ELMONT, N.Y. - Organizer had always been competitive with the top New York-bred handicap horses in training, but had never won an important statebred race. Saturday, at brisk Belmont Park, Organizer won the most important race for New York-breds, taking the $250,000 by three-quarters of a length over Carminooch.

It was a neck back to the slow-starting West Virginia in third. It was the third straight year that West Virginia was beaten as the favorite in the Empire Classic.

Funny Cide, making his first start in the Empire Classic, finished fourth, beaten 1 1/2 lengths.

LEXINGTON, Ky. - Leah's Secret rebounded from a pair of disappointing losses with the best race of her career when she got a perfect trip Saturday under Mark Guidry to score an upset in the Grade 2, $300,000 at Keeneland.

Leah's Secret, dismissed at 18-1 after off-the-board finishes in her previous races at Arlington and Turfway, wore down Vestrey Lady, a 17-1 shot, in registering her first stakes victory. The winner paid $38.80 after finishing seven furlongs in 1:22.74 over Polytrack.

Paradise Dancer made short work of seven rivals in the $45,000 Go To Will Stakes, drawing off to a convincing 9 1/2-length victory over the pacesetting Kopper Kilgoar in the seven-furlong overnight stakes.

Paradise Dancer, a 6-year-old son of Langfuhr, was claimed for $40,000 by trainer Kirk Ziadie for owner Richard Averill on Aug. 4. After finishing a tiring fourth in the Hooting Star Stakes on the grass earlier this month, Paradise Dancer returned to his favorite main-track surface and ran perhaps the best race of his career, beginning by stalking the lead from the outset.

Cleverly handled by E. J. Perrodin, favorite Wine Diva outfinished Dawn After Dawn to capture the $50,000 Lady Luck Stakes. Glamorous Cat finished third in the closing-day feature for 2-year-old fillies, followed by Easily Swayed.

Perrodin allowed the early pace to go before beginning to move closer going into the far turn. He steered Wine Diva ($7.60) out a bit for room at the head of the straight and proved best in a spirited battle in the late going.

Just Michel ($4) overcame traffic trouble and rallied for a 2 1/2-length victory over Money Card in the $50,000 Scarlet and Gray Handicap for Ohio-bred fillies and mare.

Just Michel stalked the pace while saving ground to the stretch of the six-furlong race under jockey Luis Gonzalez. They were blocked behind runners in upper stretch, but Gonzalez angled her out and found a seam between rivals approaching the furlong marker, and Just Michel drew clear late in a time of 1:10.98 over the fast track.

Catch the Thrill, a well-bred daughter A.P. Indy and 2000 Canadian Oaks winner Catch the Ring, won her first stakes in the $250,800 Princess Elizabeth.

Favored Boldly Seductive set quick fractions of 23.49 and 47.76 seconds in the 1 1/16-mile route for 2-year-old fillies. Robert Landry had Catch the Thrill running about seven lengths off the lead on the backstretch, and they began to mount a wide rally on the far turn.

Catch the Thrill overhauled Quiet Action early in the stretch, and got home on top by 2 1/4 lengths in a time of 1:46.11.

Berriestoheaven, the only filly in the field with stakes experience, rallied through the stretch to win the $74,100 Anoakia Stakes for 2-year-old fillies at the Oak Tree at Santa Anita meeting.

Ridden by Tyler Baze, Berriestoheaven ($11) finished six furlongs in 1:11.32, winning by 1 3/4 lengths. Tizthen, the 4-5 favorite, finished second, a head in front of Sego Lily, a shipper from Golden Gate Fields.

Berriestoheaven gave trainer Paddy Gallagher his first stakes win of the meeting.

It's safe to assume Adore the Gold won't be running for a claiming tag again anytime soon.

After dominating $50,000 maiden claimers sprinting in his career debut, earning a 96 Beyer Speed Figure, the 2-year-old colt Adore the Gold successfully stretched out to 1 1/16 miles to capture Saturday's $100,000 Dover Stakes at Delaware Park.

"As it looks now, we actually took a big shot putting him in for $50,000," trainer Mike Gorham said. "He won that race easy and numbers-wise, he ran real fast, so we thought we would give him a shot in the stake.

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. - Greg Sacco will be a busy trainer Tuesday afternoon with four horses entered at the Meadowlands Racetrack.

The Big M will add a second 10-cent superfecta to the betting menu on Tuesday. The dime bet with a 15 percent takeout debuted in New Jersey at the start of the meet on the last race of each card and will now be offered on the fourth and last races on each program.

Sacco has 3-year-old fillies in both superfecta races, starting with Forever Grateful in the fourth, a $36,000 first-level allowance at 1 1/16 miles on the turf.

MIAMI - Miesque's Approval continues to train well for his upcoming start in the Breeders' Cup Mile and worked a half-mile in 49 seconds early Saturday morning at Calder.

"It was his usual work and he went very well," said trainer Marty Wolfson. "I worked him before sunrise and he was a little hard to catch but I had him galloping out in 1:03, which I thought was excellent. He couldn't be doing any better and I'll give him one more work here next Saturday before shipping to Louisville."