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• SANTA CLARITA, Calif. (AP) -- A pair of tamed but persistent wildfires still burned in the hills and mountains around Interstate 5 after a wild week of burning brush in the area north of Los Angeles.
• A new fire that broke out Friday, the third major blaze in the area in a week, quickly surged to more than 500 acres, briefly threatened an elementary school and led to the temporary evacuation of about 20 homes.
• The fire burned very close to I-5 during some of the busiest hours of the week for the heavily traveled route in and out of Los Angeles, but some 350 firefighters were able to get the edge on the blaze as quickly as it arose.
• The fire was 60 percent contained by nightfall and residents who evacuated were told they could safely return, the Los Angeles County Fire Department said.
• Crews were helped by relatively mild temperatures that were expected to remain into the weekend, but challenged by unpredictable winds and very difficult terrain.
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• BALTIMORE (AP) -- Orb is ready for his whirl at history.
• The Kentucky Derby winner was in a playful mood the day before the Preakness, making faces for photographers between nibbles of grass outside his stall at Pimlico Race Course.
• "I couldn't be more pleased with the way he's doing," trainer Shug McGaughey said at his final pre-Preakness media briefing Friday morning. "I can't see any adversity. I would have to think it would take a pretty darn good horse to beat him if he goes over and runs his race."
• If he can defeat eight rivals in the 1 3-16-mile Preakness on Saturday, it would set up a Triple Crown try in the Belmont Stakes in three weeks. Orb is the even-money favorite, and there's a growing feeling that this 3-year-old bay colt may be special enough to give thoroughbred racing its first Triple Crown champion since Affirmed in 1978.
• "We'd sure love to have that opportunity," a relaxed and confident-sounding McGaughey said. "Probably the racing world would love to see it, too."

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