ELMONT, N.Y. - French invader Banks Hill and trainer Andre Fabre scored the Europeans their first victory of the 2001 Breeders' Cup with a dazzling 5 1/2-length win in the $1 million Filly & Mare Turf at 1 1/4 miles at Belmont Park.

Banks Hill saved ground every step of the way while stalking the moderate early pace of 5-2 favorite England's Legend, and took charge with a dramatic turn-of-foot along the inside turning into the stretch. Banks Hill then drew off through the lane to earn the easy victory under jockey Olivier Peslier in a time of 2:00.36.

ELMONT, N.Y. - It took 39 tries, but trainer Bobby Frankel finally won a Breeders' Cup race.

After losing with two favorites earlier on the Breeders' Cup World Thoroughbred Championships card, Frankel walked into the Breeders' Cup winner's circle for the first time when 9-1 shot Squirtle Squirt took Saturday's $1 million Breeders' Cup Sprint by a half-length.

ELMONT, N.Y. - Val Royal ran the fastest Breeders' Cup Mile in history on his way to victory in a time of 1:32.05 on the turf course at Belmont Park.

Val Royal, who came into the Breeders' Cup off a win in the Oak Tree Mile, sat far back off a fast pace in the 12-horse Mile and came rolling wide through the stretch to win by 1 3/4 lengths over Forbidden Apple who finished second.

ELMONT, N.Y. - Godolphin Racing's Tempera ran down stablemate Imperial Gesutre in the final furlong to post a 1 1/2-length victory in Saturday's $1 million Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies at Belmont Park.

Tempera ($25.80), coming off a third in the Del Mar Debutante, rallied in the middle of the track under jockey David Flores to collar her uncoupled stablemate in the Grade 1 1 1/16-mile stakes.

ELMONT, N.Y. - In a race marred by tragedy, Unbridled Elaine closed wide through the stretch and caught defending champion Spain at the wire to win the Breeders' Cup Distaff by a head.

ELMONT, N.Y. - The Breeders' Cup World Thoroughbred Championships got off to a chilling start Saturday when Exogenous suffered a head injury after flipping and getting her leg caught in between the bars of gate while being walked to the track for the first Breeders' Cup race, the Distaff.

Unable to stand after her leg was freed, Exogenous, the 7-2 second-choice in the race, was tranquilized and then dragged into a horse ambulance for treatment.

ELMONT, NY. - Sunny skies and temperatures hovering at 50 degrees greeted racing fans Saturday morning as they arrived at Belmont Park for the Breeders' Cup World Thoroughbred Championships.

Winds were gusting in from the northwest at between 10-20 mph, according to the 9:45 a.m. track report.

The main track was listed as fast and the turf course firm.

There were four scratches on the 10-race card at Belmont, beginning with Sassy Hound from the $100,000 Sport Page, the second race of the day.

ELMONT, N.Y. - Three horses were scratched on Friday from Saturday's Breeders' Cup World Thoroughbred Championships at Belmont Park: Numerous Times, the undefeated Canadian turf miler, and Fleet Renee and Slew Valley, trainer Michael Dickinson's two entrants.

Numerous Times, entered for the Mile, was scratched because he wrenched an ankle in his stall. Fleet Renee and Slew Valley never arrived at Belmont Park from Dickinson's Tapeta Farm in Maryland.

ELMONT, N.Y. - Racing in the Big Apple may not be ready for a personality like Julio Canani, who trains two starters in Saturday's Breeders' Cup races. At 62, Canani has a recipe for success that combines a sharp wit with an enthusiasm for racing and a dash of cynicism.

ELMONT, N.Y. - How do you take $5,000 and parlay it into $1,041,150? Ask the owners of Xtra Heat, the remarkable filly who on Saturday will try to join three other fillies who have won the $1 million Breeders' Cup Sprint.

John Salzman Sr., Harry Deitchman, and Kenneth Taylor bought Xtra Heat for $5,000 at the Fasig-Tipton Midlantic sale of 2-year-olds in training at Timonium in May 2000. Since then, the Kentucky-bred daughter of Dixieland Heat has won 17 of 20 starts, and surpassed