FORT ERIE, Ontario - Mike Newell has the look of a football linebacker as his broad shoulders busy themselves with the business of a full shed row.

Newell, 50, is leading all Fort Erie trainers in the win column and, with just seven days left in the season, he recognizes the opportunity to lay claim to the 2008 title.

Chasing Newell home are Nick Gonzalez and Lyle Morden, who were both four wins back heading into Sunday's card. Newell has won 31 races and is looking more each day like the one to beat.

ELMONT, N.Y. - Stud Muffin took charge in the final furlong and held off a rally from That'srightofficer to win the $250,000 Empire Classic, the richest of the seven stakes on New York Showcase Day at Belmont Park.

The 10-race card reserved for New York-breds was also a showcase for Edgar Prado and Rick Dutrow Jr.

Prado rode four winners, including three stakes. Dutrow trained three stakes winners, including a one-two finish in the Iroquois Handicap.

"Anytime you win three stakes races at Belmont Park is a great day," Dutrow said.

Big Drama left little doubt he is the king of the local 2-year-old division after drawing off to a convincing five-length triumph over Three Part Harmony and 10 other overmatched rivals in Saturday's $400,000 In Reality Stakes. The victory gave Big Drama the distinction of becoming only the sixth horse to sweep all three legs of the open division of the Florida Stallion Stakes, and it was the highlight of Calder's Festival of the Sun card.

LEXINGTON, Ky. - John Velazquez took center stage for a second straight sun-splashed Saturday at Keeneland when giving favored Informed Decision a textbook ride in winning the Grade 2 Raven Run Stakes at Keeneland.

Informed Decision reeled in front-running Secret Gypsy leaving the eighth pole when powering away to a 4 1/4-length triumph in the seven-furlong Raven Run, returning $4.40 as the solid choice in a field of 13 3-year-old fillies.

BOOSIER CITY, La. - Odds-on favorite Bertsgoldenmissile prompted the early pace under confident handling by Lonnie Meche before drawing clear to win Saturday's $50,000 Gate Dancer Stakes at Louisiana Downs. Leestown Gift finished second in the closing-day feature for 2-year-olds followed by Milwaukee Miracle and Satyrs. Opposition Leader was a late scratch.

ARCADIA, Calif. - If the one-start filly Alpha Kitten is as spectacular as she looked in her debut, then why has it taken seven weeks to race again and why is the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies being run next week without her?

"The calendar was against her," trainer John Sadler said, referring to her only start, on Aug. 30, two days before the Del Mar Debutante. Stardom Bound got all the accolades for winning the Debutante, but Alpha Kitten's maiden win was every bit as impressive and makes her the horse to beat in the six-furlong Anoakia Sunday at the Oak Tree meet.

Beulah Park has canceled its live race card for Saturday, citing the inability to get an agreement with horsemen over their approval of transmission of the track's simulcast signal.

The cancellation is the second in a row for Beulah, which also called off its Friday card because of the dispute.

Trainer Jeff Radosevich won his 1,000th career race at Thistledown on Friday when he sent out Best Star ($3.40) to win the seventh race for owner Bruno Schickedanz. Radosevich, 47, is the leading trainer at Thistledown this year.

LEXINGTON, Ky. – With the 25th Breeders’ Cup being the talk of racetracks everywhere, racegoers and horsemen at Keeneland have been wondering whether the championships might really come here someday.

That possibility, once slim-to-none, was given a huge boost in early August when Keeneland officials announced that they had hired a world-class architectural firm, HOK Sport, to evaluate the facility and grounds for a possible renovation.

VANCOUVER, British Columbia - Vyliena figures to be a big price when she runs in the $100,000 Fantasy Stakes next Saturday. Her trainer, Nancy Betts, rarely runs a horse out of line, however, and she really likes the way Vyliena is coming up to the race.

"It's a tough spot, but she's pretty tough herself," said Betts. "I wouldn't keep her in here and waste Jimmy's time and my own time if I didn't think she wasn't going to put in a huge effort."