The incident, which sent America One into the shed for repairs to its stern, was partly responsible for several days of postponed racing.

First day of racing saw five 'Maydays' in the Unlimited Silver Heat race.

Three days of superlative racing lay ahead, and the finest 'chasers in the world crowded into the racecourse stables.

But the next 38 days of racing showed increases that enabled us to cut into that margin.

If it is a day of top-class racing at sprint distances, the times will be much closer to track records.

"In 2003, we'll have 1,700 days of live racing versus the 711 days we had in 2000," McAlpine said.

Maybe, in these days of year-round, never-ending racing, that's the shortest route to a good report card in July.

The wreck involving Busch and Riggs seemed to touch of a long day of grinding racing.

Twelve days of racing have now been missed at Aqueduct during the last five weeks because of the weather.

That puts Aqueduct on course to beat the mark established at last year's winter meeting when 11 days of racing were canceled or disrupted by the weather.