ELMONT, N.Y. – On a breezy fall Wednesday morning, trainer Tim Ice stood on a wooden platform just above and to the left of the Belmont Park winner’s circle. It’s a place he has been before.

“It feels like forever,’’ Ice said.

In reality, it’s only been 2 1/2 years since Ice hoisted the trophy following Summer Bird’s victory in the Belmont Stakes. For good measure, Summer Bird came back to Belmont that fall and won the Jockey Club Gold Cup en route to winning an Eclipse Award as the 3-year-old champion.

ARCADIA, Calif.-There may be a race at the Breeders’ Cup for Haskell Invitational winner Coil after all.

Last weekend, trainer Bob Baffert said Coil would not start in the BC Classic over 1 1/4 miles at Churchill Downs on Nov. 5 after a third-place finish to stablemate Game On Dude and Awesome Gem in the $250,000 Goodwood Stakes at Santa Anita.

Baffert reiterated that position on Wednesday, but said that the $1 million BC Dirt Mile around one turn on the same day is a possibility. He stopped well short of committing the promising 3-year-old.

Although the Keeneland jockey colony once again is brimming with world-class talent, Julien Leparoux should have ample opportunity to earn his seventh riding title here. Leparoux, the leading rider at the spring meet with 19 winners, is expected to miss only one day, Oct. 16, during the 17-day meet, according to his agent, Steve Bass.

Among the other top riders expected here the entire duration are Robby Albarado, Calvin Borel, Kent Desormeaux, and Edgar Prado, all of whom also intend to ride through the Churchill Downs meet.

Only three horses have won multiple Breeders’ Cup Challenge Win and You’re In races this year. Two of the three, Tizway and the recently retired Cape Blanco, are among the most recognizable names in the business. The third is Giant Ryan, a Calder-based, New York-bred speedster whose relative anonymity on the national scene is exceeded only by that of his trainer, Bisnath Parboo.

ARCADIA, Calif.– A trio of 3-year-olds who showed ample promise in the early months of 2011 return from layoffs in Friday’s sixth race at Santa Anita, an optional claimer over a mile.

Jakesam, who placed in three stakes from January to April; Riveting Reason, who was second in the Grade 2 Robert Lewis Stakes in February; and Hoorahforhollywood, who was sharp in two sprints earlier this year, are among the 13 entrants. The race will have a safety limit of 10 runners; the three colts returning from breaks are part of the main body of the field.

ETOBICOKE, Ontario – The Ralph Biamonte stable, which has been well represented in 2-year-old stakes here this season, has candidates for two of the three features this weekend.

On Saturday Biamonte will send out Rose and Shine for the $200,000 Mazarine, an open race for fillies at 1 1/16 miles.

And Biamonte is looking forward to Monday’s $125,000 Bull Page, with Jenna’s Wabbit set for that six-furlong race for Ontario-sired colts and geldings.

Jake Mo could put himself in the picture for the new $500,000 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Sprint, depending on his effort in Friday night’s $75,000 Kip Deville at Remington Park.

“If he shows up and runs the right kind of race, I’ll sure contemplate going,” said Allen Milligan, who trains Jake Mo.

ELMONT, N.Y. – It has been quite a sensational last couple of months for trainer David Jacobson.

At Saratoga, he won 5 races from 27 starters, including the Grade 1 New York Turf Writers Cup with Mabou, an 8-year-old gelding he claimed for $30,000. Through the first 18 days of Belmont’s fall meet, Jacobson sits atop the trainer standings with 10 wins from 22 starters.

LEXINGTON, Ky. – Bottle it. Phone-cam it. Whatever way you can preserve it, do it. The aura of Keeneland will be at full peak this opening weekend but might slip away thereafter, so fans will be doing whatever they can to savor its essence.

LOS ALAMITOS, Calif. – One outfit has two broodmares, the other has arguably too many to count.

But Don and Kathy Meneely of Kennewick, Wash., and the massive Vessels Stallion Farm in Bonsall, Calif., have one thing in common: they were the winning owners in last weekend’s Pacific Coast Quarter Horse Racing Association Breeders’ Futurity and Derby at Los Alamitos.

For the Meneelys, the $490,000 PCQHRA Futurity win by Ima Chickie Too last Saturday night was their biggest victory. For more than a decade, they have raised their own horses, emphasizing quality.