ELMONT, N.Y. - It may lack the pomp and circumstance of Saratoga, but Belmont Park's 33-day fall meet that begins on Friday will surely not lack for drama and intrigue. Of the 36 stakes races scheduled here over the next 6 1/2 weeks, 12 of them will be Grade 1 events that will help determine the top East Coast contenders for the 23rd Breeders' Cup World Thoroughbred Championships to be held Nov. 4 at Churchill Downs. Several fascinating showdowns loom this meet, none more tantalizing than Bernardini, the leading 3-year-old in the country, versus Invasor, the East Coast's top older horse, in the $750,000 Jockey Club Gold Cup on Oct. 7. Since losing his debut, Bernardini has reeled off five consecutive wins, including the Preakness, Jim Dandy, and Travers. Invasor is 8 for 9 lifetime, including North American Grade 1 wins in the Pimlico Special, Suburban, and Whitney. That Oct. 7 card is also expected to include a clash between top 3-year-old sprinter Henny Hughes and defending Breeders' Cup Sprint champion Silver Train in the $400,000 Vosburgh Stakes. Fleet Indian, the most accomplished older filly or mare in training, is targeting that day's $600,000 Beldame, where she could meet leading 3-year-olds Bushfire and Pine Island. English Channel is skipping Saturday's Man o' War to target the $600,000 Joe Hirsch Turf Classic that day, and stablemate Honey Ryder is likely to run in the $600,000 Flower Bowl, rounding out the quintet of Grade 1 events on the day. Bushfire, a three-time Grade 1 winner, and Pine Island, the Alabama winner, will help get this meet under way in Saturday's $250,000 Gazelle Stakes. The Gazelle shares billing with the $500,000 Man o' War, featuring Grade 1 winners Showing Up, Cacique, Go Deputy, and Relaxed Gesture. The $250,000 Garden City Breeders' Cup for 3-year-old fillies will also be run Saturday. Take D' Tour, who won the Ogden Phipps and Shuvee handicaps over this track in the spring, returns to Belmont for Sunday's Grade 1 Ruffian, where she is expected to meet Pool Land, who dueled her into defeat in the Go for Wand at Saratoga. Summerly, last year's Kentucky Oaks winner, is also slated to run. Though horsemen enjoyed purse increases from $1,000 to $7,000 in overnight races at Saratoga, purse levels for this meet return to that of the Belmont spring session. This meet got off to a bit of an ominous start when there were not enough entries to fill Friday's $100,000 General Douglas MacArthur Handicap for New York-breds. Only three horses were entered, including West Virginia. The track's racing secretary, P.J. Campo, said he would attempt to bring the race back for Sunday if it gets enough entrants. Thus, the feature on Friday's nine-race card is a third-level allowance race at one mile featuring the promising 3-year-old Latent Heat. Since returning from a shin injury that forced him to miss the spring, Latent Heat has won 2 of 3 allowance races sandwiched around a runner-up finish in the Grade 3 Long Branch Stakes at Monmouth Park. Latent Heat looked sharp winning an Aug. 11 allowance race at Saratoga by 3 3/4 lengths and earning a Beyer Speed Figure of 107. Trainer Bobby Frankel felt the King's Bishop and the Forego were too close back for Latent Heat and was thrilled to hear that this race filled. "He ran such a big number the other day, and I was scared he might react to it," Frankel said on why he skipped those Grade 1 races. "He ran a big race." Latent Heat looks like the main speed in this field and will break from post 5 under Edgar Prado. Trainer Richard Dutrow Jr. will send out the coupled entry of Bank President and Bucharest. Bank President may try to run with Latent Heat, while Bucharest, who will be making his first start since running eighth in the Churchill Downs Handicap on May 6, will try to pick up the pieces. Frankel said a solid performance by Latent Heat could propel him to the Jerome on Oct. 1, where he would meet the undefeated Discreet Cat. "Somebody's got to run against him, right?" Frankel said. At a glance RACING SCHEDULE: 33 days; Friday through Oct. 22; dark Mondays and Tuesdays, except Monday, Oct. 9 (Columbus Day). Dark Wednesday, Oct. 11. POST TIME: 1 p.m. Eastern ADMISSIONS: General admission, $2; clubhouse, $5. Children 12 and under free when accompanied by adult. PARKING: General, $2; preferred, $4; valet, $6. PROMOTIONS: Travel mug, Saturday; Stadium blanket, Oct. 7. LOCATION: Exit 26B off Cross Island Parkway. PHONE: (516) 488-6000 INTERNET: www.nyra.com 2006 Belmont stakes schedule DATEEVENTCONDITIONSDISTANCEPURSE Sat., Sept. 9Man o' War (G1)3YO & Up1 3/8 miles (T)500,000 Sat., Sept. 9Gazelle (G1)3YO F1 1/8 miles250,000 Sat., Sept. 9Garden City B.C. (G1)3YO F1 1/8 miles (T)250,000 Sun., Sept. 10Ruffian Handicap (G1)3YO & Up, F&M1 1/16 miles300,000 Sat., Sept. 16Floral Park Handicap (G3)3YO & Up, F&M6 furlongs100,000 Sat., Sept. 16Brooklyn B.C. Handicap (G2)3YO & Up1 1/8 miles150,000 Sun., Sept. 17Ashley T. Cole Handicap (NYB)3YO & Up1 1/8 miles (T)100,000 Sun., Sept. 17Schenectady Handicap (NYB)3YO & Up, F&M6 furlongs100,000 Sat., Sept. 23Matron (G1)2YO F7 furlongs250,000 Sat., Sept. 23Futurity (G2)2YO7 furlongs250,000 Sat., Sept. 23Noble Damsel B.C. Handicap (G3)3YO & Up, F&M1 mile (T)150,000 Sun., Sept. 24Bertram F. Bongard (NYB)2YO7 furlongs100,000 Sun., Sept. 24Joseph A. Gimma (NYB)2YO F7 furlongs100,000 Sat., Sept. 30Kelso B.C. Handicap (G2)3YO & Up1 mile (T)250,000 Sun., Oct. 1Jerome B.C. Handicap (G2)3YO1 mile150,000 Sat., Oct. 7The Jockey Club Gold Cup (G1)3YO & Up1 1/4 miles750,000 Sat., Oct. 7Flower Bowl Invtl. (G1)3YO & Up, F&M1 1/4 miles (T)600,000 Sat., Oct. 7Joe Hirsch Turf Classic Invtl. (G1)3YO & Up1 1/2 miles(T)600,000 Sat., Oct. 7Beldame (G1)3YO & Up, F&M1 1/8 miles600,000 Sat., Oct. 7Vosburgh (G1)3YO & Up6 furlongs400,000 Sun., Oct. 8Gallant Bloom Handicap (G2)3YO & Up, F&M6 1/2 furlongs150,000 Mon., Oct. 9Pebbles 3YO F1 mile (T)100,000 Sat., Oct. 14Champagne (G1)2YO1 mile400,000 Sat., Oct. 14Frizette (G1)2YO F1 mile400,000 Sat., Oct. 14Jamaica B.C. Handicap (G2)3YO1 1/8 miles (T)300,000 Sun., Oct. 15Athenia Handicap (G3)3YO & Up, F&M1 1/16 miles (T)100,000 Sat., Oct. 21Sleepy Hollow2YO*1 mile100,000 Sat., Oct. 21Iroquois Handicap3YO & Up, F&M*7 furlon125,000 Sat., Oct. 21Mohawk Handicap3YO & Up*1 1/8 miles (T)150,000 Sat., Oct. 21Maid of the Mist2YO F*1 mile100,000 Sat., Oct. 21Hudson Handicap3YO & Up*6 furlongs125,000 Sat., Oct. 21Ticonderoga Handicap3YO & Up, F&M*1 1/8 miles (T)150,000 Sat., Oct. 21Empire Classic Handicap3YO & Up*1 1/8 miles250,000 Sun., Oct. 22Pilgrim2YO1 1/8 miles (T)75,000 Sun., Oct. 22Miss Grillo2YO F1 1/8 miles (T)75,000 *N.Y.-bred