Sources said that a bonus of $25M would kick in if Justify were able to pull off a Triple Crowngetty images
The breeding rights for Kentucky Derby and Preakness winner JUSTIFY are "to be sold to Coolmore Stud" for $60M. Sources said that the deal was "negotiated before the Preakness," and a bonus of $25M "would also kick in if Justify pulled off a Triple Crown sweep by winning the Belmont Stakes on June 9." WinStar Farm President & CEO ELLIOTT WALDEN said that a deal "had not yet been finalized" (NYTIMES.com, 5/24).
SHOULDN'T HAVE SAID THAT: The Univ. of Missouri "settled the defamation lawsuit" brought against AD JIM STERK by Univ. of South Carolina women's basketball coach DAWN STALEY for $50,000, half of which "will go to Staley's charity foundation." The other half "will go to Staley's attorneys." Staley "filed a $75,000 lawsuit against Sterk in South Carolina over comments he made in a radio interview about the Tigers' game at South Carolina on Jan. 28." MU "paid for the settlement" because Sterk "made his comments in good faith while performing his duties as a University employee" (STLTODAY.com, 5/25).
GRIDIRON NAMES: A back-pay claim by late NFL coach DENNIS GREEN against his former employer, the now-folded United Football League Sacramento Mountain Lions, has "finally been resolved, six years after the team's final game and two years after Green's death." Settlement terms for the $1M claim were not disclosed, but a source said that the agreement "was in [Green's widow] MARIE GREEN's favor" (SACBEE.com, 5/24)....The NFL spent $300,000 on DC lobbying in Q1 --"more than it spent in any quarter of last year, when the league shelled out $850,000 in total." The NFL "retains the Glover Park Group, Capitol Counsel, Covington & Burling and Thorn Run Partners." The NFLPA, meanwhile, "retains Forbes Tate Partners and Fierce Government Relations" (POLITICO.com, 5/24)....Vikings Exec VP & CMO STEVE LACROIX delivered the commencement speech at the Univ. of Iowa Tippie College of Business on May 12, where his daughter KATIE was graduating. LaCroix, a '90 graduate himself, said, "Remember championship leaders can use SKOL on their journey. Be strategic, be knowledgeable, be opportunistic and remember to listen" (THE DAILY)....The Giants have “fired the three ranking members of their equipment staff not long after settling” QB ELI MANNING’s memorabilia fraud case in which they “all had been initially named.” The club let go Equipment Dir JOSEPH SKIBA, Assistant Equipment Manager ED SKIBA and Equipment/Locker Room Manager ED WAGNER JR. (NYDAILYNEWS.com, 5/25)....Patriots LB KYLE VAN NOY was at Splitsville Lanes at Patriots Place on Wednesday, hosting foster kids as "part of a charity event for the Kyle Van Noy Valor Foundation” (BOSTONHERALD.com, 5/24).
NAMES: EPL club Chelsea Owner ROMAN ABRAMOVICH "immigrated to Israel on Thursday." His stay in the U.K. "came to a close when his work visa expired and the authorities would not renew his visa," causing Abramovich to "miss his team's FA Cup final victory over Manchester United" on May 19 (JPOST.com, 5/24)....Single-A South Atlantic League Greensboro Grasshoppers President & GM DONALD MOORE will be inducted into the league's '18 HOF class (South Atlantic League)....Gold Medal-winning U.S. hockey player MEGAN KELLER will drive the pace car for the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series FireKeepers Casino 400 at Michigan Int’l Speedway on June 10 (MIS)....JUSTIN TIMBERLAKE was sitting with Texans DE J.J. WATT and his girlfriend, NWSL Houston Dash MF KEALIA OHAI, at Thursday’s Warriors-Rockets Game 5. Also spotted at the game were Basketball HOFers HAKEEM OLAJUWON and ELVIN HAYES, former NFLer ANDRE JOHNSON and rappers TRAVIS SCOTT, TRAE THA TRUTH and CHAMILLIONAIRE (HOUSTONCHRONICLE.com, 5/24). Also in attendance was U.S. Sen. TED CRUZ (R-Tex.), consultant CHRIS WILSON, political consultant JEFF ROE and musician DAVID POLYANSKY (POLITICO.com, 5/24).
