, in fact, broken by his father, Keith, in Texas, as was Untapable.V

Talk about the ultimate Sliding Doors moment.Isaac Smiths miss after the siren?against Geelong two weekends ago has?shaped the entire finals series - if he kicked straight, the Hawks wouldve enjoyed a week off in preparation for a preliminary final and from there, theyre in the box seat to at least make it to the grand final.?The four-thorn dream would still be alive and well.But after being dominated by a more manic and hungry Bulldogs outfit in Friday nights?semifinal, Hawthorn have been bundled out of the finals at the earliest stage in four years.I believe the loss doesnt signal the?end of an era, but it was the end of a golden run for the Hawks. Theyve still got so much talent,?they need to just add a bit of pace through the midfield and make a few minor changes and theyll be right up there again.The Bulldogs though, are the?feelgood?story of September.?Theyve beaten the two grand finalists from last year and I?believe?theyre?a good chance to?knock over?the Giants. They need to realise theyre only four hours of football away from notching the clubs second premiership - if they attack the Giants with the same full-ground ferocity as they did the Hawks, theyll be in it right up to their eyeballs.The Swans are still alive after a brutal?semifinal?against an outclassed Adelaide outfit at the SCG. The Crows werent able to apply the?required?pressure?over four quarters, and the hardened Swans took full advantage.?Sydneys midfield was far too powerful for the visitors, and Lance Franklin played closer to goal and appeared dangerous every time he touched the footy. The downside were the injuries to Gary Rohan and?Jarrad?McVeigh, who are both extremely doubtful for the preliminary final.The big question now were down to four teams is, does a second week off in three weeks help or hinder Geelong and GWS?They will certainly be refreshed and rested, but could a lack of?gametime?in recent weeks?cause them grief?Well find out come Saturday night.HEROESAlastair Clarkson:?The loss to the Bulldogs must have been heartbreaking to everyone associated with the Hawks, but?Clarkson was all class after the game?in seeking out his counterpart Luke Beveridge in the Dogs rooms and offering his hearty congratulations. Clarko?could have?been excused for keeping?his head down and commiserating?with his group, but he chose to wish Beveridge and the Dogs well?for the rest of the finals. It was a real act of class and shows the other side of Clarkson - we all know he can be a bit of a firebrand but it shows his human side.Josh Kennedy:?This?human battering ram?is building an incredible reputation?as?an A-grade finals performer.?Hes won 41 contested possessions in the past two weeks and that was despite copping that high hit from Steve Johnson in the qualifying final.?His game is made for finals, which often require more basic, tough footy, and thats something Kennedy has in spades. Against the Crows?he controlled the stoppages, dominated contested footy, tackled ferociously and executed under pressure.?He has an?incredible?ability to pull a ball from the fire, stay composed and release a teammate into space.?The?crazy thing about?Kennedy, being such?a?big-bodied midfielder?as he is,?he barely does any leg weights or heavy lifting in the gym. Hes just one of those blokes who is naturally strong, with square shoulders.?He certainly uses it to his advantage.Liam?Picken:?His?past two weeks have been enormous - hes taken some huge contested marks around the ground and his toughness, mixed with a real energy and zest, has added so much for the Bulldogs.?He obviously squeezes every ounce of talent out of his body and hes a heart-and-soul type player who seems to energise his teammates.?Against the Hawks, he?collected 24 touches (13 contested), four clearances, four inside 50s, eight marks and booted three goals. Hes transformed himself from a dour stopper to a genuine weapon for the Bulldogs in recent years.?VILLAINSAdelaide: In all the preview meetings leading into the do-or-die semifinal, the emphasis from Don Pyke would have been to expect a response from Sydney after they had been bullied by GWS. The start?of a match?is always crucial, but the Crows were jumped in the first term at the SCG and were unable to match their opponents intensity, conceding seven goals in the first quarter.?After?such a dire start, they needed their leaders to respond but no one was able to step up until it was too late.?Adelaide had few winners through the midfield, while?the much-lauded forward line?of Taylor Walker, Josh Jenkins, Eddie Betts and Josh Jenkins found desperately wanting.? ?The Football Gods:?There are always hard-luck stories at this time of year, and theres no exception in 2016. The extent of the injuries to? McVeigh and Rohan wont be known until later this week, but if they miss the preliminary final against Geelong - and possibly the big dance should the Swans win through - it will be a cruel blow for those two men. Rohan has endured so many injury setbacks since being drafted at pick No. 6 in 2009, and hell be absolutely shattered to miss out again should his knee cut him down at such an important time of the season. McVeigh, the Swans co-captain, appeared to pull a calf and his experience and poise?will be a huge loss if he is grounded. Bulldogs captain Bob Murphy must have mixed feelings after the weekend - he would have so much pride for his teams efforts in the past fortnight, but it must also be a double-edged sword, knowing he wont be able to play a part as the Dogs hunt a rare piece of silverware. ?The AFLs?fixturing?department:?The AFLs decision to want to avoid a?preliminary final?at ANZ Stadium has merit- even if they drew 35,000 or 40,000?there, it feels empty and then can lack true atmosphere. But its disgraceful that so many supporters of a team that hasnt been in a grand final since 1961 will miss out on seeing?the Bulldogs?play in a?prelim. They would be so hungry for success but thousands will miss out on attending the clash against GWS on Saturday.?The Giants only have a membership of around 16,000 while the Bulldogs have about 40,000, the AFL should ensure as close to half the capacity of the stadium should go to Dogs fans.?We all know thats unlikely to happen, though. Brayden McNabb Jersey . -- The Bishops Gaiters are showing they belong among the countrys top varsity football teams. Paul Stastny Jersey . From filmmaker Nanette Burstein (On the Ropes), The Price of Gold revisits the saga that rocked the figure skating world ahead of the 1994 Lillehammer Olympic Winter Games: the assault on Nancy Kerrigan, and the plot that led its way back to her rival Tonya Harding. http://www.goldenknightssale.com/authentic-tomas-nosek-golden-knights-jersey/ . Tests earlier this week revealed a Grade 2 left hamstring strain for Sabathia, who was hurt in last Fridays start against San Francisco. Its an injury that will require about eight weeks to heal. He finished a disappointing campaign just 14-13 with a career-worst 4. Tomas Nosek Golden Knights Jersey . The 29-year-old from Port Colborne, Ont., has nothing but good things to say about former U.S. marine Liz (Girlrilla) Carmouche ahead of their co-main event Wednesday on the UFCs "Fight for the Troops" televised card in Fort Campbell, Ky. Nick Holden Jersey .Y. - Jerome Samson scored once in regulation and again in the shootout as the St. SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. -- Rachel Alexandra posted a series of historic victories during an audacious sophomore campaign. Steve Asmussen, who saddled her for the majority of those, is one of the winningest trainers in the history of racing. The duo were seeming no-brainers for election to the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame this year despite being on one of the deepest ballots in recent memory.However, the road to the Hall of Fame wasnt smooth -- and both responded to their challenges like champions. Asmussen has continued to achieve at a high level while weathering a series of professional and personal challenges. Meanwhile, Rachel Alexandra nearly lost her life, bouncing back from a veterinary emergency with the courage she displayed on the racetrack.To be able to go in with Rachel is quite special, Asmussen said. Shes amazing and then some. Shes indescribable is what she is.Asmussen is a two-time Eclipse Award winner, earning those accolades as his Hall of Famers Curlin and Rachel Alexandra, both campaigned in majority by the late Jess Jackson and wife Barbara Bankes Stonestreet Farm, were consecutive Horse of the Year honorees. Asmussen saddled Curlin, who retired as North Americas leading money winner, to win eight Grade 1 events, including the Preakness, Breeders Cup Classic, Dubai World Cup, and two editions of the Jockey Club Gold Cup.That set the table for the tremendously popular Rachel Alexandra, who lit the world on fire by winning the Kentucky Oaks by 20-1/4 lengths under a hand ride from Hall of Famer Calvin Borel. The Medaglia dOro filly was subsequently purchased by Jackson from owner-breeder Dolphus Morrison and transferred from trainer Hal Wiggins to Asmussen. Her take-no-prisoners season continued less than two weeks after the purchase when she defeated Kentucky Derby winner Mine That Bird in the Preakness, becoming the first filly since 1924 to win the classic.Rachel Alexandra decimated her own division again in the Mother Goose Stakes, winning by 19-1/4 lengths in another hand ride, then defeated eventual champion Summer Bird by six lengths in the Haskell Invitational. Jackson elected to conclude her season against older males in the Woodward Stakes. Pressured throughout while on the lead, she held on for a game head victory, raising the rafters at Saratoga, according to Tom Durkins call, and becoming the first female to win the Woodward. Her 8-for-8 campaign earned her Horse of the Year honors over Zenyatta.Rachel Alexandra, who also was a graded stakes winner at ages 2 and 4, retired following the 2010 season with a record of 19-13-5-0 and earnings of $3,506,730.She set standards and records that no filly before her ever achieved, Jackson said at the time of her retirement. And I suspect it will be quite a while before a 3-year-old filly ever equals or surpasses her achievements. Although her fans were thrilled by a series of spectacular victories, I believe they, as we, were simply awed time and again by her sheer beauty, courage, and athleticism.Before his death in early 2011 following a long battle with cancer, Jackson had planned the mating of Curlin and Rachel Alexandra; the resulting colt, delivered in January 2012, was thus christened Jesss Dream. Rachel Alexandra delivered her second foal, a Bernardini filly with a heart-shaped marking on her forehead, during Valentines Day week in 2013, prompting the name Rachels Valentina.But the day after delivering the filly, the mare began to exhibit signs of distress and was rushed to Rood and Riddle Equine Hospital. She underwent surgery to repair a life-threatening injury to her small colon suffered during the delivery, battled a bacterial infection, and overcame other complications, including an internal abscess. The mare remained at the clinic for more than six weeks before returning home to Stonestreet. Throughout her ordeal, Rood and Riddle issued regular updates on her condition, with one noting that her attending veterinarians were inspired by her strength. Banke said the mare is unlikely to be bred again as a precaution.The recently retired Rachels Valentina went on to become a Grade 1 winner at Saratoga and contested the Kentucky Oaks shortly after this years Hall of Fame announcement, making it a heady spring for Stonestreet.Its a very exciting time for us, Banke said. Obviously, she is out of a mare very dear to my heart.Its also special to me how excited and engaged race fans have been about following Rachel Alexandra.Classic winners Rachel Aleexandra and Curlin have highlighted a career in which Asmussen has climbed to second in North American history with 7,379 wins and fourth in earnings with $244,994,807 through Tuesday.dddddddddddd He saddled Creator to win this years Belmont Stakes and has won two editions of the Kentucky Oaks, with Summerly (2005) and the champion Untapable (2014), the latter also winning the Breeders Cup Distaff. Asmussens other Breeders Cup victories came in the 2011 Juvenile Fillies with the champion My Miss Aurelia, the 2012 Dirt Mile with Tapizar, and the 2011 Turf Sprint with Regally Ready. He has led the nation in wins nine times and earnings thrice, ranking in the top 10 in both categories every year since 2000.Asmussen was a finalist for the Hall of Fame in 2014, the year Curlin was inducted. But that March, a bombshell dropped as the animal-rights organization People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, based on video obtained by one of its employees who worked undercover in the Asmussen barn, filed complaints about the trainer alleging animal abuse, misuse of drugs, and fraud related to stable employees. The New York State Gaming Commission and the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission launched investigations into the allegations, and the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame decided to table the trainers nomination, removing him from the ballot.Asmussen was cleared by the Kentucky commission in January 2015, with the commission stating that the allegations had neither a factual or scientific basis. The New York commission took even longer before declaring last November that the most serious allegations were unfounded. And thus Asmussen, who was kept out of Hall of Fame consideration while the process was pending, was declared eligible for the ballot this year and was promptly voted in alongside his greatest filly.The PETA upheaval wasnt the only turmoil the Asmussen family has faced in recent years as Julie, the trainers wife of two decades with whom he has three sons, was diagnosed with neck and throat cancer last September. Asmussen prioritized staying by her side as Gun Runner and Creator targeted the spring classics, entrusting the majority of their care to assistants Scott Blasi and Darren Fleming. In March, after months of radiation, chemotherapy, and therapy, Julie Asmussens scans were clear.And thus the Hall of Fame induction becomes even more of a celebration for Asmussen, who is a family man with deep connections to the industry.Its a great celebration of family and friends, Asmussen said. Im an extension of [my parents], and this is their accomplishment as well. I think what is beautiful about it is it is such a shared thing with the barn and with everyone who is involved in it.To to be able to celebrate and share that with your family means everything. Everything, he said. Racing for me is a family affair. I grew up in my parents barn, and theyre still a huge part of it.Asmussen has earned a reputation for developing difficult horses - particularly the famously talented but high-strung offspring of the Winchell family and Gainesway Farms supersire Tapit, such as Untapable and Creator. The Winchells have been loyal Asmussen clients for more than two decades; Tapit was, in fact, broken by his father, Keith, in Texas, as was Untapable.Very proud of her being a Winchell homebred and getting early training at my parents place, Asmussen said.Creator was the first horse WinStar Farm sent to Asmussen, with its president, Elliott Walden, a former trainer, complimenting Asmussens horsemanship.Steves done extremely well with some Tapits. They can be a little difficult, Walden said. I know Steve loves me saying this because he wants to train every Tapit in the world. He did extremely well with Untapable. [Creator] was a little fiery as a 2-year-old.Untapable spent the past two summers in the stall once occupied by Rachel Alexandra at the Asmussen shed row at Saratogas Oklahoma training track. She recently left the barn for retirement, but dont think things have gotten any less busy around the stable. There will be a pause between training hours and afternoon racing to celebrate and reflect Friday, but then its right back to work for Asmussen, who describes himself as not even halfway done with his career.If youre in racing, youre a dreamer, he said. If youre going to chose to do this every day, youre a dreamer. ' ' '