FOR THE RECORD

In the movie "Unbreakable," Bruce Willis's school security worker character begins to discover that he has super powers after his nemesis points out that he's never called in sick in five years.

The NYPD's Lieutenants may not have comparable abilities to detect evil, but their cumulative average of less than one sick day a year proves that they have super dedication to their jobs.

According to the NYPD, Sergeants and Detectives also appear to be incredibly healthy. Department stats revealed that 78 percent of Sergeants took one or no sick days last year and 85 percent of Detectives used one or no sick days.

"I think it's clearly indicative of the commitment that police officers have," said Anthony Garvey, the president of the Lieutenants' Benevolent Association.

All the officers, he noted, are entitled to unlimited sick leave. "It's clearly not an abused benefit," he asserted. "There is a dedication that police officers have."

Mr. Garvey, who himself had been out sick for two months, joked that he had brought down the average. But even his illness didn't completely stop him. "I was coming in [to the office] and the contract was negotiated," he said. "I was in violation of department guidelines."

Joseph Pollini, an Assistant Professor at John Jay College of Criminal Justice, noted that Lieutenants often work indoors handling administrative duties. "There is less likelihood of them being subjected to adverse weather conditions," he said. "The higher you go up in any organization - a police or business - there is generally a stronger commitment to the organization."

There will always be individuals who abuse sick leave rules, Mr. Pollini added. "In 33 years, I never took a sick day," the retired Detective noted. "I don't look too strongly on officers who are always out sick. You are expected to do your job; if you don't do your job, you put more responsibility on other people."

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Tom Suozzi dished out most of the harsh rhetoric during his July 25 debate with Eliot Spitzer, but he wound up on the receiving end when he came to Saratoga Race Course the following afternoon to campaign for votes on opening day at the historic track.

Saratoga has long been a stopping-off point for candidates during racing season, since it draws large crowds from all parts of the state. When George Pataki first ran for Governor in 1994, he was given a warm welcome by the New York Racing Association, which had its executives lead him through an overflow Travers Day crowd, a courtesy that had much to do with NYRA's ongoing feud with then-Gov. Mario Cuomo.

When Mr. Suozzi, who was running behind schedule, showed up during the latter part of the afternoon, his reception wasn't as kind.

As he and a delegation of campaign aides moved from the grandstand toward the second-floor clubhouse entrance, a heckler repeatedly called, "Hey, Suozzi, go back to Nassau!"

If the longshot for the Democratic nomination was looking for hopeful signs in the race results, he had mixed luck. The most obvious horse for a candidate, Political Force, made a brief stretch run but then finished third in the 6th race. In the following race, however, Awesome Twist, whose name would certainly describe the events needed to carry Mr. Suozzi to victory in the Democratic primary, lagged far behind the speedy betting favorite early before making a thrilling sprint through the stretch to narrowly win in the final strides.

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The 6th annual FDNY Night at KeySpan Park in Coney Island will be held Aug. 4 for the game between the Brooklyn Cyclones and the Tri-City Valley Cats.

As part of the evening there will be a fireboat water display, with a post-game fireworks exhibition. Chief of Department Sal Cassano will throw out the first pitch, and the National Anthem will be sung by Firefighter Regina Wilson. The FDNY Bagpipers and Ceremonial Unit will assist with the anthem.

Tickets are $15 for grandstand seats and $10 for bleacher seats, with part of the proceeds going to the Uniformed Firefighters' Association Scholarship Fund. For further information, call Fire Marshal Bob Cashman at (718) 999-0740.