ELMONT, N.Y. - Dancing Forever dove to the rail with a bold rally in the stretch and then won a head bob from 3-1 favorite Out of Control to take Saturday's Grade 1, $400,000 Manhattan Handicap at Belmont Park.

ELMONT, N.Y. - Indian Blessing was the champion of the division last year, but a changing of the guard was signaled when Proud Spell dealt her the first defeat of her career in March at Fair Grounds.

A further evolution was in evidence Saturday at Belmont Park when Zaftig, ridden by John Velazquez, glided past Indian Blessing with surprising ease to post a 4 1/2-length triumph in the 78th running of the Grade 1 Acorn Stakes on the Belmont Stakes undercard.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – The 2007 Horse of the Year Curlin was assigned 128 pounds for next Saturday’s Grade 1 Stephen Foster Handicap at Churchill Downs, an impost that left Curlin’s trainer, Steve Asmussen, talking about possibly skipping the race.

“It might eliminate us from running,” Asmussen said. “They” – meaning Churchill Downs – “may have outsmarted themselves again.”

ELMONT, N.Y. - J Be K solidified his status as the East's top-ranked 3-year-old sprinter with an emphatic score over eight rivals in the 23rd running of the Grade 2, $250,000 Woody Stephens at Belmont.

J Be K broke alertly, took a short lead outside True Quality through fractions of 22.29 and 44.89 seconds, and unleashed a burst of speed to draw clear into midstretch after six furlongs in 1:08.78.

ELMONT, N.Y. - Soft ground and a softer pace was Ventura's undoing in last month's Distaff Turf Mile at Churchill Downs when she finished third.

Saturday at Belmont Park, Ventura got firm ground and a solid early pace and she capitalized on both to record a three-quarter-length victory in the Grade 1, $400,000 Just a Game Stakes. Lady of Venice, the 2-1 favorite, chased Ventura home and finished second, three-quarters of a length in front off 44-1 shot Forever Together.

ELMONT, N.Y. – When Dance Gal Dance scratched from the Grade 1 Acorn, it looked as though Indian Blessing was a cinch as the lone speed.

But proving yet again there are no sure things in racing, Zaftig went right past Indian Blessing in upper stretch and romped to a 4 1/2-length victory over last year’s 2-year-old filly champion. Indian Blessing finished second by 17 1/4 lengths over Game Face. It was 13 3/4 lengths back to Golden Doc A.

ELMONT, N.Y. - IEAH Stables and trainer Rick Dutrow, the connections of Big Brown, enjoyed an auspicious beginning to their stakes action Saturday at steamy Belmont Park when Benny the Bull got up in the final strides under Edgar Prado to win the $250,000 True North Handicap.

Benny the Bull, the top-ranked sprinter in the country and the 1-2 favorite off consecutive victories in the Grade 1 De Francis Dash, the Sunshine Millions Sprint, and the Group 1 Dubai Golden Shaheen, tracked along in fifth place early as Man of Danger carved out fractions of 22.06 seconds and 44.98.

AUBURN, Wash. - When Victorina contests the $50,000 Washington State Legislators Handicap on Sunday, she can lay claim to being the most accomplished filly or mare sprinter to compete at Emerald Downs since Ema Bovary won the same race in 2003.

NetJets Inc., the private aviation company, and the jockeys riding in the Belmont Stakes will donate a combined $75,000 to be split between two charities based at Belmont Park

INGLEWOOD, Calif. - Del Mar is making a retroactive purse payment of approximately $126,000 to owners whose horses earn purses in overnight races at the 2007 meeting, and it will carry a positive balance of $400,000 for purses at its upcoming meeting, track officials said Thursday.