Twenty years ago, Mark Reid, a trainer on the Mid-Atlantic circuit, asked his colleague Richard Dutrow Sr. about his son, Richard Dutrow Jr. At the time, the elder Dutrow was a very successful trainer in Maryland and his son was a loose cannon.

"He said, 'Mark, he makes me feel like he's a college professor and I'm a kindergarten student,' " said Reid, now a successful bloodstock agent. "He said, 'He is the most intuitive horseman I've ever been around,' and that was high praise, because his father didn't give any praise. He's one of the best natural horsemen I ever met."

Shirocco led a parade of European invaders in Saturday's $2,090,760 at Belmont Park, justifying his growing popularity in the days leading to the wide-open race.

Listed at 20-1 on the morning-line, Shirocco was bet down to 8-1 and ran 1 1/2 miles on turf in 2:29.30 on a good course. Based in France with trainer Andre Fabre, Shirocco ($19.60) finished 1 3/4 lengths in front of Ace, who is based in Ireland. Azamour, the 7-2 favorite from Ireland, and Bago, of France, finished third and fourth.

ELMONT, N.Y. - The 54-year-old Jimmy Jerkens began working for his father, the Hall of Fame trainer Allen Jerkens, when he was a little kid. Never was there a sense of anything but love for the sport, love for the father. Saturday, Jimmy Jerkens did something his father has not yet done - win a Breeders' Cup race. Artie Schiller rallied from fifth place and beat heavily favored Leroidesanimaux by three-quarters of a length in the $1,856,925 .

Pleasant Home, who had never won a Grade 1 race and was dismissed as a 30-1 outsider in the $2 million on Saturday at Belmont Park, roared past her opponents at the top of the stretch and turned a seemingly wide-open race into a one-sided route. She won by 9 1/4 lengths over Society Selection, who beat favored Ashado by a neck for second.

The $1 million became a tale of two 3-year-olds after Silver Train registered a surprising head victory over Taste of Paradise, and Lost in the Fog's unbeaten streak came to an equally shocking end Saturday at Belmont Park.

Silver Train rallied to a head victory over Taste of Paradise, then had to survive a claim of foul by jockey Garrett Gomez aboard the runner-up before giving trainer Richard Dutrow Jr. his first Breeders' Cup victory.

The Breeders' Cup dynasty continues for the remarkable broodmare Hasili.

Saturday at Belmont Park, Hasili's daughter Intercontinental led throughout the $1,060,000 to pull a 15-1 upset. The win came four years after Banks Hill, another Hasili foal, won the BC Filly and Mare Turf over this course.

Intercontinental ($32.20) gave jockey Rafael Bejarano his first win in a Breeders' Cup, and his ride was credited by winning trainer Bobby Frankel as a key to the victory.

ELMONT, N.Y. - Merv Griffin has another hit on his hands. He just hopes he can remain at the top of the charts for another six months.

Griffin, who had a No. 1 song in the 1950's, created two of the top game shows in television history, and won 15 Emmy Awards, is the owner of Stevie Wonderboy, who stormed down the center of Belmont Park's main track Saturday and ran down Henny Hughes to take the $1,590,000 by 1 1/4 lengths.

With an assist from trainer D. Wayne Lukas and a razor-sharp mount in Folklore, jockey Edgar Prado finally ended his Breeders' Cup drought Saturday at Belmont Park.

Confirming that her performance in the Grade 1 Matron last month was not a fluke, Folklore put away an early challenge from Knights Templar, opened up a large advantage in midstretch, and had more than enough to hold off Wild Fit to win the $1,060,000 by 1 1/4 lengths.

ELMONT, N.Y. - They have come from France and England, Ireland and Japan, 27 in all, overseas raiders seeking to step right off the plane and make off with the grandest prize for older horses in the United States, the Breeders' Cup Classic. One has succeeded, several have come close, but most have failed, some miserably.

ELMONT, N.Y. - He is not a particularly tall horse. There are horses that arrest the eye with their bulk, the sheer space they take up, the amazing length of their stride. Think Tiznow and Pleasantly Perfect. Leroidesanimaux is not that. He is like a halfback, about 5-11, 225 pounds, with an explosive burst through the line of scrimmage. He is a rich chestnut with a handsome white diamond on his forehead. And he has become unbeatable.