ELMONT, N.Y. – The New York Showcase Day program at Belmont Park no longer showcases the best of the New York-bred Thoroughbred program. Still, it remains one of the best wagering cards of the season on this circuit. Elite New York-breds such as Diversify, Mind Your Biscuits, Highway Star, Disco Partner, Fourstar Crook, and Get Jets have graduated to chasing bigger prizes. That leaves the next level of statebreds to compete for the $1.75 million in purses offered in eight stakes on Saturday’s 11-race card made up entirely of New York-bred races. First post is 12:25 p.m. Diversify would have been heavily favored in the $300,000 Empire Classic, the richest race on the 11-race program. However, he won the Grade 1 Jockey Club Gold Cup on Oct. 7 and is now possible for the $6 million Breeders’ Cup Classic on Nov. 4 at Del Mar. This year’s Empire Classic, run at 1 1/8 miles, drew a field of nine with the 3-year-old Twisted Tom likely to go off the favorite. Twisted Tom, trained by Chad Brown, has won five of six starts this year, with the lone loss being a sixth-place finish in the Belmont Stakes. Since the Belmont, Twisted Tom has defeated New York-breds in the New York Derby at Finger Lakes and the Albany at Saratoga. Twisted Tom is a 3-year-old taking on older horses for the first time while cutting back to a one-turn race configuration for the first time since he debuted in August 2016. “That’s a fair point and a concern of mine,” Brown said. “It was either run in open company against straight 3-year-olds or statebreds against older and one turn. I thought this was the best situation for him, not having to ship.” Last year, Royal Posse and Governor Malibu ran one-two in the Empire Classic. While both are back in the race this year, neither is in particularly great form. Royal Posse is 0 for 6 this year, while Governor Malibu is 0 for 4 with an 11 1/2-length defeat to Diversify in the Evan Shipman on Aug. 21 at Saratoga. Rudy Rodriguez, who trains Royal Posse, also sends out Control Group and Becker’s Galaxy. Control Group is a 3-year-old who Rodriguez claimed for $62,500 in January. The horse has won four of six since, including three in a row. “It looks like he’s getting better,” Rodriguez said. “He only ran bad one time for us.” The Empire Classic goes as race 5. In the $250,000 Empire Distaff, race 10 at 1 1/16 miles, Rodriguez sends out the uncoupled pair of Literata and Bonita Bianca. Literata, a 6-year-old daughter of Read the Footnotes, won the Saratoga Dew Stakes at Saratoga before finishing third against open allowance company Sept. 28. Bonita Bianca, a 3-year-old daughter of Curlin, won the New York Oaks at Finger Lakes and finished second to Sunset Ridge in the Fleet Indian on Aug. 25 at Saratoga. Sunset Ridge would have been heavily favored in this spot, but she is sidelined by injury, according to her trainer, Chad Brown.   Empire Classic (Race 5) KEY CONTENDERS Twisted Tom, by Creative Cause Last 3 Beyers: 92-88-71 ◗ Looks to cap a terrific campaign in which he’s won four stakes, all restricted to 3-year-olds, while taking on older horses for the first time. ◗ Held his own with three-time Grade 1 winner Practical Joke in a five-furlong workout here last Saturday. Governor Malibu, by Malibu Moon Last 3 Beyers: 90-95-95 ◗ Doesn’t win a lot, but he’s never been worse than third in nine starts against New York-breds including a runner-up finish in this race last year and a second-place finish to Diversify in the Evan Shipman in August. Control Group, by Posse Last 3 Beyers: 90-87-82 ◗ Meets better than he’s been facing, but could be the controlling speed as the 112-pound lightweight under Irad Ortiz Jr. Empire Distaff (Race 10) KEY CONTENDERS Verdant Pastures, by Colonel John Last 3 Beyers: 88-49-68 ◗ Returned from a five-month layoff with her best race to date, a 14 3/4-length first-level allowance win going 1 1/8 miles at Saratoga. ◗ Could be compromised by the presence of other speed in the field. Literata, by Read the Footnotes Last 3 Beyers: 71-78-77 ◗ Won two races in 24 days this summer, including the Saratoga Dew at Saratoga, where she beat sisters Jcs American Dream and Jc’s Shooting Star, who are back in this field. ◗ Finished third in an open-company allowance here Sept. 28. “She’s training very well,” Rodriguez said. “That race was really tough, but we wanted to run her somewhere before this.” Five Star Rampage, by Quality Road Last 3 Beyers: 76-71-66 ◗ Has won four of her last five, a streak that began with a first-level allowance over this track and at this distance in May. ◗ Picks up John Velazquez, who was aboard for that allowance win.