Stretch

Only a classic stretch duel between Jack's Gold and Wind Quest in the $55,300 Honor Guard Stakes yesterday could breathe some life into a rather uneventful Memorial Day racing card at Pimlico.Jack's Gold roared past Wind Quest late in the stretch and scored a three-quarter-length victory in the featured 10th race over 1 1/8 miles on turf that only had five entries.Farwell Look, La Reine's Terms and Essential were all scratched, leaving Jack's Gold a 1.30-1 favorite and Wind Quest a 7-1 choice.

Drivers who were hoping to shave commuting time this month on a new, four-lane Route 32 from Clarksville to Pindell School Road-Cedar Lane will have to wait at least until January.The State Highway Administration had planned to open the 2.4-mile stretch of freeway Dec. 11. But since October, "the weather has played havoc" and caused construction delays, said Gene Straub, acting district engineer for SHA.The tentative opening of the $55 million project is set for the week of Jan. 22, Mr. Straub said.

You know how Mom always made you eat your vegetables? I can't help wishing she was around to stop the members of Single Carrot Theatre from slipping their broccoli under the table to the dog. Baltimore's semiprofessional troupe of twentysomethings is talented and ambitious, but its members tend to eschew the meat-and-potatoes shows within their range in favor of caloric, less nutritious fare. Take this production of Killer Joe. Tracy Letts' black comedy about Texas trailer park denizens who hire a hit man to murder a family member is a terrific play, but it poses challenges currently beyond the Carrots' abilities.

The playoff picture is much clearer now. The Orioles are all but assured a place in this year's postseason tournament. So are the Atlanta Braves and the New York Yankees and, apparently, even the never-been-close Florida Marlins. But a lot can happen in September.The 1951 Brooklyn Dodgers thought they had it all wrapped up and everyone knows what happened to them. The 1995 California Angels folded so badly in September that they only now are returning to respectability.No such doomsday scenario seems likely in 1997, but there still are some pressing questions waiting to be answered as baseball heads into the final month of regular-season play:Will the Orioles hold off the Yankees and win their first American League East title since 1983?

It was 10 years ago -- right here in Charm City -- that a baseball team of little repute proved that hope and desire can be a currency more valuable than the big money that usually controls professional sports.The "Why Not?" Orioles didn't reach the postseason, but they turned the September stretch into something strange and wonderful by transcending the limits of their questionable talent.That appears to be happening again this year in Oakland, another city of deflated baseball expectations that is flirting with an October surprise.

As temperatures continue to drop, it becomes even more important to warm up properly before your workout and stretch adequately after. Maintaining your flexibility is a key component of injury prevention.A proper warm-up lasts from five to 10 minutes and should include gentle movements that gradually raise your heart rate and resemble the movements you will be doing more vigorously later on.When your workout is complete, your cool-down should include plenty of stretching. However, poor technique can actually leave you stretching the wrong muscles -- and straining to do so.The following tips will help you reap the maximum benefits from your flexibility exercises.

WITHIN THE PAST two weeks, two deaths on Interstate 97 in Anne Arundel County might have been averted if the median strip had metal guardrails or Jersey barriers. The fatalities occurred when speeding, out-of-control cars crossed the grassy median and hit oncoming traffic.State highway officials, who are aware of the problem, need to act as quickly as possible to prevent another tragedy.In the most recent accident, an Annapolis motorist, headed south during Wednesday evening's rush hour, lost control of her car, crossed the median and ran head-on into a tractor-trailer.

NEW YORK - It ends tonight. The stretch of games that could have been merciless, that could have devoured them and spit pieces of a broken team, finally ends tonight. The Orioles will make it out with all their limbs intact. Their arms can be raised, their feet can dance. Not only were they competitive, they were largely successful. They can do no worse than split the 16 consecutive games against playoff teams, which included an ominous West Coast trip and an extended series on the sacred grounds of Yankee Stadium.

Rather than preoccupy himself with the weighty reality that the Washington Redskins likely must win their last four games to have any shot at the playoffs, running back Rock Cartwright has boiled down the team's mission to a slight variation of the one-game-at-a-time cliche. "My motto is for the team to go 1-0 every week," Cartwright said. "If you go 1-0 every week, you'll end up where you need to be at the end of the season. ... We know that it's doable." Redskins @Cardinals Today, 4:05 p.m., Ch. 5, 1430 AM, 106.7 FM Line: Redskins by 4

COLLEGE PARK -- After playing a grueling, physically challenging stretch over the first month of the season, the No. 3 Maryland women's basketball team fittingly played a grueling, physically challenging game to end that stretch. The Terps spent most of yesterday afternoon trading picks and hard contact with Temple, ending the day with a 64-46 win and more than their share of bumps and bruises. Maryland@James Madison Dec. 20, 7 p.m.