Trainer Nick Zito has the favorite for Belmont Stakes

For a change, Hall of Fame trainer Nick Zito has the favorite for the $1 million Belmont Stakes in New York.

A two-time Belmont winner with longshots Birdstone in 2004 and Da’ Tara in 2008, Zito has two of the three top choices for Saturday’s final leg of the Triple Crown: Ice Box is the 3-1 morning-line choice and his other starter, Fly Down, is the 9-2 third choice.

A field of 12 was entered Wednesday for a Belmont that will be run without Kentucky Derby winner Super Saver or Preakness winner Lookin At Lucky.

Florida Derby winner Ice Box staged a sensational rally to finish second in the Derby despite a trouble trip, and Fly Down was a six-length winner in the Dwyer Stakes at Belmont last month.

“Nick’s going to be tough to beat,� said trainer Kiaran McLaughlin, who will try with 10-1 choice Uptowncharlybrown.

Preakness runner-up First Dude is the 7-2 second choice.

Ice Box will leave from the No. 6 post and will be ridden by Jose Lezcano, with Fly Down and John Velazquez just inside at No. 5. First Dude, with Ramon Dominguez aboard, drew the No. 11 post.

The field from the rail out is Dave in Dixie (20-1), Spangled Star (30-1), Uptowncharlybrown (10-1), Make Music for Me (10-1), Fly Down (9-2), Ice Box (3-1), Drosselmeyer (12-1), Game On Dude (10-1), Stately Victor (15-1), Stay Put (20-1), First Dude (7-2), and Interactif (12-1).

SOCCER

Brazilian prosecutors said there were “strong indications� soccer star Adriano transferred a large sum of money to a notorious drug lord held responsible for the downing of a police helicopter last year.

State prosecutors said in an e-mailed statement that after taking a deposition from Adriano, they would now request that a judge give them permission to examine data from the player’s bank accounts and telephones.

“The Public Ministry considers extremely serious the facts that have made the player a suspect and there are strong indications that he has transferred money to the drug trafficker Fabiano Atanasio da Silva,� the prosecutor’s note read.

Officials are also looking into conspiracy to sell illegal drugs and the possession of unlawful weapons by organized crime groups as part of the investigation — though there was no indication Adriano was involved in those aspects of the case.

Adriano, one of the last cuts for Brazil’s World Cup team, has denied any wrongdoing. He did not speak to the press after talking with prosecutors.

Police say Silva — a leader of the Red Command drug gang — last October ordered his foot soldiers to overtake a rival gang’s territory in a nearby slum. As the gangs fought a wild shootout, a police helicopter hovering nearby was shot down and crashed in flames, killing three officers.

That ignited a gang war and saw some 2,000 police invading more than a dozen slums, often triggering shootouts that left at least 40 people dead in less than a week.

---

Fabio Capello signed a contract amendment to ensure he stays as England’s soccer coach until the 2012 European Championship.

The amendment removes an escape clause that could have let the Italian leave after the World Cup in South Africa.

---

Striker Humberto Suazo seems certain to miss Chile’s first match at the World Cup after suffering a hamstring injury. The team’s leading striker, Suazo picked up the injury in a friendly match against Israel on Sunday, in which he scored a goal. Medical reports released Wednesday said Suazo may need up to three weeks to recover.

ETC.

Lance Armstrong finished tied for fourth place in the Tour of Luxembourg prologue on Wednesday.

The seven-time Tour de France champion finished the 1.66-mile ride in 3 minutes, 51 seconds, according to the provisional results. Jimmy Engoulvent of France, who finished 10 seconds ahead Armstrong, took the race leader’s jersey.

Armstrong said he “felt pretty good� and added he was able to ride at “absolute power� when needed.

Armstrong, who is competing in his first race since crashing last month at the Tour of California, is using the five-day event as part of his Tour de France preparations.

---

The Toronto Raptors have hired veteran NBA coach P.J. Carlesimo as an assistant.

---

Tickets for the 2010 NHL Entry Draft, to be hosted by the Kings at Staples Center on June 25-26, will be available to the general public beginning Saturday at 10 a.m. A limited number of tickets, which are free of charge, can be downloaded and printed by visiting LAKings.com/nhldraft. A service charge of $1.25 per ticket will be charged and ticket limit is four per person. Each ticket is good for both days.

---

The Ducks signed defenseman Sheldon Brookbank to a two-year contract extension for $1.5 million. Brookbank, 29, played in 66 games this season, collecting nine assists, and had a plus-10 rating.

---

The U.S. Golf Assn. granted Vijay Singh an exemption to play in the U.S. Open in two weeks at Pebble Beach. Singh was scheduled to play in the 36-hole qualifier on Monday, a day after the final round of the Memorial tournament. The USGA cited Singh’s battle against several injuries in giving him the exemption.

---

Tulsa Shock guard Alexis Hornbuckle has been suspended for two games by the WNBA, a day after pleading guilty to a charge for driving while impaired by alcohol.

---

New England Patriots receiver Wes Welker is running pass routes again four months after knee surgery. The NFL’s receptions leader last season participated in the Patriots’ voluntary practice on Wednesday . He took part in agility drills, made cuts while running patterns and caught passes while wearing a brace on his left knee. Welker had surgery for a torn anterior cruciate ligament of that knee on Feb. 2 after being injured in the team’s final regular-season game.

---

St. Louis Rams free safety Oshiomogho Atogwe, the team’s top playmaker the last four seasons, has become an unrestricted free agent after failing to come to an agreement on a multiyear contract.

---

Heisman Trophy winner Ron Dayne says his Rose Bowl rings, a bracelet commemorating his selection as the top player in college football and other items worth more than $140,000 have been stolen.

The former University of Wisconsin and NFL running back said that his two bowl rings and other jewelry were stolen from his home in a Madison, Wis., suburb in April. Last weekend, an apartment in Madison where Dayne lived with a roommate was also burglarized, costing him the bracelet.

---

The IndyCar Series is drastically changing its engine strategy, opening up the process to a variety of manufacturers and configurations for the 2012 season. The new platform calls for the ethanol-fueled engines to be up to six cylinders, allow turbocharging and produce between 550 and 700 horsepower. Current engines are eight cylinders and Honda is the only manufacturer.

The changes were made based on recommendations by the ICONIC committee, which was created earlier this year to advise the series its 2012 chassis and engine packages. IndyCar Chief Executive Randy Bernard said the series plans to have a decision on its new chassis by June 30.