There is no indication that reverse psychology works on a racehorse, at least not like the way it does on, say, a 5-year-old, or a recalcitrant boyfriend.You can stroll past the stall of an unruly colt waving the surgical implements of castration, and he wont bat an eye. Dont eat ? see if I care is rarely deployed as a training tool.After four straight losses as the heavy choice, the 3-year-old Tizbud filly Chao Chum had Gary Stute wishing he had more hair to pull. Her maiden win last July was visually impressive, and her subsequent starts were never embarrassing, with three seconds and a third. But she was burning money like mad. Stute was beginning to wonder if he was seeing things.I even tried training her two different ways for two of her allowance losses, Stute said. I tried old school and then went new school, but it didnt make any difference. I said to hell with it. Id been running her in those allowance races and Cal-bred races thinking she couldnt lose, so I put her in a race I didnt think she could win.The race was last Sundays $100,000 Betty Grable Stakes at Del Mar, a seven-furlong main-track event that looked like a slam dunk for Nick Alexanders Enola Gray. The daughter of Grazen won a similar race at Del Mar last summer by a pole, with a speed figure that caught everyones eye. Accordingly, Enola Gray was held at a dime on the dollar for the Betty Grable.Then horse racing happened, and Chao Chum beat Enola Gray by a conclusive length and a quarter after dogging the choice from the start. Kent Desormeaux rode the winner, after Tiago Pereira had been aboard all six of her previous races.The other kid rode her fine, Stute said. But theres just something about Desormeaux. Hes got those magic hands, and some horses really respond to that magic. Hopefully, shes one of them.Theres something magic about Del Mar, as well, no matter what time of year it opens for business, although the brief fall meet, now in its third season, is still a promotional work in progress, thrashing around between holiday themes and the residue of horse racings show biz glow.Only at Del Mar would there be a race named for Betty Grable, the leggy hoofer, WWII pinup, and wife of bandleader Harry James, whose colt Big Noise won the 1951 Del Mar Futurity under Hall of Famer Ralph Neves. The glamour couple were denizens of the summer seaside meet, when Harry would give his all-star band time off and Betty would dope out the races every day in the clubhouse.Of course, theres nostalgia, then theres ancient history. Del Mars naming committee came closer to this century with the $75,000 Let It Ride Stakes on opening Saturday, conjuring memories of the classic racetrack flick from 1989 that has supplied wiseguys with all the material theyll ever need. The Exchange Rate colt Defiantly won the mile on the grass for owner Mick Ruis and trainer Craig Dollase, with Gary Stevens doing the driving.If nothing else, the fall Del Mar meet gives players on both sides of the rail a chance for a deep breath. With the Breeders Cup at Santa Anita this year, the California season had the feel of coming to a loud and dramatic end, especially after the epic Classic between Arrogate and California Chrome left everyone limp and pleading, No mas.These last two months, split between Del Mar and Los Alamitos, put decent enough purses on the table for those who step up. Trainer Mike Puype, who deserves another headline horse now that two-time Breeders Cup winner Mizdirection is a memory, came on strong with three winners from six starters opening weekend. It was no surprise to see Flavien Prat fast from the gate with four wins, but the pleasant surprise was an opening-day double from Santiago Gonzalez, who was third in the Del Mar summer standings but went cold at Santa Anita in the fall.No one deserved to celebrate more than Stute. The cigar-chomping son and former assistant of perennial Hall of Fame candidate Mel Stute has been through some dry years. By his calculations, the victory of Chao Chum was the trainers first stakes win since the 2010 San Fernando with Papa Clem.I havent had many opportunities, Stute said with a self-effacing burst of his infectious laugh. Between six and eight horses has been my barn the last couple of years. Thats gets old, and it can get you pretty sour. When I became a trainer I didnt think about the part where you had to beg owners for horses.Chao Chum was bred and is owned by a partnership of Thai businessmen whove had horses with Mel Stute in the past. Her Betty Grable victory has Gary Stute thinking he might have a player in the division, with a race like the Grade 1 La Brea Stakes in late December coming into the picture.Going into the race the other day, the La Brea never crossed my mind, Stute said. Shed let me down so much, and I never planned on her running that good. I was getting kind of depressed. Now, Ive got to at least nominate her. She might be as good as I thought she was after all. Cheap MLB Jerseys Authentic . With Parker having a quiet game for once, Nicolas Batum and Boris Diaw provided the scoring as France won its first major basketball title by beating Lithuania 80-66 on Sunday. It was a victory that ended a decade of frustration for Parker and a talented French generation, which lost the final against Spain two years ago and took bronze in 2005. Wholesale MLB Jerseys China . The FA rejected Wilsheres appeal that the length of his punishment was "clearly excessive" and said Thursday his suspension begins with immediate effect. He will miss league matches against Chelsea on Monday and West Ham on Dec. http://www.wholesalemlbjerseys.us/ . Now, correct me if Im wrong but I saw one official distinctly pointing at the net indicating a good goal but after an inconclusive review they overturned the goal. Shouldnt the ruling on the ice (good goal) stand after an inconclusive review? Why was this overturned? James Veaudry Pembroke, ON -- Hey Kerry, Youll get a lot of these, but why was the Montreal goal against Nashville Saturday night overturned? Eller puts the puck on net and the on ice ruling from the ref behind the net is a Montreal goal. Wholesale MLB Store . LOUIS -- St. Discount Baseball Jerseys . -- Nate Robinson has played for seven teams, so beating one of them is no longer a rare occurrence. WASHINGTON -- With John Wall sitting out the second game of a back-to-back on Saturday night, part of an effort to ease the All-Star point guards return from offseason surgery on each knee, the Washington Wizards will be counting on Bradley Beal to lead them.Beal just wants to make sure he doesnt try to do too much in Walls absence.What the Wizards and Beal would love to see is the same sort of go-to-the-basket style he displayed while scoring 20 of his 28 points after halftime Friday night, helping Washington give new coach Scott Brooks his first victory with the team, 95-92 over the Atlanta Hawks.The key Saturday at the Orlando Magic, Beal said, will be for him to not feel like Ive got to take over and do everything.Beal averaged only 14 points during Washingtons 0-3 start, never getting more than 15, and Brooks said before facing Atlanta he considered that his fault for not giving his young shooting guard enough opportunities.Hes going to have a breakout game sooner or later, Brooks said, nearly 2 hours before tipoff. Hopefully its tonight.How prescient.Before an announced crowd of only 14,663 -- nearly 5,000 fewer people than were at Wednesdays home opener against Toronto -- Beal made 13 of 14 free throws.He was attacking, Hawks coach Mike Budenholzer said. Hes such a great shooter that you have to take that away. He may have just been more aggressive at getting to the rim.Atlanta cut the deficit to 95-92 and inbounded the ball after a timeout with 11.7 seconds left, but Kyle Korver missed a 3-point try with 3.6 seconds left with Markieff Morris in his face.Wall had 21 points, 10 rebounds and six assists, now just four assists shy of breaking Hall of Fame center Wes Unselds franchise career mark.But that will have to wait until at least Monday, when Washington hhosts the Houston Rockets.ddddddddddddPart of his rehab plan was to be real cognizant of his minutes, Brooks said. He might not play in the first few second games of back-to-back nights, the coach added, explaining: Thats all fluid.Brooks deflected a question about whether rookie Tomas Satoransky would start Saturday in Walls place, but did say, Theres a good chance.Wall said hell spend his day off doing some of the same rehab work he did during the offseason and joked about the game at Orlando: I might be the head coach.Its just something I have to do if I want to play a long career in this league, Wall said. Coach believes in me and my teammates understand what I have to go through. When Im out there, Im going to give 110 percent effort.TIP-INSHawks: Korver finished 1 for 9 from the field, including 1 for 6 on 3s. ... Atlanta has at least 10 steals in every game this season.Wizards: Walls streak of 16 consecutive games with at least 10 assists, dating to last season, ended. It was the longest active such run in the league.SLOW STARTAtlanta missed its first nine shots and shot only 29 percent from the field in the first half -- including just 2 of 15 on 3-point attempts. It trailed 48-35 at halftime. There will be times where the ball feels like soap, Paul Millsap said. There will be times when theres a lid on the basket.WHATS IN RESERVE?Atlantas reserves outscored Washingtons 33-8. The Wizards bench players wound up with the exact same number of points and personal fouls.UP NEXTHawks: Host the Houston Rockets on Saturday.Wizards: Travel to face Orlando on Saturday.---Follow Howard Fendrich on Twitter at http://twitter.com/HowardFendrich ' ' '