ELMONT, N.Y. - The Metropolitan Handicap is one of the highlights of the New York Racing Association calendar largely due to the highly competitive nature of the fields it regularly attracts.

This year's , which highlights Monday's 10-race Memorial Day card at Belmont Park, is still a much-anticipated event, but largely due to the presence of one horse.

Congaree is among the top handicap horses in training at any distance. But at seven furlongs or a mile, there may be none better, a premise Congaree figures to back up at a short price in the Grade 1, $750,000 Met Mile.

ELMONT, N.Y. - Rain or shine, trainer Todd Pletcher holds a strong hand for Monday's Grade 3, $100,000 Jaipur Handicap at Belmont Park.

The Jaipur is scheduled to be run at seven furlongs on the Widener Turf Course. However, the recent wet weather could force the race to the main track.

ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill. - Two seasons ago Al's Dearly Bred won a rich Claiming Crown race, but last year may have been even better. Al's Dearly Bred won three times and looked good even when he lost, finishing third in the Sea O' Erin and third in the Steinlen, Arlington races worth at least $100,000.

Good at 4 and better at 5, Al's Dearly Bred starts his 6-year-old season in the $45,000 Mister Gus Stakes on Monday at Arlington. The Mister Gus, at one mile on grass, drew a highly competitive field of 11, and Al's Dearly Bred must return ready from a six-month layoff to win it.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - For more than 30 years before he died in November 2000, Jerry Romans trained winner after winner for Louisville businessman Frank Jones Jr. Since then, Dale Romans, Jerry's son, has become the trainer for Jones, and success has continued unabated.

GRAND PRAIRIE, Texas - Bluesthestandard is out to complete a sweep of the two richest stakes for older horses at Lone Star Park on Monday, and in the process will attempt to extend his own win streak to six in the Grade 3, $300,000 Lone Star Park Handicap.

The 1 1/16-mile race is the richest of seven stakes worth a total of $1 million on the card. Other top races on Lone Star Million Day include the Grade 3, $200,000 WinStar Distaff.

AUBURN, Wash. - Unyielding, an authoritative winner of the six- furlong Auburn Stakes on May 3, will tote high weight of 123 pounds when he takes on seven other 3-year-olds in Monday's $40,000 Pepsi-Cola Handicap at Emerald Downs.

Unyielding won two allowance races and a pair of stakes last winter at Turf Paradise, so his victory in the Auburn merely confirmed his quality and form. There are two ways to look at his Auburn score, however.

OCEANPORT, N.J. - Empire Maker was entered in the Jersey Derby at the last minute on Saturday, taking racing officials by surprise. Due to the late entry, Monmouth officials said Saturday that they can do little to promote Empire Maker's appearance than hope for better weather than the misty rain under cold gray skies that prevailed on Saturday, opening day of the meet.

INGLEWOOD, Calif. - It would hardly seem like a proper Memorial Day at Hollywood Park without an appearance by Ladies Din in the $350,000 Shoemaker Breeders' Cup Mile.

The runner-up in 1999 and 2000 to stablemate Silic, Ladies Din won the Grade 1 turf race last year after missing the 2001 running. Monday, the 8-year-old Ladies Din is a top contender in the Shoemaker. He tries to give owners Terry Lanni and Bernie Schiappa - who also owned Silic - their fourth Shoemaker win since 1999.

INGLEWOOD, Calif. - King Robyn will be favored to win his third consecutive stakes in the $150,000 Laz Barrera Memorial Stakes at Hollywood Park, but the seven-furlong distance provides a new test for him.

This spring, King Robyn has won the San Pedro Stakes on dirt over 6 1/2 furlongs at Santa Anita and the Harry Henson Stakes over 5 1/2 furlongs on turf at Hollywood Park.

The Grade 2 Laz Barrera not only is a longer race, but it has a better field than those of King Robyn's last two wins.

INGLEWOOD, Calif. - The depth of talent in the $350,000 Gamely Breeders' Cup Handicap on Monday at Hollywood Park has limited the field to six starters.

Not many outsiders would be willing to take on fillies and mares such as the Grade 1 stakes winners Dublino and Dress to Thrill; the remarkable Group 1-winning Argentine import Miss Terrible; or Megahertz, Sentimental Value, and Tates Creek, all stakes winners.