INGLEWOOD, Calif. - The election of Kent Desormeaux to the Hall of Fame sends a refreshing breeze through an otherwise dark season of news from the jockeys' room.

INGLEWOOD, Calif. - John Servis did something last Friday that took more guts than all the Kentucky Derbies in the world. He taped a segment of the National Public Radio show called "Wait Wait . . . Don't Tell Me!" And he was an absolute star.

NEW YORK - Surf on over to www.ebay.com, and you will quickly come to two conclusions: It's a Smarty Jones world, and we have become a nation of trash-picking scavengers.

INGLEWOOD, Calif. - Now that it has been proven beyond a shadow of a doubt that lightning can strike anytime and anywhere, a race like Sunday's $75,000 Willard Proctor Stakes at Hollywood Park might deserve more than just the usual glance.

Blame it on Seabiscuit, Funny Cide, and Smarty Jones. Especially Smarty Jones.

Roy and Pat Chapman, who bred and own the Derby and Preakness champ, describe their operation as "strictly ham and eggs." For years and years, they flew so low that radar was never an issue. Then came Smarty Jones, and Katie Couric followed.

NEW YORK - There is a very good chance that Smarty Jones will win the Belmont Stakes and become racing's first Triple Crown winner in 26 years. He is a terrific racehorse, he is getting better with every start, he has been flawlessly handled, his Preakness was an outstanding performance, and there's no rival on the horizon who appears capable of beating him if he runs that race again.

None of which means that you're obligated to bet on him June 5, or that you are an evildoer or dimwit if you choose to play against him.

INGLEWOOD, Calif. - Pat Valenzuela testified Tuesday at Hollywood Park that he violated his drug-testing agreement with the California Horse Racing Board because he was "depressed" and "in a dark place" as a result of a combination of factors that included a marriage "going south on me" and the side effects of a prescribed medication "taking its toll."

TUCSON, Ariz. - What happened to Thoroughbred racing last Saturday afternoon in Baltimore was cataclysmic, so far-reaching that it can impact the sport for years to come.

Only providence could produce a seismic sequence that in two years brought forth a book, a movie, a fairy tale, and finally racing's own Greek drama, a script so bounteously creative that writers would not have dared to offer it for fear of ridicule.

BALTIMORE - The skeptics are silenced. Knowledgeable fans are convinced. Rival trainers and jockeys are agog. All can jump on the Smarty Jones bandwagon now. His Preakness victory was one of the most convincing performances by a 3-year-old in years.

Smarty Jones's 11 1/2-length triumph sets him apart from other horses who have come this far and been in a position to complete a historic sweep of the Triple Crown. Yes, there was just as much hype for Funny Cide last year, and plenty

BALTIMORE - The stars have aligned. All the signs are in place. Greatness has come to visit the racing game - this time in a deceptively plain package - and the game had better be ready for the ride.

Forget for a moment that Smarty Jones already has penetrated the upper reaches of media exposure. Let's face it . . . it's not really that hard to get on TV anymore (Omarosa, your time is up), and celebrities these days come cheaper by the Hilton.

The vast majority of people involved in racing are softies when it comes to animals and genuinely dedicated to their health and welfare. Many generously support charitable organizations that do noble work on behalf of four-legged runners of various breeds.