IN BRIEF

PRO FOOTBALL

Report: NFL to cancel exhibition in China

The NFL plans to cancel a scheduled exhibition game in China between Seattle and New England, Sports Illustrated reported on its Web site.

SI.com, citing unidentified sources, said Sunday the league will announce the decision to cancel the China Bowl early this week. The Seahawks and Patriots are scheduled to play Aug. 7 at Workers Stadium.

NFL spokesman Greg Aiello declined to comment Sunday to The Associated Press.

SI.com said the NFL will attempt to schedule an exhibition game in China in 2009 at the stadium under construction for the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

UNLV

Women’s golf team 11th in ASU tourney

The UNLV women’s golf team finished 11th in the 17-team Arizona State Invitational, shooting 22-over 310 for a 52-over 916 total in Tempe, Ariz.

The host Sun Devils rolled to the team title at 13-under 851, 22 shots ahead of second-place Vanderbilt. ASU’s Anna Nordqvist took the individual title, shooting 3-under 69 for a 10-under 206 total.

Senior Seema Sadekar shot 2-over 74 to tie for 10th at 1-under 215, the only Rebel in the top 20.

Also: The UNLV baseball team jumped to a 9-0 lead before allowing eight runs in the final three innings of a 10-9 loss to Utah in Salt Lake City.

Blake Gailen had a two-run homer and an RBI double and Ryan Kowalski had a two-run single as the Rebels (14-20, 3-3 Mountain West Conference) went up 9-0 by the fifth inning.

Utah (10-17, 3-3) scored twice in the bottom of the fifth, then got six runs in the seventh inning and two more in the ninth. Jesse Shriner had the game-winning hit, an RBI single off UNLV reliever Adam Moser.

The UNLV women’s tennis team lost to Texas Christian 5-2 in Fort Worth, Texas.

The Rebels (15-5, 4-1 Mountain West Conference) took two of three doubles matches for the first point but managed just one singles win.

UNLV’s Elena Gantcheva beat 54th-ranked Anna Sydorska 6-1, 6-1 at No. 1 singles.

HORSE RACING

Steinbrenner pulls out of bid to replace NYRA

The family of Yankees owner George Steinbrenner withdrew from the group that was bidding to run New York thoroughbred racing.

“The Steinbrenner family and all of their related entities will withdraw from the Excelsior bid,” family spokesman Howard Rubenstein said.

Since 1955, the New York Racing Association has held the right to operate Aqueduct, Belmont and Saratoga race tracks. NYRA’s franchise expires Dec. 31, and the next franchise holder could run racing for up to 20 years.

Rubenstein also said Tishman-Speyer, part of the Excelsior group, will withdraw from the bidding. Tishman-Speyer Properties is a major New York developer that is part-owner of Rockefeller Center and has investments in other landmark properties.

Excelsior intends to reorganize.

“Our bid is continuing as planned,” Excelsior spokeswoman Katie Burke said. “There are going to be some considerable changes in the next few days.”

The developments leave New York Yankees partner and once heir apparent Steve Swindal without some major partners and apparently the cachet of the famed baseball team.

Last week, Swindal’s future with the Steinbrenner family and Yankees was cast into doubt because his wife, Steinbrenner’s daughter, was seeking a divorce. Excelsior has used ads that included images of the Yankees and said it would draw on the team’s tradition if it won the franchise.