ETC. . .

The Meadowlands will be closed for live and simulcast racing on Wednesday, Sept. 11, the anniversary of last fall's attacks on the World Trade Center and Pentagon. Last week, the New York Racing Association was granted permission to keep Belmont Park dark on Sept. 11. . . . As of 4 p.m. Wednesday, a $55,000 Wagon Limit colt was the session leader at the third day of the Ocala Breeders' Sales Company's August yearling sale. The second session on Tuesday sold 227 lots for $2,287,700, up 16 percent from last year when 180 sold. The average price fell 8 percent to $10,078, the median remained level at $5,500, and buy-backs decreased sharply from 30 percent last year to 23 percent in 2002. . . . . The Deauville yearling auction in France ended Wednesday after five sessions, selling 368 yearlings for a total of $26,124,258 and an average price of $70,989. Both the gross and average were down 27 percent, and the buy-back rate jumped from last year's 25 percent to 34 percent in 2002.