ELMONT, N.Y. - The heat got turned up at Belmont Park on Monday in every way possible. Anticipation began to simmer regarding the 137th Belmont Stakes on Saturday, which features a showdown between the winners of the first two legs of the Triple Crown, Kentucky Derby winner Giacomo and Preakness Stakes winner Afleet Alex. And the temperature here began to rise, too, resulting in a warm, muggy morning that left Afleet Alex in need of a quick, cool spray from a garden hose when he returned from his demanding morning chores.

ELMONT, N.Y. - Responding to complaints from some local horsemen, the New York Racing Association has once again revamped stabling procedures for Saturday's Belmont Stakes.

All horses running in the Belmont and the supporting stakes races must report to one of the race-day security barns - Barns 8 and 23 - on Saturday morning, NYRA officials announced Monday.

INGLEWOOD, Calif. - Giacomo, the upset winner of the Kentucky Derby and the third-place finisher in the Preakness Stakes, breezed six furlongs in 1:14.80 at Hollywood Park on Sunday, preparing for Saturday's Belmont Stakes at Belmont Park.

Giacomo worked in company with stablemate Bullistic, who like Giacomo is owned by Jerry and Ann Moss. Starting 1 1/2 lengths behind Bullistic, Giacomo followed on the outside until drawing closer to his workmate on the turn.

ELMONT, N.Y. - After agonizing over a decision for the last week, the connections of Preakness runner-up Scrappy T have decided to pass on Saturday's $1 million Belmont Stakes.

But the race did gain an additional entrant Saturday when trainer Nick Zito said that Indy Storm, an allowance winner on Preakness Day at Pimlico, would join the field. Thus, Zito will have three of the

The colt was bred in Kentucky, first campaigned in England, imported to California, sent to Texas to punch his ticket into the Triple Crown, then transferred to Arlington Park to train up to the Belmont Stakes. And Friday morning, his trainer was in California, peeking in on his West Coast string.

The New York Racing Association has been among the industry leaders in attempting to curtail the use of illegal race-day medications. Its crackdown will be even further heightened for next Saturday's Belmont Stakes Day card.

Robbie Bailes, the trainer of Scrappy T, is agonizing over whether to run Scrappy T in the Belmont Stakes on June 11. On one hand, Bailes believes Scrappy T belongs in a race of that caliber, based on his runner-up performance in the Preakness Stakes on May 21. But Bailes is worried that participating in a 1 1/2-mile race might be too demanding for Scrappy T.

It had been a week and a half since the Preakness Stakes, and it was another week and a half until the Belmont Stakes. So on Wednesday, midway between the final two legs of the Triple Crown, Afleet Alex went through the lone workout he will have between those two races, breezing five furlongs in 1:01.60 at Pimlico Race Course with his regular jockey, Jeremy Rose.

Giacomo, the Kentucky Derby winner, and Buzzards Bay, the winner of the Santa Anita Derby, both worked on Monday in Southern California. But while both had been under consideration for the Belmont Stakes on June 11, it now appears only Giacomo will be heading to New York.

ELMONT, N.Y. - There may be a new 3-year-old star on the horizon, but it is likely he won't be seen again until after the Belmont Stakes.

Oratory, who came around so late that his connections didn't nominate him to the Triple Crown series, put forth a stakes-record performance Saturday, winning the $200,000 by 4 3/4 lengths over Reverberate at Belmont Park. It was 6 1/2 lengths back to Golden Man in third.