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Great balls of fire!

A groom for the trainer who recently won a national record 14 consecutive races admitted rubbing cayenne pepper around the genitals of horses to make them run faster, Florida investigators say. The pepper was discovered in a container marked “Fiery Jack,” with a warning label reading, “Care should be taken to avoid sensitive parts of the body.”

Groom Abraham Siddo told investigators he applied the material on trainer Frank Passero’s orders.

Passero denied the pepper was applied to the genitals, or that his horses were mistreated. “I’ve been using this material for 10 years, maybe more,” he said. “The muscle rub that they’re accusing me of using is no different than Whitey Ford using Ben-Gay.”

… and DOWN THE STRETCH THEY COME! It’s Bold N Saucy, followed by Fiery Passion, with Burning Sensation close behind …

Call it a levereged buyout

Ken Griffey brightened an otherwise iron-gray day by showing up Saturday with a snapshot taken in Hawaii in 1978 - showing Mariners manager Lou Piniella and a few other men dancing in grass skirts in front of an audience.

“Oh, baby!” Piniella said. “We were there for some Superstars competition and the islands got me that night.”

Junior, of course, tried to use the material to blackmail his way out of Saturday’s 4-hour round trip to Tucson, where the M’s were to play the Rockies. Upon presenting Piniella with the evidence, Griffey said, “I ain’t going to Tucson this weekend, am I, Skip?”

Hey Paul, how about transferring me to Henry?

At 11:15 a.m. Friday, the phone rang in USC’s sports information office. ESPN was calling to find out if Paul Westphal would be available for an interview after the Trojans’ noon press conference.

Reports Scott M. Reid in the Orange County Register: “Sure, Westphal could probably be reached at his Phoenix home, ESPN was told to a roomful of chuckles. Forty-five minutes later, Henry Bibby would finally have the last laugh.”

By hiring Bibby, USC ended incessant speculation that Westphal would return to his alma mater.

At this rate, he’ll pass John Stockton in …

… his dreams. Nets center Yinka Dare went into the weekend still without an assist in his two-season NBA “career. ” He was credited for one last week in Denver on an outlet pass to Chris Childs, who dribbled several times and then hit a 3-pointer. But Denver officials reversed the ruling, prompting teammate Jayson Williams to crack: “They want him to get it at home.”

This Reeves won’t play Superman

Vancouver center Bryant Reeves insists he lifted weights in college, but there was no indication of that when he started weight-training with the Grizzlies.

In a team drill, a player lifts a 135-pound barbell as many times as he can in 20 seconds and then immediately does 10 push-ups. Reeves lifted the bar six times and completed two push-ups.

The last word …

“They told him, ‘We’ve got good news for you, Van Gundy. We’re giving you a boat. It’s called the Titanic.”’ - Charles Barkley, on the appointment of Jeff Van Gundy to replace Don Nelson as Knicks coach

, DataTimes ILLUSTRATION: Photo