The Enquirer and wire reports

Vitali Klitschko did more than just batter Kirk Johnson to the canvas Saturday night in New York. He also staked his claim to another shot at the heavyweight championship.

In a dominating performance, Klitschko knocked Johnson down twice in the second round before their heavyweight elimination fight was stopped at 2:54 of the round with Johnson clinging to a bottom rope.

Klitshcko fought with the confidence of a fighter who had taken Lennox Lewis six tough rounds before being stopped on cuts, and the 6-foot-7 Ukranian showed he has the kind of dominating power that could bring new excitement to the heavyweight ranks.

Johnson had only lost once and was a top contender, but Klitschko never let him get into the fight, much to the delight of the crowd at Madison Square Garden that waved Ukranian flags and chanted "Vitali, Vitali, Vitali."

Horse racing

TURFWAY PARK: Turf specialist Affirmed Dancer, ridden by Willie Martinez, won the $50,000 My Charmer Stakes by three-quarters of a length on a muddy track.

"She's only run twice on dirt; she's won both times," owner Tracy Farmer said. "Maybe we've been running her in the wrong place (and on the wrong surface)."

Besides the two dirt victories - the other was in March at Gulfstream Park, the John C. Kimmel-trained 4-year-old filly has three wins, three seconds and one third from 12 starts on the greensward.

Pacesetter Glitter Act finished third, a neck behind runner-up Donnaree, who was vanned off the track with a splint on her right foreleg.

Favorite My Trusty Cat stalked the pace before fading to fifth. Affirmed Dancer paid $18.40 win mutuels.

Golf

PGA TOUR Q SCHOOL: Sweden's Mathias Gronberg shot a 1-under 71 in windy conditions to take a three-stroke lead after the fourth round at Winter Garden, Fla. He had a 14-under 274 total.

Oak Hills graduate Brett Wetterich was tied for 56th at even-par 288. Miami University graduate Brad Adamonis was tied for 159th of 166 players still left at 302.

The top 30 players after the sixth round Monday will receive 2004 PGA Tour cards, and the remaining players will get exempt or conditional status on the Nationwide Tour.

PGA GRAND SLAM: Jim Furyk carded a 4-under-par 68 for a 135 total to win by eight strokes over Masters champion Mike Weir at Poipu Beach, Hawaii.

U.S. Open champ Furyk won $400,000 of a $1 million purse and snapped Tiger Woods' record string of five straight wins in the exclusive 36-hole event for the winners of this year's four majors.

PGA champ Shaun Micheel finished 10 back at 145 and won $200,000. British Open champ Ben Curtis was another stroke behind and made $150,000. It was the first time in the event's 21-year history with all first-time major champions.

FATHER-SON: Bernhard Langer and 13-year-old son Stefan shot an 11-under 61 to take a one-stroke lead after the first round in Orlando.

Jack Nicklaus and Jack Nicklaus III were tied for second with Hale and Steve Irwin in the two-day scramble.

Arnold Palmer and grandson Sam Saunders were four strokes back after a 65.

Skiing

HERMINATOR WINS: Hermann Maier won a World Cup downhill at Beaver Creek, Colo., two years after a motorcycle accident that nearly cost him his leg.

Maier claimed his second victory of the season and 44th of his career to lead an Austrian sweep of the top three places.

SKELETON: Olympic champ Jimmy Shea finished 0.38 seconds behind Kristan Bromley at the World Cup race in Lake Placid, N.Y.