n who are up early every single day, we are thankful. Were also thankful for all of the T

Andy Murrays rise to the top of the rankings this fall has been a surprising tale containing numerous improbable elements. So its hardly shocking to discover that in his own eyes, not playing has had as much to do with Murrays spectacular results as his exploits on the court.Ive managed my rest and recovery periods much better, Murray told ESPNs Darren Cahill on Friday, following Murrays tidy, 6-4, 6-2 win against Stan Wawrinka in the final round of round-robin play in the ATP World Tour Finals. In the past, after a tournament or a loss, I would get right back out there on the court to play, or to practice.Its different now. After Murray won the Paris Masters 1000, he explained he resisted the impulse to pick up a racket for four days during the week before the World Tour Finals. He also laid aside his sticks for a week after he won the Shanghai Masters. It could not have been an easy decision for Murray to take, because he owes a great deal of his success to his work ethic.Murray has a well-earned reputation as a workaholic. If youve known anyone like that, you know how much comfort they take in the sheer act of working. How secure it makes them feel. But what if the work isnt paying off, or its become just a hedge against feeling inadequate?Changing his work habits could not have been an easy decision for Murray to make. But he took the plunge. The successful result is further proof of Murrays reputation as a man who has left no stone unturned in his quest for greatness. In having the confidence and poise to try that somewhat counter-intuitive change, the 29-year-old Scot set himself up to equal the best winning streak of his career (22 matches) with this win over Wawrinka. More importantly, Murray positioned himself for a showdown with Novak Djokovic this weekend for the year-end No. 1 ranking.I feel good, Murray said, despite a season workload that has produced a 76-9 singles record and eight titles. Obviously, Ive played a lot, but my body is just conditioned to matches.Murrays mind is similarly steeled to the task at hand. It can be dispiriting to be frowned upon by the gods of the draw while a rival seems to get a path to a semi or final as slick as a luge run. This week, the seemingly smooth ride was offered to Djokovic, whose cumulative record against the three other men in his round-robin portion was a perfect 23-0.That might have been especially discouraging for Murray, because of his already mediocre record at the O2 Arena coming in. Despite having nine previous chances to crack the World Tour Finals code, he was just 11-11 -- and never a finalist. His own draw this year was brutal: Murray was 27-12 against Marin Cilic, Kei Nishikori and Wawrinka.But Murray did more than survive; he flourished. He made a powerful statement in locking down the three Ws in round-robin play this year, because hes also been forced to march in lockstep with Djokovic all the way. Whoever does better in this tournament will take that grand prize, the top ranking.Murrays win against Wawrinka was deft, swift and critical. He accomplished it in 1 hour, 25 minutes, avoiding the kind of knockdown, drag-out battle he survived with Nishikori in the second round. It means Murray, who unlike Djokovic will not get a day off before the semifinals, ought to recover more easily and have sufficient spring in his legs.Murray is entitled to feel like hes gotten over the hump, even though his job is far from finished. He seems to have come to grips with the pressure he faces from his fellow British countrymen annually at the O2 arena. He also has a right to feel hes got the upper hand on his three potential rivals, starting with Saturdays semifinal opponent, Milos Raonic.If Murrays success makes Djokovic slightly uneasy or makes him wish he were better prepared for the semifinals, its an earned bonus.Murray was a juggernaut entering this event, and he remains one just two matches from its conclusion. On Friday, Murray broke a string during the first point of the final game. He played on, hitting three slice backhands, a lob and a slice approach before Wawrinka ended the point with a passing-shot winner. Its almost unheard of for a player to construct such a point through so many shots with a racket thats essentially unraveling in his hand.But thats the kind of year Murray has had, and its difficult not to read the incident as an omen.Harrison Bader Jersey . The team said Saturday that Lopez was hurt during its 121-120 overtime loss at Philadelphia on Friday. The Nets said they would issue another update next week after consultation with their doctors. Brett Cecil Jersey . R.J. Umberger scored twice to lead the Blue Jackets to a franchise-record for consecutive wins with a 5-3 victory Tuesday night over the Los Angeles Kings. https://www.cheapcardinalsonline.com/1044t-albert-pujols-jersey-cardinals.html . -- Tony Stewart is 20 pounds lighter and has a titanium rod in his surgically repaired right leg. St. Louis Cardinals Pro Shop . Already owning gold from competition in Vancouver in 2010, Loch posted a combined four-run time of 3:27.526. That included a track-record third run of 51. Albert Pujols Cardinals Jersey . - NASCAR announced a 33-race schedule for the 2014 Nationwide Series with virtually no changes from this years slate.Coming off of a historic year for racing in 2015, it was going to be hard for 2016 to live up to what we experienced last year. But somehow, 2016 managed to not only keep the momentum of last year going, it built upon the energy generated by American Pharoahs magical Triple Crown and Breeders Cup sweep.This year saw the making of new stars and the reinforcement of the legendary status of others. On this Thanksgiving week, lets take a look back at what we were most thankful for in racing this year.Emergence of New StarsEach year brings with it the excitement of a fresh 3-year-old crop and anticipation over whether any of the contenders has what it takes to make a serious Triple Crown bid. Although Nyquist dominated his division earlier in the year, he couldnt maintain it later in the year as new stars emerged; tops among them was Breeders Cup Classic winner Arrogate.Arrogate became the story in racing for the second half of the year after running down potential Horse of the Year California Chrome. But even before that, Arrogate put up a performance for the ages in the Travers Stakes at Saratoga. Hard-pressed throughout the early stages of the race, Arrogate was still able to kick clear to a 13-1/2-length victory while smashing the track record.Other emerging stars who showed flashes of greatness in 2016 were Sentient Jet Breeders Cup Juvenile hero Classic Empire and Bob Bafferts new sprinting star Drefong. We were thankful to watch them break out this year and eagerly await whats in store for them in 2017.Miracle of Lady EliPerfection. Thats what Lady Eli stood for through the first six races of her career, from late 2014 to July 4 of last year when she cruised to victory in the Belmont Oaks. Sadly, following that race she stepped on a nail and developed laminitis in both of her front feet. The disease could have ended her life, ignoring entirely what it might have meant for a racing career that started with so much promise.As 2016 progressed, word spread that Lady Eli was making a miraculous recovery and was doing well as she trained for an improbable return to the races. In late August, Lady Eli did indeed come back and bravely battled to a second-place finish in the Ballston Spa at Saratoga. If that wasnt remarkable enough, the filly returned in October to win the Flower Bowl at Belmont. She capped off her return run with another impressive second-place finish in the Breeders Cup Filly and Mare Turf.We were thankful just to see Lady Eli make it through her battle away from the track. In a lot of ways, her race results didnt even matter. Yet the fact that she returned and excelled only made her story more incredible.Consistency of ChromeWith the aforementioned retirement of American Pharoah, racing fans were desperate for a star to stand by in 2016 -- they found it in California Chrome. While some dismissed Chromes 2014 Kentucky Derby and Preakness run as a fluke (given his extremely modest pedigree), the California-bred chestnut already had a large following of Chromies behind him before he even raced this year. Once he hit the track, he gave his faithful fans even more to cheer about.Chrome wwas nearly perfect in 2016.dddddddddddd. After winning the San Pasqual Stakes at Santa Anita in January, he cruised to victory next out in a handicap in Dubai and then capped off the early part of his year with a dominant performance in the Dubai World Cup. After a four-month break, Chrome came back as sharp as ever, winning three more races highlighted by a five-length win over Beholder in the Pacific Classic.California Chrome took our breath away, time and time again, in 2016 -- and were thankful for it.Battle for the AgesGoing into the Breeders Cup Distaff, the level of hype was immeasurable for the anticipated showdown of then-undefeated champion filly Songbird and the three-time champion older mare Beholder. Although it was unimaginable when they entered the gate for the Distaff, the race managed to somehow exceed expectations.Songbird, facing older and battle-tested horses, continued to make it look easy as she glided to the lead right from the break. With her mind-boggling high cruising speed, there was no one who could, or perhaps even wanted to, keep up with her. When Beholder was asked to run down Songbird, she tried, and then she tried some more. Eventually, Beholders class was on full display as she caught up with her younger foe. From there, the battle to the wire was nothing short of epic.The only shame, from a storytelling perspective, was that the race didnt end in a dead heat -- it might have perhaps symbolized the truest of torch-passings from Beholder to Songbird. Still, there was nothing that could be taken away from Songbird, and there was something quite special about seeing a mare like Beholder go out on top in her final career race.While were talking fillies and mares, lets not forget the incredible performances posted by other ladies this year, including Tepin, Catch a Glimpse, Miss Temple City and Cavorting, to name a few.The People StoriesWhile these sometimes get lost, we are ever grateful for the people who put on the show and who make the incredible sport of racing run. From the backstretch workers to the racetrack employees and outriders to the jockeys and horsemen who are up early every single day, we are thankful. Were also thankful for all of the Thoroughbred aftercare organizations who make sure that so many horses have a place to live and a purpose once their careers on the track come to an end.From jockey Anne Von Rosens recovery from a severe riding accident to Simon Brays courageous battle with multiple myeloma, there are so many others who amazed, astonished and overcame in 2016. We are thankful for them and for all of the people who give everything they have to put on the best show possible on daily basis. Were thankful for the horse bettors, those who keep us fashionably aware and those who know how to make the most of a day at the races. We certainly enjoyed many unforgettable race days in 2016 -- and theres still some time left in the year to make some more memories.For more stories like this check out Americas Best Racing. ' ' '