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. [url=http://www.t

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. Clayton Thorson Youth Jersey . 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." Custom Philadelphia Eagles Jerseys . According to a police report, Douglas is accused of grabbing his girlfriend by the neck and slamming her against the wall several times while he carried her from the elevator to their Hartford hotel room early Sunday morning. Jerome Brown Jersey . The announcement was made by the hall on Friday, March 14. She joins Switzerlands Denise Biellmann as this years inductees to the Hall, based in Colorado Springs, CO. http://www.theeaglesshoponline.com/Youth-desean-jackson-eagles-jersey/ . The Mercedes duo of three-time Canadian Grand Prix champion Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg has won all six races to start the season, finishing one-two in the last five.DETROIT -- The Montreal Canadiens started fast and finished strong to overcome a rough patch in between. Max Pacioretty broke a third-period tie, Tomas Plekanec scored twice and Montreal beat the Detroit Red Wings 5-4 Thursday night. The Canadiens jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first period and led 3-1 going into the third. But Detroits Tomas Tatar scored twice during a span of 3:06 early in the third period to tie it. Pacioretty restored the Canadiens lead 5:48 into the third and Thomas Vanek added a goal with 8:45 left. "The second and third periods werent good at all. We got lucky that we found a way to win," Plekanec said. Vanek added two assists and David Desharnais had a goal and an assist for Montreal. P.K. Subban had two assists and Carey Price made 26 saves. "It doesnt matter if you win 1-0 or 10-9 at this point. It all adds up the same," Price said. Canadiens coach Michel Therrien praised the line of Desharnais between Vanek and Pacioretty. "They were true leaders the way they played. They were playing all over the ice, they were hungry and did the right things." Tatars goals were his 17th and 18th. Riley Sheahan added a goal and an assist, and Johan Franzen also scored for Detroit. Jimmy Howard stopped 24 shots. "From the start. We werent very good in the first period, starting with myself. We were turning the pucks over all over the ice, we werent skating and we werent working," Red Wings defenceman Niklas Kronwall said. "But in saying that, we were still in the game somehow. Howie (Howard) kept us in there, gave us a chance. "We make it 3-3, then they go up 4-3, 5-3 and we score right away again and its still a game, but all in all we have to be better than this." Franzenn brought the Red Wings to within one, 21 seconds after Vaneks goal. Clayton Thorson Eagles Jersey. It was Franzens 16th goal and broke a nine-game goal-scoring drought. "I thought we played good and had lots of opportunity as far as offensively. We were just poor in our own zone on sort outs, on face-offs, which is just an easy thing to do. So for whatever reason we didnt get that done," Detroit coach Mike Babcock said. "But my big thing here today is just, as we said earlier, catch-up hockey is losing hockey. Youve got to get prepared, youve got to play right and you have to do it for 60 minutes and be patient. When you start chasing the game like we were tonight anything can happen. Its entertaining and all that for the fans but its not a recipe for success whatsoever." Sheahan put the Red Wings on the board and cut the Canadiens lead to 2-1 with his sixth goal 1:28 into the second period. Desharnais restored Montreals two-goal lead with 8:57 remaining in the middle period on his 14th goal. Plekanecs two goals gave Montreal a 2-0 lead in the first period. He opened the scoring 7:49 into the game, then got his 20th goal with 5:49 left in the opening period. NOTE: Detroit RW Tomas Jurco returned after missing seven games with a broken rib. ... Montreal LW Travis Moen missed his second game with a concussion. ... Red Wings C Pavel Datsyuk, who has missed 13 games with a sore knee, is skating but theres no timetable for his return. ... Detroit C Henrik Zetterberg, who had back surgery on Feb. 21, wont be cleared for contact until April 18-19. ... Pacioretty played college hockey at the University of Michigan. ... Montreal D Mike Weaver played college hockey at Michigan State. ... Canadiens RW Dale Weise missed his second game with an upper-body injury. ' ' '