeles dominated the opener and was even better in Game 2, withstanding Phoenix’s initial push and string of penalties for a 2-0 series lead.

Dwight King scored his third goal in two games and Quick tied a team record with his third career playoff shutout to give the Kings a dominating lead heading into Game 3 Thursday night in Los Angeles.

The Kings have won nine straight road playoff games in two seasons, matching the NHL record set by the New York Islanders from 1982-83.

The Islanders won the Stanley Cup both of those years.

Quick matched Felix Potvin’s team record for playoff shutouts and Carter finished off his first career playoff hat trick in the third period, securing the Kings’ seventh straight win overall.

The Coyotes played better early and fell apart late, becoming frustrated after being unable to contain the more-skilled Kings.

Phoenix was hit with a string of penalties starting late in the second period, including a game misconduct to captain Shane Doan for boarding Kings center Trevor Lewis. Martin Hanzal also received one for boarding Dustin Brown in the third period and the Coyotes had 13 penalties for 56 minutes — most coming after the final 5 minutes of the second period.

The Kings won the opener 4-2 by outplaying and outhustling Phoenix.

Knowing Phoenix’s makeup, the Kings figured to get more of a pushback in Game 2.

And the Coyotes were much more aggressive early, winning some of the individual battles they lost in Game 1 while creating some decent scoring chances.

Even with all of Phoenix’s hard work and a couple of line changes by coach Dave Tippett, the Kings still managed to score first. King got it, redirecting a shot by Drew Doughty that beat Mike Smith stick side late in the period.

Hard work in the corners by Mike Richards set up Los Angeles’ second goal, by Carter. He muscled the puck past Smith’s glove side as he was going down on a feed from Dustin Penner that made it 2-0 early in the second period.

“I’ve been working hard in practice to get my game where I wanted it,” Carter said.

Then things completely unraveled for the Coyotes.

Doan, who was suspended three games for elbowing earlier in the season, was given a game misconduct and a five-minute boarding penalty for ramming Lewis from behind. Defenseman Keith Yandle was already in the penalty box and Daymond Langkow joined him after a slashing penalty, giving Los Angeles a two-man advantage for more than 2 minutes.

Brown was sent off for diving on a slash by Smith, but that didn’t bother the Kings. Carter scored his second a few seconds later on a redirect of a shot by Anze Kopitar, putting Los Angeles up 3-0.

“It’s no secret we been struggling a bit with the power play and to get some goals will give us confidence on it,” Carter said. “We have some pretty skilled guys out there on the power play.”

With the Coyotes racking up penalties seemingly on every shift, Carter finished them off with his fifth career hat trick, punching in a rebound with the Kings on a two-man advantage after Hanzal’s hit on Brown.

Notes: The Kings were without D Colin Fraser, out of the lineup attending to a family matter. … Coyotes LW Ray Whitney played in his 100th career playoff game. D Michael Stone played his first with Adrian Aucoin still out of the lineup and David Schlemko still not fully healthy. … Rocker Alice Cooper, who lives in the Valley, attended the game. … The last team to win seven straight road playoff games in one season was Chicago in 2010.

On the field: what does he have to improve on and what are his strengths? The impression you get from the rookies can change drastically when you put on the pads. Some guys will fall by the wayside when you start to hit. You find out who you can count on to help come game day Sundays. Lots of times the rookies that shine in rookie minicamp aren’t the ones that stand out in a two-a-day. Bottom line: don’t get too excited about the rookies. The minicamp means little until you see how they react when the hitting starts.

Remind you, it’s Wednesday… post positions have not been drawn and morning line odds are not out. So with that, I will make this bold prediction that I’ll Have Another will NOT be the morning line favorite. Despite his win in the Derby, I’ll Have Another will probably be the second favorite behind Bodemeister. The splits that Bodemeister ran in the Derby will have him as the favorite in a shorter rack and typically a faster track. I won’t be surprised to see a lot of money move on I’ll Have Another and possibly be the post time favorite. At least one of these two horses should finish in the money.

Other horses I like are Went The Day Well. Ridden by veteran jockey John Velasquez, this horse rallied in the Derby from 17th to finish fourth. With a smaller field and more room to run, this horse should be able to keep up with the pace setters. Optimizer could make some noise early, but don’t know how much he can on against them. Tiger Walk, a Maryland-owner and trained horse at Sagamore Farms, may be able to make a run at this. The same operation that posted a 46-1 long shot that won at the Breeders Cup, could pull off the same thing here.

My three horses that finish in the money: Went The Day Well, Bodemeister and Tiger Walk

Enjoy one of the best days in Maryland sports!

-Zinno

follow me on Twitter @MarkZinno

Meghan McCorkell has more.

After several hours, that man finally gave himself up to police, but the show of force is a sign the county is cracking down on copper thieves.

A tactical team prepared to enter a vacant building on the Spring Grove Hospital campus. Police were called after two men were seen going inside with hacksaws and crowbars. One was caught immediately.

“The other one escaped up into the attic of that building. A search was initiated but had to be called off due to darkness,” said Greg Shipley, Maryland State Police.

Lack of light wasn’t the only issue. The building has been condemned since the 1970s and is filled with hazardous materials.

“That building is very dangerous. It is loaded with asbestos, possibly PCBs, lead, black mold,” said Joseph Gannon, who works nearby.

Surrounded by police, Dennis Dyer, 41, finally surrendered after four hours. He crawled out of a hole in the roof of the building. His accomplice, 39-year-old Matthew Blizzard—who lives at a shelter on the hospital campus—is also in custody. The arrests are a sign police are taking copper thefts seriously.

“We have cases where a single suspect is responsible for dozens and even hundreds of these metal thefts,” said Baltimore County Police Chief Jim Johnson.

Metal thefts have tripled in the county since 2009. Now police are cracking down, creating a metal theft task force.

“Copper thefts, all kinds of metal thefts, have been quite a problem around the state of Maryland,” Shipley said.

The large show of force sends a message to copper thieves: police are after you.

People who work around the hospital campus say copper theft has been an ongoing problem in that condemned building.

Both suspects arrested Tuesday have faced criminal charges, including theft, in the past.

County officers and federal agents went through the Healthy Life Medical Group on York Road.

Police won’t release many details because they’re calling this an active investigation.

Kai Jackson has more on Baltimore’s new Catholic leader.

William Lori says Catholic history and tradition are more than a collection of facts. He says they’re sacred and something for which he intends to fight.

The Basilica of the Assumption was filled to near capacity in downtown Baltimore. Most worshippers were those in leadership positions, priests and nuns who were anxious to celebrate the installation of William Lori as Archbishop of Baltimore.

“As this Basilica attests, we are more than the sum of our history, even as we are indelibly part of the culture,” Lori said.

Members of the archdiocese acknowledge the challenges the Catholic Church is facing but believe as Archbishop, William Lori will provide the leadership needed to navigate turbulent times.

“Archbishop Lori is a very thoughtful priest and a thoughtful bishop but he also—you can see he has a good sense of humor,” said Mount DeSales Academy Principal Sister Anne Catherine.

Same-sex marriage, contraception and healthcare are just some of the issues facing the church.

“Help us to defend marriage and foster family life in a time of cultural confusion,” Lori said.

“Well, I think he’s going to follow very, very strictly the church’s teachings on all those things,” said archdiocese deacon Skip Comegna.

In his homily, Archbishop designee Lori also thanked Cardinal Edwin O’Brien—who he’s replacing—for his leadership.

“Let me thank you, Cardinal O’Brien, for the warmth of your welcome and for giving this archdiocese a shepherd’s care,” Lori said.

WJZ will bring you complete coverage of the new Archbishop’s installation. You can watch the ceremony live on WJZ.COM Wednesday at 1:30 p.m.