What he couldn't do at odds of 2-5 two years ago, Praise the Prince got done at 5-2 on Thursday, taking the Grade 1, $113,800 New York Turf Writers Cup Steeplechase Handicap before 17,494 at Saratoga.

Tres Touche, who finished 1 1/2 lengths behind Praise the Prince when those two were second and third in the A.P. Smithwick here on Aug. 7, finished second Thursday by the same margin. It was a neck back to Indispensable in third.

Two years ago, Praise the Prince wilted to third under a burdensome weight of 160 pounds. Thursday, he carried 150 pounds under Gus Brown.

Antonio Figueroa, 32, a stablehand who worked for trainer Raymond Einhorn, was fatally stabbed early Thursday in the Monmouth Park barn area.

Police responded to a 911 call around 2:30 a.m. and found the victim and "an excessive amount of blood," according to Monmouth County prosecutor John Kaye.

The police recovered a knife at the scene.

The New Jersey State Police and the Oceanport Police Department cordoned off a portion of the backstretch Thursday morning to conduct an investigation.

DEL MAR, Calif. - Four down, one to go.

Since the Del Mar meeting began on July 23, four records on the turf course have been lowered. The most recent came Wednesday when Allover won an allowance race over 1 1/16 miles in 1:39.84, edging the 1986 record of 1:40 set by Icehot.

Earlier at this meeting, records were set over five furlongs, a mile, and 1 1/8 miles. The only active distance in which a record has not been broken is 1 3/8 miles.

MIAMI - The Affirmed and Susan's Girl divisions of the Florida Stallion Stakes will command the most attention on Saturday's "Baby Day" program at Calder. But the $50,000 Seacliff Stakes has drawn the deepest and most talented field, and may prove the best of the six stakes on the 13-race live card.

NORTH RANDALL, Ohio - The Ohio Debutante Handicap has drawn a competitive field of 10 Ohio-bred 3-year-old fillies who will square off over six furlongs for a $40,000 purse.

The highweight in the field, under an impost of 122 pounds, is Oh So Easy, a Take That Step filly who has won two stakes in her last three starts. Both wins, one of which came on the grass, were at River Downs going 1 1/16 miles.

With a clean break, Gilded Wings could be tough to catch in the $35,000 Adena at Remington Park. The five-furlong turf race for fillies and mares drew a full field of 12, and the winner gets a season to one of three stallions: Golden Missile, Wild Rush, or Running Stag.

The second- and third-place finishers will be awarded a season to the remaining stallions, who all stand at Adena Springs, the property of Remington owner Frank Stronach.

LAFAYETTE, La. - The Steve Asmussen-trained entry of McKinney and Storm Finale top the Matron Handicap at Evangeline Downs. The one-mile race for fillies and mares will carry a $35,000 purse.

McKinney, a 5-year-old mare, will be the starting highweight in the Matron at 118 pounds. She won the Bayakoa Stakes earlier this year at Oaklawn Park and finished second in the Delicada Stakes at Louisiana Downs on July 19. McKinney most recently finished third to Storm Finale in a money allowance, also at Louisiana Downs. Asmussen has named Lonnie Meche on both halves of the entry.

MUSKEGON, Mich. - Reigning Michigan horse of the year Secret Romeo will be a heavy favorite when he faces seven statebred rivals in the Frontier Handicap at Great Lakes Downs. The 1 1/8-mile race offers a purse of $45,000.

Trainer Gerald Bennett said earlier this week that he was undecided whether Secret Romeo would run here or ship to Saratoga for Sunday's Grade 1 Forego Handicap.

"I'm still on the fence for that race," Bennett said, pondering the 900-mile trip.

They're running for more than just the purse Saturday in the $50,000 Prelude at Louisiana Downs. The winner of the 1 1/16-mile race for 3-year-olds gets a free starting berth in the Grade 2, $500,000 Super Derby at 1 1/8 miles on Sept. 20. That's a perk worth $8,500.

To get it won't be easy. The Prelude has drawn a competitive field of eight, including Crowned King, Kool Humor, Guaranteed Sweep, and Zydeco Affair.

Tim Hamm knows about precocious 2-year-old fillies. Two years ago, Hamm sent out Joanies Bella to sweep the Bassinet Stakes at River Downs and Arlington-Washington Lassie, marking perhaps the most rewarding span of Hamm's eight-year training career.

On Saturday, Hamm will be at River Downs in Cincinnati again, trying to keep another promising filly on the path to stardom. Ding's Thing, unbeaten in her first three starts, will represent Hamm as the favorite in the $100,000 Bassinet, a six-furlong race that drew 11 2-year-old fillies.