FLORENCE, Ky. - If it's the week after Labor Day, then this must be the Turfway Park fall meet. And as the prodigal sons and daughters of the Kentucky racing circuit start returning home from Saratoga and other summer destinations, the next month will be marked by reunions of old friends and colleagues and by at least one day to foreshadow the major fall meets in the state.

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - Ontrack attendance for this year's Saratoga meet was down just over eight percent from last year's record total, falling below the one million mark at 963,432. Pending final-day totals, ontrack handle was down by less than one percent.

Attendance and handle figures were strong through the first several weeks of the meet, but those figures declined sharply as the meet stretched on into September, even with ideal weather during the final week.

Blinkers have been a help to Major Rhythm. He added the equipment six starts ago and picked up his third victory since then on Monday in the $125,000 Edward J. DeBartolo Memorial Breeders' Cup Handicap at Remington Park.

Major Rhythm won by three lengths over 122-pound highweight and favorite Maysville Slew. It was another neck back in third to Slew Slayer.

Wildcat Heir took an important step forward Monday afternoon with a powerful four-length victory in the $60,000 Icecapade Stakes at Monmouth Park.

The 4-year-old Wildcat Heir, making only his eighth career start, notched his first stakes victory by demolishing a solid field of sprinters.

Wildcat Heir ($6) rated right behind the speed duel that developed between Here's Zealous and Don Six. The race was over once Jose Velez Jr. turned Wildcat Heir loose.

With a last-to-first move, Souris won the $52,600 Safely Kept Stakes on Monday at Arlington by a length.

ETOBICOKE, Ontario - The finale on Wednesday's card, a $10,000 claimer for 3-year-olds and up, has drawn a field of 13, which includes several classy runners with a chance.

Devil Valentine should be among the favorites in the seven-furlong dash. A 6-year-old with nearly $500,000 in the bank, Devil Valentine won three Ontario-sire stakes in his first two years in competition, and was second in the 2000 Coronation Futurity.

DM Shicago benefited from a perfect start to win Monday's $1.9 million for 2-year-old Quarter Horses at Ruidoso Downs, a race marred by a fatal breakdown suffered by Separate Secrets, the 8-5 favorite.

DM Shicago ($12), ridden by Juan Vazquez, ran 440 yards in a stakes-record 21 seconds, finishing three-quarters of a length in front of 15-1 Take Off Jess.

The victory was worth $1 million for co-owners Fredda Draper and Don Moler. DM Shicago, who won his first stakes in the All American, is trained by Carl Draper.

Gorylla, winner of the 2003 Carlos Pellegrini in Argentina, finished eighth of nine horses in his North American debut in Monday's $75,000 Tri-State Handicap at Ellis Park, a race G P Fleet won by a neck over Flying Jazz.

G P Fleet's victory in the closing-day Tri-State capped a banner weekend for his owners - Elaine, Richard and Bertram Klein - and trainer Steve Flint. They also won the other Ellis stakes race of the Labor Day weekend, taking Saturday's Dade Turf Classic with May Gator. Both horses were claimed earlier in their racing careers.

BENSALEM, Pa. - Despite the fact Love of Money had never raced around two turns or in a stakes race before, trainer Richard Dutrow Jr. thought enough of him entering Monday's $750,000 that he wagered $2,000 to win and place on the 12-1 shot.

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - Prince Arch, who had been racing against the likes of multiple stakes winners Kittens Joy and Artie Schiller, returned from a layoff of nearly two months to win the $108,200 for 3-year-olds on the Mellon turf course.

Prince Arch, who won the Forerunner and the Jefferson Cup with strong closing runs earlier this year, had been freshened since a third-place finish in the Virginia Derby and needed every inch of the 1 3/16 miles to run down Mustanfar, who had collared pacesetter Catch the Glory in midstretch and opened a clear lead.