Halo

By air, it takes nearly 24 hours to travel to the Philippines from Baltimore, but yesterday, with a quick drive to Towson, you could feel "almost there." Filipino dishes including pancit, dinuguan and lumpia shangia were being sold at vendors' booths, a bamboo dance called Tinikling was performed, and about four dozen children participated in Santacruzan, a commemoration of the finding of the Holy Cross. It was all part of the 14th annual Philippine-American Festival, which was held at Courthouse Plaza and featured events unmistakably Filipino including an Ati-Atihan parade, which resembles Mardi Gras, and Lolo at Lola, a dance performance by elders.

WASHINGTON - Scientists say they have found new evidence that spiral galaxies such as our own Milky Way are surrounded by halos of hot gas fed by bubbles and fountains of exhaust from stellar explosions. Over millions of years, the gas cools and rains back down into the galaxy, providing the raw material for the next cycle of star birth. The findings, reported this week to the annual meeting of the American Astronomical Society, were based on data gathered by the orbiting Far Ultraviolet Spectroscopic Explorer telescope, known as FUSE, built and operated for NASA by the Johns Hopkins University.

As a child, Maxine Kumin memorized lines, stanzas, poems written by her favorite poets. As a professor, she demanded that her graduate students memorize 30 lines of verse each week during the semester. "I'm doing you a favor," she'd answer when they protested. "I'm giving you an internal library to draw on when you are taken political prisoner." Much later, as she lay captive, immobilized not by politics but by a spinal cord injury, she remembered her joking remark as she turned to her own internal storehouse of poetry for strength and solace.

Today: The first three finishers in last year's Find Handicap are among the dozen registered Maryland-breds entered in the 23rd running. The 1 1/8 -mile turf affair, for 3-year-olds and up, is worth $75,000. Cynics Beware was an 8-to-1 shot when finishing a nose in front of Hardy's Halo, the 3-to-2 favorite, in last year's event. Private Slip was third. And since the Two Rivers Farm color-bearer is still seeking his first win in three starts this year, Cynics Beware could wind up a bargain in the wagering once again.

A stumbling debut caught the eye of Phil Rizzo, and now he has a ticket to Florida.After watching 2-year-old colt Scottish Halo nearly fall to the ground and still win in his August debut at Saratoga, Rizzo persuaded owner John Oxley to make a strong offer to Patrick Byrne.Since that day, Rizzo has guided Scottish Halo to a pair of stakes wins, including yesterday's $100,000 Laurel Futurity. He failed to reveal the offer, but said he is optimistic that Scottish Halo can take him to Florida for the series of 3-year-old races that lead to the Kentucky Derby.

Thunder Flash prevailed over Harry's Halo in the quarter-mile dash for home and won the $50,000 Japan Racing Association Handicap yesterday at Laurel Park.Thunder Flash beat a field of six, covering 1 1/4 miles in 2 minutes, 5 seconds. Originally scheduled for the turf, the race was contested over a fast main track because of soft conditions in the infield.The winner, trained by Tim Ritchey, a Delaware-based conditioner, paid $4.80 as favorite and topped a 5-2 exacta of $7.80.Mario Pino was aboard the chestnut colt for the first time.

Have you herd? Recently some students created a mooooving piece of art -- and got a confidence boost to boot. Four teens at the Lawrence Hall Youth Services' Therapeutic Day School in Chicago got to design, construct and paint a divine bovine sculpture that is one of many large structures hanging out throughout their city. The creation is called Angel Cow. The white-robed cow has a halo and multi-colored wings. "We all pulled it together somehow," said Joseph, 16, one of the artists. "Everybody is good at something else.

After rising to the top of his class as a 2-year-old, Millions flunked his first test at 3 yesterday at Laurel Park, finishing seventh as the 1-5 favorite in the $50,000 Private Terms Stakes.Harry's Halo, a 24-1 long shot trained by Grover G. "Bud" Delp, edged the 9-1 Seven Pipers by a head. Millions was nowhere near the photo finish, galloping home 13 1/2 lengths behind the winner.Leon Blusiewicz, the East Baltimore native who trains Millions, said the colt might have bled from the lungs.

Friend's Choice Farm's Halo's Security scooted through a narrow gap between the pacesetter to her left and a wall of horses to her right and won the 31st running of the seven-furlong, $60,000-added Conniver Stakes for registered Maryland-bred fillies and mares yesterday at Laurel Park.Halo's Security crossed under the wire in 1: 24 2/5, a length and a half in front over a fast surface. She paid $10.60 to win.Maragold Princess, who also muscled her way through traffic, edged Proud Run for the place.

Halo's Security, from Friend Choice Farm, broke alertly, backed off to let Harvey Tenenbaum's Mindy Gale burn a path down the backside, then rallied to register a convincing victory in the seven-furlong $50,000 Stefanita Stakes for fillies and mares yesterday at Laurel Park.The chestnut daughter of Hay Halo crossed under the finish line in 1 minute, 24 1/5 seconds, half a length better than Mindy Gale, who beat Belle De Soleil by an additional three lengths. Halo's Security paid $10.40 to win and topped an 8-1 exacta of $77.20.