BRIEFLY.

Byline: Daily News Staff and Wire Services

Giacomo sidelined for rest of '05

Kentucky Derby winner Giacomo has a bone chip in his left front ankle and is likely sidelined for the rest of the year, trainer John Shirreffs said Friday.

The 3-year-old colt will have surgery at Hollywood Park next week.

``The prognosis is excellent,'' Shirreffs told the Associated Press.

He said he hopes Giacomo can return to racing by year's end or early in 2006, when he would race as a 4-year-old.

The injury was discovered when X-rays were taken Wednesday, after jockey Mike Smith said that Giacomo had displaced his palate and could not breathe properly during the Belmont Stakes on June 11. Giacomo finished seventh after fading in the stretch.

Shirreffs ordered the X-rays as part of a full checkup for Giacomo before he resumed training.

``It was a big surprise,'' Shirreffs said. ``I never expected to find a chip in the ankle. It was a little shock because we had planned on racing him later on in some of the 3-year-old races.''

Meanwhile, Frank Stronach said Thursday that he has bought a majority interest in the breeding rights of Giacomo, and the colt will stand at Stronach's Adena Springs Farm in Kentucky upon retirement.

COLLEGE: UCLA's Matt McKinney, who plays basketball and volleyball, has decided to quit both sports because of medical reasons, the school announced.

McKinney suffered from various injuries and a gastrointestinal disorder last year and was unable to play for much more than two-minute stretches in games.

McKinney is scheduled to graduate on the spring and will retain his scholarship, although it will not count against the basketball team. McKinney averaged 6.3 minutes per game and .6 points and 1.5 rebounds.

``It's been a very tough year for me going through so many different medical problems and having to fight through them,'' McKinney said. ``I've come to a decision, with my doctors and parents, to declare for medical retirement.''

- Jill Painter

TENNIS: Kim Clijsters beat defending champion Svetlana Kuznetsova 6-4, 3-6, 6-4 in the semifinals at Eastbourne, England.

In the final game, the seventh-seeded Belgian fought off three break points before closing out the match.

Clijsters will face unseeded Vera Douchevina in today's final. The Russian beat Roberta Vinci 2-6, 7-6 (8-6), 6-3.

-- Seventh-seeded Guillermo Canas and three-time quarterfinalist Sjeng Schalken pulled out of Wimbledon.

GOLF: Defending champion Sergio Garcia tops the entries for the Barclays Classic next week at Westchester Country Club, while U.S. Amateur champion Ryan Moore will make his professional debut in the tournament.

Players had until 5 p.m. EDT Friday to enter the event.

-- Lorena Ochoa had a 3-under 69 to surge past Becky Morgan and into the second-round lead at the Rochester LPGA in Pittsford, N.Y.

Ochoa, who began the day three shots behind Morgan, finished her round in a steady rain and was at 8-under 136.

HOCKEY: The NHL and its players' union wrapped up 28 hours of talks for the week, and plan to resume discussions Monday in Toronto in the hopes of ending the league's nine-month lockout.

``We resumed small group meetings with the league this week and spent the better part of four full days discussing a wide range of issues,'' players' association senior director Ted Saskin said in a statement. ``Further small group meetings are scheduled starting Monday in Toronto.''

The two sides met two days in Toronto and two in New York, marking the seventh straight week of discussions.

--The owners of the St. Louis Blues announced their plans to sell the franchise on Friday, citing tens of millions of dollars in losses.

Wal-Mart heirs Bill and Nancy Laurie decided to sell the NHL franchise because of heavy financial losses and concerns about the future after a lockout canceled the entire 2004-05 season.

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Photo:

MATT McKINNEY

UCLA athlete quits two sports due to various medical problems.