Question

Deputed Testamony is 32-years-old. His dark brown coat is shaggy, and his biggest excitement is going into his paddock at Bonita Farm for three or four hours of grazing each day. He is a pensioner, an icon. The oldest living winner of a Triple Crown race. But when Billy Boniface looks at the horse in his paddock, he sees the striking colt that was born and trained at the family farm and raced to victory in the 1983 Preakness - the last horse bred or trained in Maryland to do so. "Oh my gosh, I still get goose bumps when I look at him and remember that day," said Boniface, who was 18 then and had just taken over the breeding operation at the farm.

Although a Charlottesville, Va., jury found one man - athlete George Huguely V - criminally responsible for the beating death of Yeardley Love, his former girlfriend and fellow lacrosse player at the University of Virginia, the young woman's mother wants to hold his coaches culpable, too. Sharon Love, of Cockeysville, filed a $29.5 million civil suit this month against the state of Virginia, which operates the university; the school's athletic...

I cannot believe the diatribes and articles on U.S. Rep.-elect Andy Harris asking when his health coverage starts. This is a common question and concern of working, insured Americans. We ask, maybe even suggest the company change policy, then we go buy an interim policy so we are covered for the period in question. It is a common sense question and of concern of most of us, albeit not with progressives who can't be bothered by details or facts. Why not the same coverage on the following: •The president's failed trip to Asia where many nations were disappointed with his failed economic policies; •The president's abject failure to live up to a Nobel Peace Prize, which he should have rejected in the first place and told the Norwegians to give him after he proved himself; •Allowing the Congress to not pass a 2011 budget.

Occasionally my nearly-4-year-old son catches me flat-footed with unintentionally loaded questions. Especially right now, when his brain is going a mile a minute, and he wants explanations for just about everything he can think of. Yesterday morning was just another example. I told him we could go downstairs as soon as I got my makeup on. He wandered into the bathroom, looked up at me and said, “Mommy, what's makeup for?” My brain clogged with too many possible answers.

One of the best reasons to avoid question headlines: They invite mischief. A Baltimore Twitter account tweeted a link to a website with this unconvincing come-on: “Do you want to know the 3 types of commercial landlords?” I RT'd, asking, “Venal, negligent, and predatory?”

I strongly disagree with Dan Rodricks ' column on pit bulls ("Pit bulls: Own at your risk," May 1). I am a dog lover and I know all dogs are not dangerous. Dog owners have to know how to train their dogs appropriately. The dog is a follower; it follows its owner and what he/she tells the dog what to do. Dogs are innocent, people are guilty! I'll be so glad and appreciate if Mr. Rodricks changes his mind. Kayla Waters, Lannon, Wis.

For all intents and purposes, the story of the Plaza Residences was finished a long time ago, but the state's highest court has written a disappointing epilogue. The Plaza was to be a 22-story condo building in Columbia's Town Center. Supporters of the project hailed its potential for energizing the local economy and broadening the county's tax base. Opponents argued it would overwhelm roads, schools and the sewers and would constitute a lakefront eyesore. The economic nosedive of three years ago and the troubles of the developer, WCI Communities, effectively ended the debate.

$46,542. That's a salary that could relieve the anxiety and desperation of a lot of people in this economy, in this city, who can't find work, can't afford medical care, can't hold on to their homes. A thousand checks at $46,542 each could indeed do a great deal of good for a great number of folks. Gov. Martin O'Malley, however, is delighted to take those thousand checks, each at $46,542, and buy 1,000 gambling machines that themselves so often become instruments of despair.

Your editorial about the confusion that occurs at intersections when a traffic signal is not working because of a power outage brought to mind an interesting question ("Mixed signals," Sept. 1): Why is it more dangerous to proceed through a red light after stopping than to go through a stop sign after stopping? Why is my judgment trusted to turn "right on red," but not trusted to go straight ahead or turn to the left? Since stop signals were adopted not to hold up traffic but to enable cross traffic to proceed, is there ever any purpose in waiting for the light to turn green when no other traffic is in sight?

The tornado devastation in the South is just heartbreaking. So many or our neighbors have lost their lives and are now homeless. This is a time in which we as a nation need to reach out and do all that we can. But where would these neighbors be without the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and other government organizations that exist to help in emergencies? Yet those who constantly talk about the need for small government hold to the philosophy that we each need to solve our own problems without government intervention.

As if robocalls didn't have a bad enough reputation in the world of Baltimore media and politics thanks to consultant Julius Henson's activity in the last gubernatorial election, along comes WBFF (Channel 45) Monday night with its own questionable computer-generated calls into hundreds of thousands on Maryland homes. And the calls continued Tuesday. I received one at my home in Baltimore City both days. Racquel Guillory, director of communications for Gov. Martin O'Malley, also received one at home in Howard County Monday night around dinnertime.

From contract negotiations with quarterback Joe Flacco and running back Ray Rice to a potentially season-ending Achilles injury to star linebacker Terrell Suggs to coach John Harbaugh 's comments on the New England Patriots to mercurial safety Ed Reed 's controversial radio interviews, the Ravens have made plenty of off-the-field news this offseason. However, the focus turns to on-the-field issues this week as many of the organization's veterans and rookies are at the Owings Mills facility this week for the three-day organized team activities.

BETHESDA - A victory at the Arnold Palmer Invitational in March seemed to signal Tiger Woods' return to a short list of the world's best golfers. His five-shot win was reminiscent of what Woods had done for more than a decade - right down to the signature fist pump. That victory - his first in 2 ½ years on the PGA Tour and his 72nd overall - seems almost as distant as his last major championship, nearly four years ago at theU.S. Open. The win has been quickly overshadowed by what has been the worst three-tournament stretch of Woods' legendary career.

Sam Grossman's fifth year as official bugler for the Preakness is one he'll never forget. Neither will his new fiancee, Valerie Moore, to whom he proposed between bugling duties for the fifth and the sixth races on Saturday. Even though the Long Island, N.Y., resident has been the bugler at his state's three racetracks — Belmont, Aqueduct and Saratoga — 250 days a year for the past 20 years, he had a big reason for popping the question the one day each year he musically introduces races at Pimlico.

What time is the Preakness Stakes run? At about 6:20 p.m. How long does it last? Usually 2-3 minutes. How much are Preakness tickets? InfieldFest tickets are $60; Mug Club is an extra $20. Other ticket prices vary. Call 410-542-9400 or go to preakness.com. What is Pimlico's address? 5201 Park Heights Ave. in Baltimore What time does Pimlico open? Gates open at 8 a.m. Saturday for the infield, Top of the Strech and the facility; 10 a.m. for the Village and Turfside Terrace.

What you see is what you get with Kegasus, the spokeshorse-man of Preakness. He's a party guy on top, a horse who also likes to party on bottom and a Henry James scholar. So, that last part we made up, but we've always wanted to learn more about the legend. Though we were slightly afraid to get awkward with anyone who is horse-ish (the animals do seem angry and overly muscly, after all), we manned up as much as a non-crossbreed animal can to get to the bottom of Kegasus' innermost thoughts - and find out what the deal is between him and sidekick UniCarl.

Yankees lost ground Mandy Housenick The Morning Call Of the 2009 playoff teams, the World Series champion Yankees have the most questions, especially considering how well the hated Red Sox did in the offseason (acquiring John Lackey, Adrian Beltre and Mike Cameron). The Yankees lost Johnny Damon and now field an outfield of Curtis Granderson, coming off his worst season; erratic Nick Swisher; and either untested Brett Gardner or aging Randy Winn. They have a soon-to-be 38-year-old Andy Pettitte, a soon-to-be 34-year-old Javier Vazquez (who flamed out in his previous Bronx stint)

Who was Papa Moore's muse in creating his version of St. Nick? Send your answer to us by fax to 410-783-2519; by e-mail to sun.features. Check www.niesun.com tomorrw for stance questions related to Just for Kids stories.

Doug O'Neill took a seat under a small awning, in front of cameras and reporters Wednesday morning. After a week and a half of passing time chatting with the few stragglers who came by his barn, it was time for the Kentucky Derby winning trainer to face the horde in town for Saturday's Preakness. He took questions on his record - he's had a history of horses breaking down, and has been charged four times with “milkshaking” a horse - and was asked again about how his colt, I'll Have Another, will do this time around against Bodemeister, the runner-up at Derby.

Tattoos aren't just for outlaws anymore. Maybe they never were, but for years, popular culture suggested otherwise. Just think of the movies: Robert Mitchum's homicidal preacher in "The Night of the Hunter," with "Love" and "Hate" tattooed on his knuckles; Robert De Niro's vengeance-crazed ex-con in "Cape Fear," his torso covered in soulless ink; or Ralph Fiennes' serial killer, Dolarhyde, in "Red Dragon," his back emblazoned with an elaborate, and...