Given the perilous condition of the human condition, leave it to a horse to provide temporary relief, late Saturday afternoon. It wasn’t quite the sequel to “National Velvet” or even “My Friend Flicka” — horse racing can be an ugly, mistrustful business — but more a search-and-rescue operation. 

As the Spotted Rail-Percher, a bird of pray, exclaims after witnessing a special thoroughbred, “That horse ain’t human!” 

In Saturday’s case, following another sports week in which spectacular senselessness, from Kyrie Irving’s latest delusions — why is the earth flat? The Jews! — to Zack Wheeler being pulled early from the last game of the World Series (that began at 8:05 on a Saturday night!), not being human was to our benefit. 

As seen on NBC, the Breeders’ Cup Classic was won by odds-on favorite Flightline, a 4-year old casually running within a strong field until he floored it to win by nearly 10 lengths. Zounds! Think: not Robinson Cano. 

Flightline doesn’t appear special. Until the last turn. Then, you know. Now, if only he’s kept racing rather than chasing mares for a living. “You live around here? Come here often?” Does he identify as male? Money, as we know, is both blessing and curse. 

Saturday, with Flightline second in the top of the stretch, jockey Flavien Prat asked for more and received more than enough. Otherwise, Prat, a rider, after all, just rode him. He could’ve ridden side-saddle, delivered a pizza, stopped for directions and still won by five.

All but one of NBC’s expert panelists/touts were tasked with predicting only by how many lengths Flightline would win. None had it even close. No hype, just evidence. 

Only Steve Kornacki, a fun, frenzied juggler of numbers went elsewhere, choosing Taiba, 11-1 at the time, due to his admitted nature of being unable to back 2/5 favorites. He added that he’d use his winnings “to bet the Washington Generals,” which may have been lost on some. 

The Generals, for years, were assigned to lose and play befuddled patsies to the Harlem Globetrotters. The only other known to have bet on them was “The Simpsons’” Krusty the Clown, who angrily detected that the Globetrotters were cheating: “They’re using a ladder!” 

Taiba did pay four bucks to show in what was a spectacular show. We hope they keep Flightline racing. On with this show! 

Another special watch, Saturday, was on Fox, the MLS Cup championship, Los Angeles FC over the Philadelphia Union on penalty kicks after OT ended at 3-3, a game tied four times starting with 0-0. 

Congrats to MLS commissioner Don Garber, New York City kid and former NFL executive, for his ceaseless devotion to U.S. pro soccer that produced this riveting final. 

Fox did well, too, starting with its pregame, which was far more informative than any of the “big name” — Alex Rodriguez, David Ortiz and Frank Thomas — forced-laugh garbage it presented as its World Series pregame. 

The match was a treat as both sides played to win, not to kill time in midfield waiting for a mistake. It was well-handled by World Cup-bound ref Ismail Elfath, who answered dubious foul complaints with a knowing and disarming grin. 

Fox seemed prescient in focusing on LAFC’s backup goalkeeper John McCarthy as he watched from LA’s bench. 

McCarthy’s a Philly kid who previously played for the Union. He entered when LA’s ’keeper was injured. Soon McCarthy, off his contortionist and acrobatic, penalty kick shutout, was voted MVP. Great story. 

How long will Adam Silver remain “disappointed” in NBA players’ gross misconduct until he takes firm, publicized action to try to restore some decency to a league — a business — that’s losing decent-headed fans and customers to misanthropes? Will he be too late? 

Responding to Kyrie Irving’s latest act of stupendously stupid social media-posted bigotry, Nets’ teammate Kevin Durant blamed the media for reporting it — huh? — while, as usual, Durant emphasized his own antisocial behavior by speaking vulgarities into open microphones. 

What is Silver afraid of? Offending the most offensive? The wrath of miscreants? 

There is no longer any doubt that the NBA, like the NFL, accedes to a double-standard that disenfranchises the fair-minded. A white player who similarly attacked blacks as Irving, again, did Jews, would be immediately jettisoned. “Disappointment” would be publicly condemned as “revulsion.” 

And the National Basketball Players Associaton plans to appeal Irving’s suspension for his continued ignorant perpetuation of a concocted, hate-filled hoax declaring that Jews conspire to enslave blacks (even if this Jew has never known even two Jews to agree on anything). 

Think the NBPA would appeal on behalf of a white player who spread inflammatory lies about blacks? Would Communist China/Nike apologist and racial knee-jerk artist LeBron James support his reduced punishment and requirements as he has for Irving? 

But Silver has allowed this lunatic fringe to operate inside the fringes. 

Meanwhile, the NBA continues to suffer the insufferable in silence. Only the Irving matter limited attention to the Hornets’ recent “disappointments.” 

Hornets’ James Bouknight, who was arrested while at UConn in 2019 after allegedly fleeing the scene of an accident with an officer claiming they “detected an odor of alcoholic beverage emitting” from the Huskies star, was recently arrested for being passed-out drunk with a gun in his hand — before ramming police cars. He played in Charlotte’s next game and the Hornets then decided to bring Bouknight back by exercising the team option on his contract. 

Then ex-Charlotte teammate Miles Bridges, 24 and now a free agent who last year averaged 20 points, pleaded no-contest in the felony assault of his girlfriend in front of their two children. (Bridges subsequently applied for a restraining order against his ex-partner, claiming that she has harassed him repeatedly). 

Almost makes you forget — almost — that the NBA has been systemically diminished from a beautiful team game to strategically empty 3-point heaves. Such self-destructive neglect is very, er, ah, disappointing.

A dozen years ago, Phillies’ manager Rob Thomson, now 59, would have never pulled Zack Wheeler on Saturday, because it would have made no sense. 

It was Game 6 of the World Series and Wheeler was doing fine. In 5 ¹/₃ innings he’d allowed no runs, three hits and struck out five on just 70 pitches. The Phils led, 1-0. And, for what it’s worth, the Phils had signed Wheeler to a five-year, $118 million contract to be a starting pitcher. 

But the anal-ytics bell tolled so Thomson pulled Wheeler for Jose Alvarado who was immediately blasted for two hits, including a three-run homer, allowed a walk and threw a wild pitch before, after one-third of an inning, he was pulled. 

The Phils lost the game, 4-1, the Series, 4-2. And the season ended as it began — another analytics-addled season lost at sea in a ship of fools. 

Perhaps because he’s paired with Daryl “Moose” Johnston, but Fox’s Adam Amin during Sunday’s Seahawks-Cards, preceded what needed no introduction — a replay — with, “Here it is, represented visually.” And on TV, no less! 

Happy 80th, Saturday, to cherished reader, confidant, pen pal and Renaissance man, the toast and butter of Rochester, N.Y., Pat Proietti. Saturday is also Al Michaels’ 78th. 

Mike McCann, 32 years on air in local radio and among the most thorough to anchor WFAN’s updates, has retired. He both understood and included significant context. Enjoy, Mike! 

As it’s pay-to-slay time in NCAA character-building basketball — a time to pad Division I W-L records while charging season’s ticket-holders for noncompetitive competitions — we salute James Madison University for its 123-38 home win, Monday, against D3 Valley Forge.