MIAMI - Take Charge Megan, a 9-year-old gelding who has spent most of the past two seasons in the claiming ranks, rose up to teach the youngsters a lesson when he rallied to a three-quarter-length victory over Special Coach in the $50,000 Americana Handicap at Calder.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - Irish Prize, the topweight and odds-on favorite in a field of seven older horses, survived an objection after wearing down front-running Where's Taylor to win the $276,000 Firecracker Breeders' Cup Handicap at Churchill Downs on Wednesday.

The Grade 2 Firecracker was the third consecutive victory, and fifth from his last seven starts, for Irish Prize, a California-based 5-year-old gelding trained by Neil Drysdale.

OCEANPORT, N.J. - In the $100,000 Grade 3 Jersey Shore Breeders' Cup on Wednesday, City Zip proved that sprinting is his specialty.

City Zip ($5), trained by Linda Rice, dropped back near the final turn, but came again three-wide under Jose Ferrer to win going away by 4 1/4 lengths in 1:09.02 before a meet-high crowd of 21,403. Sea of Green closed on the rail for second, while the 4-5 favorite, Songandaprayer, finished 1 1/4 lengths back of Sea of Green in third.

ELMONT, N.Y. - Bevo, winner of the 1999 Grade 1 Belmont Futurity, was euthanized Sunday after foundering, trainer Billy Badgett said Wednesday.

Bevo, a Kentucky-bred son of Prospectors Gamble, last ran in the Grade 1 Metropolitan Handicap on May 28, finishing fifth. Shortly after, Badgett sent Bevo to the New Jersey Equine Clinic, fearing a quarter crack had become infected.

ELMONT, N.Y. - D. Wayne Lukas probably didn't convince Satish Sanan to spend $1.4 million on Exchange Rate with the promise of turning him into a sprinter.

But if Exchange Rate is to give Lukas and Sanan's Padua Stable a profit on their investment it looks like that's the game he will have to play. Wednesday, Exchange Rate played it perfectly, earning a hard-fought head decision over Say Florida Sandy in the $150,000, Grade 2 Tom Fool Handicap before 19,273 at Belmont Park.

Red Clay of Texas, winner of the Ruidoso Futurity, takes the next step toward winning the three Grade 1 summer futurities at Ruidoso Downs when he runs in the Rainbow Futurity trials on Friday afternoon.

The 10 fastest qualifiers from Friday's 17 trials at 400 yards return for the $600,000 Rainbow Futurity on July 22. The third summer futurity is the All American Futurity.

A gelded son of Splash Bac owned by Jack Evans Jr., Red Clay of Texas is 2 for 2 at Ruidoso Downs. He won his Ruidoso Futurity trial by a neck, and then cruised to a length win in the Grade 1 finals.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - As the 53-day Churchill Downs spring meet winds to a close on Sunday, some familiar business trends are surfacing again.

Ontrack attendance and handle are down, 3 and 7 percent, respectively. But all-sources wagering is up, by 5 percent, with the daily handle average just over $10 million. The off-track gains essentially offset the ontrack declines and allowed purse payments to remain on schedule.

Perennial jockey champion Pat Day long ago clinched another riding title, but the trainer and owner races figure to go down to the wire.

GRAND PRAIRIE, Texas - Trainer Cole Norman helped lift jockey Anthony Lovato to a six-win night Tuesday at Lone Star Park when he put the rider on four winners, including Royal Spy, who romped by seven lengths in the $125,000 Grand Prairie Turf Challenge.

PLEASANTON, Calif. - Chingasos, who won his only start impressively at Hollywood Park and was claimed by trainer Jerry Hollendorfer, looks like the one to beat in the $50,000 Everett Nevin Alameda County Futurity at five furlongs on Friday.

Chingasos, a son of Prized, made his debut in a $40,000 maiden claiming race over 4 1/2 furlongs May 9. Bet down to 2-1, he had some early trouble and dropped well off the pace, but ran down the leaders in the stretch to win going away by 2 1/2 lengths.

INGLEWOOD, Calif. - Trainer Richard Baltas has a succinct description of Freedom Crest's performance in the San Antonio Handicap in February.

"It was a disaster," Baltas said.

Freedom Crest finished last of eight in the San Antonio Handicap and was given a five-month break. His vacation ends on Saturday when he is a leading contender in the $100,000 Bel Air Handicap at Hollywood Park.

"His blood came back bad, so I gave him plenty of time," Baltas said. "He's coming around again, and I think I've got him fit."