DEL MAR, Calif. - When the Best Pal Stakes was made official on Sunday at Del Mar following a lengthy inquiry, it was all over but for the shouting. And the fighting.

Boos emanated from the stands from those who disagreed that Kelly Leak should have been disqualified from victory in favor of Azul Leon, and jockey Victor Espinoza, the rider of Kelly Leak, got into a scrap with Rafael Bejarano, the rider of Azul Leon, in the jockeys' room after the race.

ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill. - One hears a lot of talk about the supposed superiority of European turf horses to their U.S.-based counterparts - and boy, was that stark fact ever on display Saturday at Arlington.

For the first time in 26 editions of the Arlington Million, European shippers swept the top three placings in the race, with Spirit One, an unheralded French horse, holding off a desperate late bid from heavily favored Archipenko to win. Mount Nelson, second choice in the race, finished third, with Silverfoot leading the American contingent in fourth.

Trainer John Martin was caught by surprise Sunday when he won two races at the Bay Meadows Fair in San Mateo, Calif., and found out he was just one away from career win No. 1,000.

Martin won the third race with Avada Kedava ($10) and the fifth with Shes a Lucky Wager ($5.40).

If you counted his victories with Appaloosas and Quarter Horses, Martin passed 1,000 wins long ago.

ETOBICOKE, Ontario - Jockey Chantal Sutherland and trainer Mac Benson may have been born a few decades apart, but the two had plenty in common at Woodbine last weekend.

Sutherland, 32, and Benson, 78, teamed up to win two stakes here as Sugar Bay captured Saturday's $182,845 Duchess and Ice Bear took Sunday's $100,400 With Approval.

Both wins were accomplished by a nose and were part of an incredible weekend in which Sutherland recorded six victories, with four coming by the same scant margin.

"This little girl seems to be doing everything right," said Benson.

Ghostly Thunder ($2.60) went into the $51,300 Robert G. Leavitt Memorial at Charles Town with a big advantage in Beyer Speed Figures, and ran to his numbers, winning the seven-furlong sprint for 3-year-olds by a 7 3/4 lengths. Pow Wow Power beat Working for Peace for second by three-quarters of a length.

Ridden by Travis Dunkelberger for owner and trainer Gary Capuano, Ghostly Thunder got his sixth win in 11 starts, four of the wins coming in stakes.

Sousaphone ($3.80) made her first trip to Ohio to face statebred fillies and mares wortwhile when she won the $50,000 Vivacious Handicap at River Downs on Saturday.

Trained by Michelle Nihei, Sousaphone made a big move under jockey Edgar Paucar to take the lead in upper stretch, dueled with second-place finisher Mini Mom, and began to draw clear late to win by three-quarters of a length. Holly the Dud was 3 3/4 lengths back in third.

Sousaphone ran t1 1/16 miles over a firm turf course in 1.42.3.

I Vow to Win ($10.20), despite breaking awkwardly, managed to circle the field to capture the $111,192 Iowa Stallion Futurity on Saturday night at Prairie Meadows.

Trainer Larry Hunt always had high hopes for the Iowa- bred and despite making his second start in seven days I Vow to win lived up to his trainer's expectations winning by 3 1/4 legths. I Vow To win, ridden by Pedro Monterrey, covered the six furlongs in 112.22

Ladyledue ($14) made her racing debut a memorable one on Saturday, winning the $50,000 Knights Choice Stakes for 2-year-old fillies at Emerald Downs by a widening eight lengths in a stakes-record clocking of 1:16.80 for 6 1/2 furlongs. Bella Compana edged favored Mimis Road Warrior for second in a field of six.

Ladyledue, a daughter of Slewdledo who races for John Sather, was trained up to her impressive bow by Bonnie Jenne and was ridden by Ricky Frazier.

Jonesboro ($6.60), dropped in class following a sixth-place finish behind reigning Horse of the Year Curlin in the Grade 1 Stephen Foster Handicap at Churchill Downs, returned to winning form in Saturday's $50,000 Governor's Handicap at Ellis Park.

Pressing the pace of longshot Longley through fractions of 23.68 and 46.73 seconds in the one-mile Governor's Handicap, Jonesboro took command with six furlongs in 1:10.66 and pulled away in the stretch to score by 3 1/4 lengths under Tracy Hebert. He raced a mile in 1:35.86.

Bevys Best took ($4.20) command at the start, shook off a brief challenge in late backstretch and drew off for a five-length win in the $15,600 Amadevil Stakes at Columbus on Saturday night.

Bevys Best covered the six furlongs over a track rated good in 1:12.80 while collecting his third stakes win from four starts this year. Apprentice Chris Fackler, who won three races on the card, was aboard for trainer Larry Staroscik.