ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill. - Cat and the Hat kept coming and coming, drew nearly abreast in deep stretch - did everything but actually pass Mandy's Gold, who held on to win the $164,440 Chicago Breeders' Cup Handicap by a head at Arlington.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - Orchard Park, rated perfectly by Mark Guidry, split horses in deep stretch on his way to a well-earned victory Saturday as the favorite in the Grade 3, $277,500 Jefferson Cup at Churchill Downs.

Orchard Park, bred and owned by Peter Vesgo and trained by Bill Mott, prevailed by a length over Mr. Mellon in the 1 1/8-mile turf race. Quest Star finished third, another 2 1/2 lengths back in a field of eight 3-year-olds.

Earlier this spring, Boston Common and Tank's Expectation were briefly on the Triple Crown trail. But once they failed some early tests against some of the nation's top 3-year-olds, their connections decided they would be better off sticking to sprints.

Boston Common and Tank's Expectation will try to regain some lost confidence in Monday's six-furlong Oh Say, a $55,000 overnight stakes at Delaware Park.

MIAMI - Trainer Bill Cesare has gotten his wish, an invitation for his multiple stakes winning 3-year-old filly Cellars Shiraz to Hollywood Park's $500,000 American Oaks Stakes on July 6. But before he thinks about shipping west, there is still a little business to take care of on the home front - namely, next Saturday's $100,000 Office Queen Stakes.

"As long as she runs well Saturday, and I think she'll be 1-2-3 in there, and I can make the flight arrangements, we'll take her to California," said Cesare, who trains Cellars Shiraz for the Bitterroot Racing Stable.

Jockey John Velazquez was involved in a spill for the second straight day, this time aboard Imadeed in the $66,150 WNBC Stakes, won by Too Scarlet.

Velazquez was aboard Imadeed, who had a short lead in upper stretch when she fractured both sesamoids in her right foreleg and broke down, unseating Velazquez and hurling him to the ground. Pleasant County fell over Imadeed, unseating jockey Eibar Coa. Coa was hit in the left shoulder by Pleasant County's flailing legs and may have separated a shoulder. He took off his remaining mounts.

California shipper Explicit came back to Belmont Park on Saturday to get the job done he couldn't last year.

Explicit improved on his third-place finish in the 2001 True North with a one-length win in Saturday's $250,000 . Enteprenuer finished second, the third time this year he has finished second in a stakes to Explicit. Late Carson was third, a half-length behind the runner-up.

When trainer Christophe Clement chose to scratch morning-line favorite Voodoo Dancer from Saturday's $147,200 Just a Game Breeders' Cup Handicap, it made the task far easier for Babae, who had finished third to Voodoo Dancer in Aqueduct's Beaugay Handicap five weeks ago. Babae took full advantage, utilizing a perfect trip to hold off favorite Tates Creek and capture the Grade 3 grass race for fillies and mares.

ELMONT, N.Y. - An emotional day for owner-breeder Edward Evans and trainer Mark Hennig ended on a high note Saturday as Gygistar rallied from off the pace to win the $190,000, Grade 2 by 4 1/2 lengths over Draw Play.

True Direction got up for third, a half-length over 6-5 favorite Yankee Gentleman.

Gygistar's victory came 2 1/2 hours after Pleasant County, an older half-sister to Gygistar who was owned by Evans and trained by Hennig, suffered a fatal skull fracture when she fell in the WNBC Stakes.

AUBURN, Wash. - There were audible sighs of relief when only nine 2-year-old fillies were entered for Sunday's five-furlong, $35,000 Pierce County Stakes at Emerald Downs.

Sixteen were nominated for the race and all but a couple were planning - or hoping - to run at midweek. The Pierce County is limited to 12 starters, with preference based on earnings, but that seemed too many to those who were assured a spot in the gate and too few to those fearing

exclusion.

VANCOUVER, British Columbia - Kid Katabatic was a big overlay when he won the Spring Sprint Stakes May 18, but he is likely to be a short price over five other older horses stretching out to 1 1/16 miles for the first time this year in the $40,000 John Longden 6000 this Sunday.