ELMONT, N.Y. - The stars and other supporting characters appear already to be in place for the 135th running of the Belmont Stakes, to be run on June 7. Saturday's $200,000 Peter Pan Stakes may serve only to provide some minor players to the cast of the last leg of the Triple Crown.

Ron Ellis can empathize with people who are about to go on stage on Broadway and whisper to themselves, "Feet, don't fail me now."

ELMONT, N.Y. - NBC's 90-minute telecast of the Belmont Stakes June 7 will begin a half-hour later than usual, at 5:30 p.m.

As a result, the New York Racing Association has moved the post time for the $1 million Belmont Stakes from 6:04 p.m. to 6:38 p.m. Eastern.

The Belmont, where Funny Cide will attempt to become racing's 12th Triple Crown winner, will be run as the 11th race on a 13-race card that has a scheduled last post of 7:52 p.m. First post remains unchanged at noon.

Originally, NYRA announced a 12-race card, with the Belmont as race 10.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - Trainer Ken McPeek said Thursday that he and the Lexington-based syndicate that owns Best Minister have decided to run the colt in the Belmont.

The decision will be a costly one: Best Minister was not nominated to the Triple Crown and therefore will have to be supplemented for $100,000, in addition to the standard $20,000 entry fee.

ELMONT, N.Y. - In his first serious move since finishing second in the Kentucky Derby May 3, Empire Maker fired a six-furlong bullet workout over Belmont Park's main track Tuesday.

Following the workout, Empire Maker's trainer, Bobby Frankel, said, "Everything is perfect" with his colt, who will meet Kentucky Derby and Preakness winner Funny Cide in the $1 million Belmont Stakes June 7.

First came an upset victory in the Kentucky Derby, and the baseless post-race insinuation that Funny Cide's jockey, Jose Santos, had ridden with an illegal electrical device. Then came an overpowering victory in Saturday's Preakness Stakes. Now, Funny Cide takes his tour to Belmont Park, where on June 7 he will attempt to become the 12th Triple Crown winner, and first since Affirmed in 1978, when he heads what is shaping up as an outstanding field in the 135th Belmont Stakes.

ELMONT, N.Y. - The craziness has already begun.

Monday morning, Robin Smullen, the assistant trainer for Barclay Tagg, fielded a phone call from a psychic named Maxine, who wanted to plan a meeting with Tagg and Funny Cide, winner of the Kentucky Derby and Preakness, prior to the Belmont Stakes on June 7 at Belmont Park.

A roll of Smullen's eyes was all anyone needed to see to know whether that meeting would happen.

ELMONT, N.Y. - In four of the last six years, a horse came to the Belmont Stakes with the opportunity to win the Triple Crown. While those occasions accounted for four of the top six Belmont Stakes crowds and handle figures, New York Racing Association officials believe they will pale in comparison to June 7, when the New York-bred gelding Funny Cide takes his shot at the Triple Crown in the 135th Belmont Stakes.