NEW YORK -- Martin Panza celebrated California Chromes charge to Preakness Stakes victory three weeks ago like most fans at the packed Pimlico Race Course -- bumping fists, slapping hands and thinking ahead to Saturday and the possibility of the first Triple Crown winner in 36 years. And then Belmont Parks director of racing operations thought about everything else: the tens of thousands of additional people who show up for the Belmont Stakes whenever a horse has a chance at history; the millions more in expected wagers; and the need for more of everything, from seating, concessions to bathrooms, security and about 1,000 additional workers. You can watch the Belmont Stakes on TSN this Saturday, with coverage beginning at 2:30pm et/11:30am pt. Local officials and business leaders celebrated too, seeing the race and the added interest of a Triple Crown contender as a boon of sold-out hotel rooms, dinners out and free publicity, so long as the writers and broadcasters were aware the track is actually on Long Island, as NBCs Bob Costas noted Wednesday, and not in New York City. If California Chrome triumphs, it will happen on Panzas turf -- or rather, his dirt -- at an marquee New York-area event that the tracks new management team reimagined earlier this year as a fusion of sports and entertainment worth attending even when the Triple Crown is not on the line. They have filled the undercard with high-stakes races, increased the days total purse to $8 million -- the second-richest day in American horse racing behind the final slate of the Breeders Cup -- and surrounded the action with music from rapper and actor LL Cool J, former New York Yankees centre fielder Bernie Williams and Frank Sinatra Jr. singing "New York, New York." "For the first year of us doing this, under this new format, its not going to get any better than this," Panza said in an interview near his track office, which was filled with boxes of Belmont Stakes caps and bags of other race souvenirs. "From our end, what we need to do now is observe how the day goes and see what we can do for next year, always thinking that there could be another Triple Crown on the line." California Chrome is the 12th horse to reach Long Island with wins in the first two legs of the Triple Crown, the Kentucky Derby and the Preakness Stakes, since Affirmed won all three in 1978. Attendance for those 11 races averaged nearly 30,000 more than in years without a contender -- going from a low of 37,171 in 1995 when Thunder Gulch and Timber Country split the Derby and the Preakness, to a record 120,139 in 2004 when Birdstone upset Smarty Jones in the last of a three-year stretch of Triple Crown contenders in the Belmont Stakes. On-site wagering on the race-day program also surged in those years, according to track records, jumping from $6.8 million in contender-less 1996 to $9.2 million the following year when Silver Charm took the first two races, and from $8.8 million in contender-less 2007 to $13.3 million when Big Brown raced for history in 2008. Ill Have Anothers wins in Louisville and Baltimore sent attendance for the 2012 Belmont Stakes to nearly 86,000 and on-site wagering to $13.8 million even though the horse was withdrawn the day before the race due to a leg injury. The head of the tracks management team said ticket sales for this years Belmont Stakes, with its emphasis on high-level racing and daylong entertainment, were already brisk before California Chrome broke from the gate at Churchill Downs in May. More than 70 per cent of tickets and premium tables for the race were sold before the Derby and all were gone before the Preakness, according to New York Racing Association president and chief executive officer Christopher Kay. After the Preakness, Kay said, they added a trackside tent and additional seating to accommodate the surge of interest in a potential California Chrome coronation. General admission and grandstand tickets costing $10 remained available through the track late in the week and more than 3,000 tickets, ranging from $12 for grandstand to $2,300 for a table for two at the Garden Terrace Restaurant, were available on the secondary ticket sales website StubHub.com. Good weather -- 82 degrees and sunny, according to the National Weather Service -- could push the crowd into record territory. "Our intent is to make Belmont Stakes day an important day year in and year out," Kay said. This year it has been an important day -- and week -- for business. The largest hotel on Long Island, a Marriott with more than 600 rooms in Uniondale, and the ornate Garden City Hotel -- where management said all of the owners, trainers and jockeys in the Belmont Stakes were staying and where the menu includes a cocktail named for each horse -- have sold out under race-related demand. Other hotels were also booked solid, officials said, forcing some out-of-town fans to find lodging in Suffolk County, about 20 miles east, or stay in Manhattan, about 15 miles west. "This Triple Crown opportunity doesnt come too often," state hotel association chairman John Tsunis said. "But, whoever wins in the race, the real winners will be Long Island and New York State." Yannick Carrasco Belgium Jersey . - Mathew Barzal scored 3:47 into overtime as the Seattle Thunderbirds downed the visiting Everett Silvertips 4-3 on Tuesday in Western Hockey League playoff action. Yannick Carrasco Jersey . They signed their first kicker. Ottawa inked Nick Setta, a 32-year-old native of Lockport, Illinois, to a contract. http://www.belgiumsoccerpro.com/Thibaut-Courtois-Belgium-Jersey/ . -- The Anaheim Ducks have signed left wing Dany Heatley to a one-year deal, returning the 33-year-old unrestricted free agent to the Pacific Division. Thorgan Hazard Belgium Jersey . -- The Detroit Lions made it crystal clear to Golden Tate that he was their top target in free agency. Eden Hazard Jersey .J. - The New York Jets have signed former Green Bay Packers backup quarterback Graham Harrell, giving them some added depth at the position.Columbia, MO (SportsNetwork.com) - Andrew Harrison scored 15 points and No. 1 Kentucky stayed unbeaten with a relatively restrained 69-53 win over Missouri on Thursday. The Wildcats (20-0, 7-0 SEC) made only two 3-pointers, blocked just one shot and recorded a mere eight assists. Still, they trailed for just 59 seconds, in part because of their 27-13 free throw advantage, but largely from their seemingly impenetrable defense, which forced 15 turnovers. Aaron Harrison scored 11 points, Devin Booker added nine, and Dakari Johnson chipped in eight points and seven rebounds for the victors. Kentucky is off to its first 20-0 start under John Calipari and sent Missouri (7-13, 1-6) to its first six-game losing streak since the 2005-06 season. Wes Clark led the Tigers with 19 points, while Johnathan Williams III added 10 points in a losing cause. Final Score: (3) Gonzaga 64, Portland 46 Spokane, WA (SportsNetwork.com) - Domantas Sabonis had 13 points and 11 rebounds off the bench and No. 3 Gonzaga pulled away in the second half to defeat Portland 64-46 on Thursday night. Przemek Karnowski posted 10 points and 11 boards for the Bulldogs (21-1, 10-0 WCC), who have won 14 straight games since their lone loss at Arizona on Dec. 6. Volodymyr Gerun pulled down 15 rebounds to lead Portland (12-10, 3-7), which didnt have a single player reach double figures in scoring. Final Score: UCLA 69, (11) Utah 59 Los Angeles, CA (SportsNetwork.com) - Norman Powell scored 23 points to help UCLA remain unbeaten at home in Pac-12 play and knock off No. 11 Utah, 69-59. The Bruins lost three players to the first round of the NBA draft in 2014 and havent been ablee to replace the productivity that Kyle Anderson, Jordan Adams and Zach LaVine provided.ddddddddddddThey are in the midst of one of the worst seasons in recent memory, though Thursdays upset over Utah was certainly a step in the right direction. Bryce Alford had 14 points and seven assists and Isaac Hamilton scored 11 for UCLA, which exacted revenge from an embarrassing 71-39 loss to Utah on Jan. 4. Alford went scoreless on 0-for-10 shooting in that game. UCLA (12-9, 4-4 Pac-12) snapped its two-game losing skid. Delon Wright and Brandon Taylor gave 15 and 14 points, respectively, for the Utes (16-4, 6-2), who may have lost more than a game. Freshman center Jakob Poeltl, one of the best young 7-footers in college basketball, left the game with an apparent foot injury. Final Score: Ohio State 80, (16) Maryland 56 Columbus, OH (SportsNetwork.com) - Ohio State continues to pile up wins at home. Thad Mattas Buckeyes and star freshman DAngelo Russell beat another ranked opponent at Value City Arena. Russell had 18 points, 14 rebounds and six assists as Ohio State easily knocked off No. 16 Maryland 80-56 on Thursday night for its 103rd win at home since 2009. Thats the most in the country by a healthy margin over national powerhouses Kentucky and Syracuse. Russell continued to impress, making half of his 12 shots and four 3-pointers on the heels of being named Big Ten Player of the Week after scoring 55 points in wins over Northwestern and nationally-ranked Indiana. Marc Loving led the Buckeyes (17-5, 6-3) with 19 points, making all five of his 3s, and JaeSean Tate scored 16. Dez Wells scored 12 points to lead Maryland (18-4, 6-3) and Jake Layman had 10. ' ' '