ELMONT, N.Y. - The California-based trainer Doug O'Neill was planning to spend Monday afternoon with his family, visiting the Empire State Building and other attractions in New York City. How much he would enjoy playing tourist was dependent on how well his morning went with his two Breeders' Cup Juvenile contenders, Stevie Wonderboy and Jealous Profit.

"I told my wife, Linette, I'm going to be really cranky all day today or I'm going to be real happy," O'Neill said. "I've got every right to be real happy right now."

ELMONT, N.Y. - As Hurricane Wilma was blowing through south Florida on Monday morning, causing damage to his home and keeping him away from his Calder barn, trainer Ralph Ziadie was in need of some good news.

He got it in the form of Along the Sea, who gave Ziadie and his New York assistants reason to believe she could be a factor in the $1 million Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies with a solid half-mile workout Monday at Belmont Park.

ELMONT, N.Y. - Already proven to like races over 1 1/2 miles on turf and to not mind a fight, Shakespeare showed another dimension on Monday at Belmont Park, easily handling a yielding turf course in a five-furlong workout.

The workout, accomplished in 1:03.80, gave trainer Bill Mott and jockey Jerry Bailey a sense of relief, since it is very likely that Saturday's $2 million Breeders' Cup Turf will be run on less-than-firm going.

Shakespeare, 4, has run only on firm turf in his brief career.

ELMONT, N.Y. - Leroidesanimaux eventually got in his final work for the Breeders' Cup Mile on Monday at Belmont. Turf works were at 9:15 a.m. You needed a special slip to get your horse onto the grass course. Trainer Bobby Frankel was standing at the gap leading onto the racetrack a quarter-mile past the finish line, turf slip in hand, ready and waiting at 9:15. No horse.

"Where are you?" Frankel was heard shouting into his cell phone as 9:30 came and went.

ELMONT, N.Y. - The first three finishers in the Grade 1 Flower Bowl Invitational at Belmont Park on Oct. 1 - Riskaverse, Wonder Again, and Film Maker - are hopefuls for Saturday's $1 million Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Turf. Each could use a win to erase an otherwise erratic campaign this year.

Riskaverse and Film Maker have only one victory this year, and Wonder Again is winless. Complicating matters for those three Saturday is the presence of defending champion Ouija Board from Europe as well as top American fillies and mares such as Intercontinental, Megahertz, and Wend.

ELMONT, N.Y. - The celebrity chef Bobby Flay makes the Triple Crown and the Breeders' Cup annual events on his sporting calendar. This Saturday, for his trip to the Breeders' Cup at Belmont Park, Flay is going not as a fan, but as the owner of a top contender.

Earlier this month, Flay and Richard Santulli bought half ownership in Wonder Again, 6, the millionaire Grade 1 winner who starts in the $1 million Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Turf. Breeders Joan and John Phillips will continue to own half-interest in the mare.

Monday, Oct. 24
Cloudy, track fast/turf yielding; 51¦

ELMONT, N.Y. - Sunday and Monday are historically the busiest work days in the final week leading up to major events such as the Kentucky Derby and Breeders' Cup. But after soaking rains on Saturday all but put Belmont Park's main and turf tracks out of commission on Sunday, training hours Monday became a dizzying affair with 26 Breeders' Cup pre-entrants getting in their final major tune-ups at Belmont, and all but four of those works coming after the renovation break.

Work of the day

ELMONT, N.Y. - The prospective starting lineup for the $1 million Breeders' Cup Sprint continues to dwindle. Trainer Bob Baffert confirmed Monday that Roman Ruler, who would likely have been second choice in the wagering in the six-furlong Sprint behind odds-on favorite Lost in the Fog, will not start after sustaining a foot bruise during his final workout for the race at Santa Anita last Friday.

Main and training track muddy, turf yielding, raining 50 degrees

ELMONT, N.Y. - Early morning showers on Saturday messed up both the racetrack and the training schedules for many of the Breeders' Cup hopefuls stabled in the New York area. Most trainers postponed their works until either Sunday or Monday, although a few sent their horses out to work as planned despite the dogs being set out past the middle of the main track and a yielding turf course at Belmont Park.

Work of the day

ELMONT, N.Y. - Rock Hard Ten, the winner of the Goodwood Breeders' Cup Handicap and one of the leading contenders for Saturday's $4 million Breeders' Cup Classic at Belmont Park, has a bruise to his left front foot that will delay his travel to New York, trainer Richard Mandella said Saturday.

Instead of traveling as scheduled on Sunday, Mandella said Rock Hard Ten, and stablemate Laura's Lucky Boy, would wait until Wednesday to fly to New York.