ELMONT, N.Y. - For the first time in seven years, Saturday's $500,000 Suburban Handicap at Belmont Park will be run as a Grade 1 event. The nine-horse field assembled for the 117th running of the Suburban is befitting a race of such stature.

Four of the nine entrants are Grade 1 winners, and the other five horses have all finished third or higher in a Grade 1 event at least once. The Suburban, run at 10 furlongs, tops an 11-race card that also includes the Grade 3 Poker Handicap at one mile on turf.

OCEANPORT, N.J. - Trainer Jonathan Sheppard sees no indication With Anticipation has conceded anything to the passage of time.

The 8-year-old turf warrior still trains aggressively, cleans out the feed tub with gusto, and shows the old competitive fire.

Handicappers, looking through a different prism, wonder if With Anticipation has lost a step. They witnessed two less-than-stellar efforts this season and wonder if the calendar - the universal enemy - has taken a toll on With Anticipation, a career winner of more than $2.6 million and five Grade 1 stakes races.

INGLEWOOD, Calif. - You only get one chance to make a first impression, and the American Oaks made a glorious first impression one year ago. It attracted an international field, and produced a thrilling and controversial finish, with Megahertz being placed first upon the disqualification of Dublino.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - Trainer Neil Howard always knew Rock Slide was a good one. Howard just didn't know when or how the horse would prove his trainer right.

The time and place seem to have finally arrived.

As a son of the great sire A.P. Indy, Rock Slide was born with the looks and potential to become a top-class performer, but for one reason or another, the pieces never came together in quite the right way.

ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill. - As he finished the $400,000 Jim Murray Handicap on May 10 at Hollywood Park, Ballingarry could view the churning hindquarters of two horses, Storming Home and Denon. Five others were behind him, and those two ahead might be the best turf distance horses in the United Stakes.

ELMONT, N.Y. - Little has gone right for Green Fee since he upset the Grade 2 Kelso Handicap here last October. Trainer Danny Peitz hopes a little home cooking can help get Green Fee going again.

Green Fee returns to his favorite course and distance on Saturday when he heads an 11-horse field entered to run in the Grade 3, $100,000 Poker Handicap at one mile over the Belmont turf course. Green Fee, a 7-year-old son of Green Dancer, is 6 for 12 at Belmont, 1 for 19 everywhere else.

ELMONT, N.Y. - Todd Pletcher is not only on his way to a second straight Belmont spring-summer meet trainers' title, he's about to have the best Belmont spring-summer meet any trainer has ever had.

When Mr. Reins won Thursday's opener, it gave Pletcher his 31st victory, eclipsing his 30-win total of last year. It also put him five away from Frank "Pancho' Martin's record of 36 set in 1982. According to research done by the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame, that figure is the most wins for a trainer at the Belmont spring-summer meet.

ETOBICOKE, Ontario - Although Chopinina was voted champion turf filly or mare in Canada last year, she is still in search of her first career stakes victory. Chopinina will try to rectify that situation in Saturday's Grade 2, $171,750 Dance Smartly Handicap at Woodbine.

ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill. - Trainer Graham Motion has kept one eye fixed on the national weather map the last several days. It's common practice for a horseman pointing a grass horse to a stakes race, as Motion has been with Dr. Brendler.

But there's one slight twist to Motion's designs - instead of avoiding rain, he is trying to steer into it.

"It's a little unusual to be looking for wet weather with a grass horse," Motion said Wednesday afternoon.

Jockey Donnie Meche's bid to resume riding was rebuffed Thursday when stewards at Louisiana Downs declined to license him. Earlier this week, a civil district court in New Orleans stayed a one-year suspension imposed on Meche by the Louisiana Racing Commission. Meche had hoped to begin riding again this week. His license expired June 30.

A steward at Louisiana Downs who asked for anonymity said Meche had not been denied a license. Rather, he said, "It was recommended that he not be licensed at this time."