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

Amber Rolfzen credits the doughnuts.The Andes Mints ones from the new Hurts Donut in Lincoln, Nebraska.Her new ritual this fall is heading to Hurts when Nebraska has a home volleyball weekend and indulging. Its working, too, notes the espnW volleyball player of the week, who averaged 4.0 kills per set on .560 hitting in Nebraskas victories over No. 4 Wisconsin and No. 3 Minnesota over the weekend.Amber was just in the zone all weekend, Nebraska coach John Cook said. She made it look easy.After fueling up on Andes Mints doughnuts or occasionally the peanut butter cup ones, and sometimes adding in the Nutella kind, Rolfzen insists she plays better.I actually didnt go the morning of the Ohio State match, Amber said, her voice trailing off about the one hiccup the Cornhuskers suffered in 2016.A year ago just about to the day, the times werent so sweet. Last Oct. 23 and 24, Nebraska fell to Minnesota and Wisconsin, respectively, at home.I remember everything, Rolfzen said. We didnt play very well against Minnesota and figured we had a chance to come back against Wisconsin, and the same thing happened. We had probably an hour and a half talk in the locker room. From there, we regrouped, refocused.And never lost again in 2015. Nebraska won its fourth national title and, at 9-1 this year in the Big Ten, is alongside Penn State at the top of the conference.Cook said that during the first half of last season Rolfzens stats were average in the Big Ten, but now the middle blocker puts up an outstanding line in the nations toughest conference.I trust myself and the reads I have every time, Rolfzen said.Top-ranked Nebraska (18-1) left no doubt vs. the Badgers, sweeping them behind a career-high 16 kills and .609 hitting from Rolfzen. It was the Cornhuskers third straight sweep of a top-five opponent.We definitely outserved them, Rolfzen said. They werent in system very often. When a team isnt in system that often, theyre easy to read and to defend. We served really well, and that allowed the blockers to get in really good position and the setters to get in good position.Sundays match against Minnesota wasnt as easy -- Nebraska needed all five sets, with Rolfzen contributing 16 kills again to go with six blocks. The senior was also named Big Ten Player of the Week, an award her twin sister, Kadie, won last week. Kadie also plays at Nebraska.Minnesota ran a fast offense, probably the fastest well see all year, Amber Rolfzen said. We adjusted to that and we did everything well, just like Friday. Staying calm the entire weekend, I think, got us the two wins.As good as the Cornhuskers are, Rolfzen knows that taking a night off in the Big Ten isnt an option. Nebraska hosts Illinois and Northwestern this weekend, will play Minnesota on the road, and still has two games against Penn State, the first on Nov. 4.This is the highest level of any team Ive ever played on, Rolfzen said. We know what it takes to win the national championship. 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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 committeee 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.dddddddddddd 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. 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