ETOBICOKE, Ontario - Richard Migliore, one of the leading riders at Belmont Park, has picked up the mount on Get Down, one of the locally based contenders for the $1 million Queen's Plate at Woodbine on June 26.

Get Down, owned by West Point Thoroughbreds and trained by Nancy Triola, heads into the 1 1/4-mile Plate off a third-place finish in the 1 1/8-mile Plate Trial here June 5.

Engaging Migliore was no knock on Slade Callaghan, who had ridden Get Down in all of his five career starts, Triola stressed.

ELMONT, N.Y. - Tim Ritchey put himself on the chopping block earlier this year when he decided to train Afleet Alex as much as twice a day for as many as five miles. It is a schedule few trainers would dare to undertake, even if in their hearts they thought it was right, because unorthodox methods invite backbiting in the insular world of Thoroughbred racing.

ELMONT, N.Y. - Though attendance was down nearly 50 percent, and handle on the Belmont Stakes itself declined 24 percent from last year, New York Racing Association officials were delighted with business at 137th Belmont Stakes.

A crowd of only 62,274 showed up on a hot and humid Saturday to watch Afleet Alex annihilate 10 rivals - including Kentucky Derby winner Giacomo - adding the Belmont Stakes to his acrobatic victory in last month's Preakness Stakes. Last year, a record crowd of 120,139 came to see Smarty Jones's failed bid to win the Triple Crown.

ELMONT, N.Y. - With all day to think about riding the 1 1/2-mile Belmont Stakes aboard even-money favorite Afleet Alex, how did 26-year-old Jeremy Rose spend the hours leading up to the race, his only mount on Saturday's 13-race card?

"Slept," Rose said. "I did a couple of interviews and then I went up and slept."

From all accounts, it was a peaceful nap at that.

"If I didn't call him, they would have had to get a rider for the horse," said John Palmieri, who serves as Rose's valet when he rides in New York.

CALGARY, Alberta - Invaders from Vancouver captured both stakes at Stampede Park over the weekend in extremely wet conditions, as Gold Accent proved best by five lengths in Saturday's Duchess of York, and Five Point Star was a 2 1/2-length winner of Sunday's Herald Gold Plate.

The track was sloppy for both races.

ELMONT, N.Y. - Ashado appears to be regaining her championship form - and not a moment too soon.

Ashado, last year's champion 3-year-old filly, worked a strong five furlongs in 59.06 seconds Sunday morning over Belmont Park's main track in preparation for her next start in Saturday's Grade 1, $300,000 Ogden Phipps Handicap. The move, which was done by herself, was the second-fastest of 39 at the distance.

"I think she's training better as a 4-year-old than she has her whole life,'' trainer Todd Pletcher said. "She's bigger, stronger, and a little more willing.''

ELMONT, N.Y. - With the Belmont Stakes complete, the countdown to Saratoga begins. There are six weeks remaining in the Belmont spring/summer meet, 30 days of racing before the New York racing community heads upstate.

Several highlights remain in the final six weeks at Belmont, none on Wednesday's nine-race card, which drew only 72 horses. Entries figure to be light this week, coming off a strong Belmont week in which 49 flat races were carded. A limited number of runners Wednesday could bode well for pick-six players chasing a $44,899 carryover.

Tests on a horse from trainer Paul Pearson's barn at Prairie Meadows came back negative for the equine herpes virus Monday morning, allowing the state vets to lift the quarantine that had been in effect on that horse's barn since last Tuesday.

As a result of the negative test, all shipping restrictions to and from Prairie Meadows have also been lifted.

The suspect horse, an unraced 3-year-old from Pearson's barn, had been taken to Iowa State University and placed in isolation last Monday afternoon after displaying a temperature and signs of neurological distress.

INGLEWOOD, Calif. - A runner-up finish by County in an allowance race on May 15 left trainer Neil Drysdale frustrated. County was favored, but a poor break contributed to the loss and a chance for a second consecutive victory.

Wednesday at Hollywood Park, will be again be favored to claim his second victory in a $51,000 optional claimer over 1 1/16 miles for 3-year-olds. This time, even a tough start may not be enough to stop him.

INGLEWOOD, Calif. - Kentucky Derby winner Giacomo may be switched to turf later this summer after a disappointing seventh in Saturday's Belmont Stakes.

Trainer John Shirreffs said on Sunday that Giacomo will be rested for "a week or 10 days" before resuming training. Giacomo was flown to Hollywood Park on Sunday. His next start will come in the $400,000 Swaps Stakes over 1 1/8 miles on dirt on July 9 at Hollywood Park or the $400,000 Del Mar Derby over 1 1/8 miles on turf at Del Mar on Sept. 5.