Total attendance was 1,049,309, surpassing the record of 1,011,669 set in 2001. The 2003 mark was a 5 percent increase over last year. The daily average of 29,147 was also a record, surpassing the average of 28,479 in 1989 when the meet was 24 days.

Ontrack handle reached $117,368,204, a gain of 1.7 percent over last year's total of $115,400,498. Total commingled handle was off 1.6 percent from $562,356,929 in 2002 to $553,210,895 this year. The 2003 daily average commingled handle on Saratoga races was $15,366,969, a 1.6 percent drop from last year's average of $15,621,026

New York Racing Association officials blame that on that legislation that enabled the state's offtrack betting corporations to take unlimited simulcasting. Intrastate handle was down around $13 million, or 10 percent, from last year, according to NYRA executive vice president Bill Nader.

The first half of the meet was plagued by extremely wet weather that forced the cancellation of many turf races. One race had to be canceled when the track washed out. Monday's final card was also plagued by wet weather, forcing four of seven scheduled turf races to the dirt.

"It's been a remarkable meet considering everything, the weather, the power outage, the scratches at the gate, the canceled race,'' said NYRA president and chief operating officer Terry Meyocks. "The quality of racing stood up.''

Despite the absence of Funny Cide and Empire Maker, the Travers was a record-setting day. The crowd of 66,122 was a Saratoga record for a non-giveaway day. The ontrack handle ($9,390,934) and total commingled handle ($39,489,786) were Travers records.

It was also a record-setting meet for trainer Todd Pletcher and jockey John Velazquez. Pletcher won a record 35 races, including six stakes. His Grade 1 victories came in the Spinaway (Ashado) and Ballerina (Harmony Lodge). Pletcher also won the Jim Dandy with Strong Hope, who upset Belmont Stakes winner Empire Maker. Bill Mott finished with 17 winners.

Velazquez finished the meet with 61 wins, surpassing the previous mark of 55 set by Jerry Bailey in 2001. Bailey finished as the second leading rider in wins, but was the leading percentage rider (29.4) at the meet and won nine stakes, including five Grade 1's.

It was one of two victories on the card for Velazquez, who finished the meet with 61 winners from 235 mounts. The 61 victories eclipsed Jerry Bailey's mark of 55 set in 2001

"I'm really glad for all the things that happened here and I don't want to go, but I'm tired and I do want to go home now and rest in my own bed,'' said Velazquez, who won six stakes at the meet. "It's been awesome. I couldn't ask for anything better really. I've been very blessed.''

The Canadian-based trainer Mark Frostad, who won last year's Go for Wand Handicap with Dancethruthedawn, waited until the final day of this year's meet to ship a horse to Saratoga. Shoal Water chased Canadian Triple Crown winner Wando in all three legs of the Triple Crown, finishing second to him in the $500,000 Breeders' last month at 1 1/2 miles on turf.

Frostad said that cutting Shoal Water back in distance from 1 1/2 miles to 1 3/16 miles was the key.

Sharp Impact, under Eibar Coa, made the early lead and set fractions of 23.45 seconds, 48.17, 1:12.85, and 1:36.93 while being tracked by Shoal Water. Shoal Water ran down Sharp Impact inside the sixteenth pole and drew off. Urban King got up in the final jump to get second by a head over Sharp Impact.

Shoal Water ($4.30) ran the 1 3/16 miles over good turf in 1:55.43.

"He was pretty strong; I had to battle with him for a quarter mile,'' Velazquez said. "As soon as we got to the backside he gave me a little break and from then on I was cruising. When I asked him he was there.''

Frostad said Shoal Water would return to New York on Sept. 21 for the Grade 2, $200,000 Jamaica Handicap at Belmont Park.

- The final day featured a pick-six carryover of $390,590, and with the money wagered on Monday there was $1,332,151 in the winner's pool. There were two winning tickets that returned $660,075 each. The winning combination of 3-2-1-9-5-10 included Erin's Storm ($15.60), Charismatic Rob ($33.40), Sircharlesschnabel ($9.70), Roaring Fever ($28.60), Shoal Water ($4.30), and True Patriot ($10.20).

Horsephotos

Silver Wagon draws clear under Jerry Bailey to win the Hopeful by four lengths. He will not be pointed to the Breeders' Cup Juvenile, however.

Splitting horses under Jerry Bailey in midstretch, Silver Wagon came home a four-length winner over heavily favored Chapel Royal in Saturday's Grade 1, $200,000 Hopeful before 23,137 at Saratoga. It was 1 1/2 lengths back to longshot Notorious Rogue in third. Birdstone, an impressive maiden winner earlier in the meet, finished fourth.

While the Hopeful is considered a big step on the road to the Breeders' Cup Juvenile, Ziadie said he has no plans to send the horse to that $1 million race on Oct. 25 at Santa Anita.

"The big boys are next year,'' said Ziadie, who trains Silver Wagon for Mahmoud Fustok's Buckram Oak Farm. "I don't want to go to the Breeders' Cup Juvenile.''

If Silver Wagon runs again this year, it would most likely be in the $100,000 What a Pleasure Stakes at Calder on Dec. 13.

The way Silver Wagon ran Saturday, plus his breeding - he's a son of Jockey Club Gold Cup winner Wagon Limit - suggests that Silver Wagon could be a major player in the Kentucky Derby picture next year.

Silver Wagon raced between horses in the second flight behind a four-pronged fight for the lead. With Bailey poised to go inside or outside in the stretch, he chose inside when Chapel Royal, who raced four wide and on the pace down the backside, drifted out a step. Silver Wagon bounded home an easy winner.

Silver Wagon covered the seven furlongs in 1:23.47 over a fast track. He returned $27 to win.

"He put himself into the race," said Bailey, who won his fifth Hopeful. "I didn't have anywhere to go so there was no sense in trying to go anywhere. I was biding my time until there was an opening and to see if I had enough horse to go through it. He didn't burst through, he waited for me to call on him and it took him a little bit to get his momentum going, which would suggest he'd go on with no problem.''

Chapel Royal suffered his first defeat after winning his first three career races, including the Grade 2 Sanford. Jockey John Velazquez said the horse felt weak behind to him. "`But I don't want to make any excuses, he just didn't punch,'' Velazquez said.

Last year, McLaughlin won the race with Ibn al Haitham, who was coming off a maiden win earlier in the meet. Monday, McLaughlin sends out Sharp Impact, the only stakes winner in the six-horse field.

The Saranac, for 3-year-olds at 1 3/16 miles on the turf, is the featured event on an 11-race card that concludes the 36-day Saratoga meet. Following a three-day break, racing switches to Belmont Park on Friday.

Sharp Impact, a son of Siphon, won the Grade 3 Lexington Stakes at Belmont, leading every step of the way to win by a half-length. Three weeks later, he set the pace in the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame Stakes, but faded to seventh, beaten 11 1/4 lengths. The Lexington was on firm ground, the Hall of Fame on yielding turf.

"We think he didn't like the yielding turf. He was bobbling as soon as he let him go," McLaughlin said. "He's doing well."

Eibar Coa will ride Sharp Impact Monday because Richard Migliore, Sharp Impact's regular rider, will be at Philadelphia Park to ride Tafaseel in the Pennsylvania Derby. Though Sharp Impact won the Lexington in gate-to-wire fashion, Migliore has suggested that he may be better with a target to run at.

"He thought he would do well if he's covered up, but if he's the lone speed he may be on the lead again," McLaughlin said.

Sharp Impact will be coupled in the wagering with Burchfield, as both horses are owned by Darley Stable. Burchfield, trained by Tom Albertrani, won his turf debut in gate-to-wire fashion earlier this month here.

"There wasn't much speed in the race, he was drawn inside, and he took advantage of it," Albertrani said. "He certainly deserves a chance in there. It's a big step up, but, it looks like it's going to be a light spot and hopefully we pick up a little black type."

Five Eighty Four chased Burchfield home in the allowance race, and just missed catching him after altering course in the stretch. Urban King, a one-run closer, has hit the board in three stakes for Bobby Frankel, and gets Jerry Bailey for the first time.

Shoal Water, who finished second to Canadian Triple Crown winner Wando in the Breeders' Stakes at Woodbine, ships down for trainer Mark Frostad and picks up John Velazquez. Regal Bear completes the field.