LOS ANGELES - Californians have always loved their Thoroughbred stars, but no horse in many years has excited them as Zenyatta has. They will roar for her at Hollywood Park on Saturday, when she makes her final appearance in her home state and tries to win her 19th consecutive race.

INGLEWOOD, Calif. – God-like creatures that they were, at least to New York baseball fans, Mickey Mantle and Willie Mays faced off in only one World Series during their careers in the city, in 1951, when both were rookies. As showdowns go, it was hardly the stuff of drama. The Yankees won in six. Mays had four hits for the Giants, and Mantle blew his knee chasing a fly ball hit by Mays part way through Game 2.

Jerry Fanning has been prowling the old precinct the last few weeks, training his handful of runners at Fairplex Park, where only Mel Stute has won more races. Fanning would have been at Santa Anita, up there in the same barn he has occupied since horses like Terlago, Desert Wine, and Little Reb roamed the land. But Santa Anita was pulled out from under Fanning and the other original settlers this fall – in anticipation of the removal of the synthetic main track – leaving them to fend for themselves in places like Inglewood and Pomona.

NEW YORK – While many people might consider the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe to be the most important race in the world, next Sunday’s 91st running at Longchamp cannot be mistaken for a first-class edition. The retirement of Harbinger, the 11-length winner of the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes, struck the Arc a heavy blow, as did the flopperoo pulled by seven-length Epsom Derby winner Workforce in the same race.

Now before the court of public opinion are the trials and tribulations of California-based jockey Christian Santiago Reyes, who has made headlines in connection with an alleged tampering with the weight he was supposed to be carrying during a race at Hollywood Park last June.

LAS VEGAS – If you listened to the NFL recap shows last Sunday and Monday – or to talk radio during the week – I’m sure you heard the annual discussion about how unlikely it is for teams that start 0-2 to make the playoffs. And if you missed it then, you’re sure to hear it again this weekend as teams prepare to play their third games.

The conversation goes something like this: “Since the NFL went to its current playoff format in 1990, out of 169 teams to start the season 0-2, only 22 – or 13 percent – have made the playoffs.”

It was business as usual this week at the Noble Threewitt Health Clinic at Santa Anita Park, where the men and women who work in the racetrack stables of Southern California can bring their families to receive the kind of bedrock medical care expected of a civilized society.

TUCSON, Ariz. – A strong new moderated voice of reason was heard in recent days in the bitter north-south debate on racing in New Jersey, and hopefully both it and an eloquent plea to Gov. Chris Christie from Sweden will receive consideration.

The New Jersey voice was that of Raymond Bateman, who like Jon Hanson, the author of the harsh report that triggered this battle, is a former chairman of the New Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority. He also is a past president of the New Jersey Senate.

It will be another week before the New York Yankees descend upon Toronto to torture the Blue Jays. But just to get things going, in the spirit of in-your-face Yankee pride, two guys wearing those annoying “NY” caps are prowling the vast Woodbine acreage this weekend, intent on taking home most of the money on Sunday in the $1 million Woodbine Mile.

They gathered in the room of Michael Martinez last Tuesday at Highland Hospital in Oakland, some 10 or 20 strong and a whole lot more than the two visitors a patient in his condition is normally allowed. Darrell Haire, the West Coast field man for the Jockeys Guild and a witness to the scene, looked around and saw nothing but fellow jockeys, grooms, exercise boys, and their families, come to give comfort at a very bad time.