Owner Sells 75% of Cigar for Estimated $25 Million

Allen Paulson sold 75% of Cigar, his superstar racehorse, to Coolmore Farms of Ireland on Tuesday in a deal valued at about $25 million.

Cigar, who retired after he finished third in the Breeders’ Cup Classic last month, will stand at Ashford Stud, Coolmore’s American division adjacent to Paulson’s Brookside Farm in Versailles, Ky.

“I have a lot of good mares to put him to, and he’ll be right next door,” said Paulson, who earlier had turned down a $30 million offer for Cigar from Japanese interests.

The deal, contingent on Cigar’s passing a veterinary examination, is yet to be signed.

Tennis

Stefan Edberg, playing the final ATP tournament of a brilliant 14-year career that gave him singles titles in six Grand Slam events, lost to fellow Swede Nicklas Kulti in the first round of the Stockholm Open on Tuesday, 7-6 (7-5), 6-3.

He is expected to play his final competitive matches later this month when Sweden faces France in the Davis Cup final.

Third-seeded Jim Courier defeated Spain’s Javier Sanchez, 6-4, 6-3, in the Kremlin Cup tournament in Moscow.

Jurisprudence

Mike Cito, accused of playing football with a razor-sharp helmet buckle that injured opponents, hired attorney Michael Danoff to fight his expulsion from St. Pius X High School in Albuquerque, N.M. Game officials stopped the game Oct. 12 between St. Pius and Albuquerque Academy after Academy players were cut.

Basketball

Former UCLA and Laker standout Jamaal Wilkes was among the nominees for the Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield, Mass. Pete Carril, whose Princeton teams were sentimental NCAA tournament favorites, and John Thompson, who transformed Georgetown into one of college basketball’s top teams, were also nominated.

The NCAA has cleared Nebraska Coach Danny Nee of wrongdoing in claims of paying a recruiter to bring Nigerian star Osita Nwachukwu to Nebraska, the school said. But Nee was cited for two minor violations and was barred from off-campus recruiting for the first two days of recruiting in mid-March.

Names in the News

Augusto Arroyo Hernandez, administrator of a local soccer team, was detained in Guatemala City in connection with the stampede at a soccer stadium that left 84 people dead. He was in charge of ticket booths and gate personnel at the stadium. . . . Thomas Rongen, the 1996 Major League Soccer coach of the year with Tampa Bay, was hired to coach the New England Revolution. . . . Cal State Fullerton midfielder Joe DiGiarmarino has been selected for the U.S. under-20 national soccer team that will play in next year’s FIFA World Youth Championships in Malaysia. . . . Former world champion cyclist Lance Armstrong is out of the hospital after undergoing brain surgery and chemotherapy in Austin, Texas. Doctors have given Armstrong, 25, a 65%-85% chance for full recovery. . . . Veteran IMG negotiator Sean McManus will apparently replace David Kenin as president of CBS Sports and perhaps seek to regain the NFL as soon as IMG and CBS can agree on his start-up date. . . . Pitchers Roger Clemens and John Wetteland were among nine players filing for free agency. . . . Baseball owners rejected a 10-year deal with Nike sporting goods.