Sure Thing Of The Week

THE YEAR'S biggest horse racing story has had little to do with actual horse racing: Handicappers and nonrailbirds alike have been transfixed by Barbaro's recovery from the gruesome leg injury he suffered at the Preakness. (After surgery to repair a shattered leg and an ensuing case of laminitis, the Kentucky Derby winner is recovering nicely at a hospital in Pennsylvania.) Meanwhile, the horse whose Preakness victory was overshadowed by Barbaro (above) is on one of the most impressive runs the sport has seen. Bernardini (left) has won his three starts since the Preakness handily, and he'll enter Saturday's 1�-mile Breeders' Cup Classic as the heavy favorite. His toughest opponent will be Lava Man, but that California colt will probably fade in the long Churchill Downs stretch. Bernardini should clinch Horse of the Year honors and, finally, a share of the spotlight that has shone on Barbaro.