With three weeks to go until the Nov. 4 Breeders’ Cup at Churchill Downs, it was long past time for a 2-year-old to step up and stamp himself as the one to beat in the BC Juvenile.

In yesterday’s 135th running of the Grade 1, $400,000 Champagne Stakes, Scat Daddy did that, rallying under John Velazquez to win by three-quarters of a length over Nobiz Like Shobiz, with Pegasus Wind another half-length back in third. The time for the mile was a solid 1:36.4.

Scat Daddy, who paid $7.40 as the second choice in a field of 10, heads for Kentucky with a record of three wins and a second from four starts. After breaking his maiden first time out at Belmont in June by 51/4 lengths, he turned in a sensational late run to win the Sanford at Saratoga, then was second last out to stablemate Circular Quay in the Hopeful. His victory in the Champagne was trainer Todd Pletcher’s 93rd stakes win this year, a new record.

Nobiz Like Shobiz, trained by Barclay Tagg, was impressive in defeat. Making his second start, he was favored at 7-5 after taking his debut Sept. 9 at Belmont by 103/4 lengths. With Cornelio Velasquez riding, he sat off the pace set by Pegasus Wind, who also ran a very strong race at 21-1 under Mike Luzzi, made his move turning for home, battled with Pegasus Wind down the stretch, finally edged to the front, but could not withstand the late charge of Scat Daddy.

Belmont’s two Grade 1 fall championship races for 2-year-old fillies, the Matron and Frizette, traditionally telegraph top contenders for the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies.

The same can’t be said this year, however, after both races were won by long shots who still figure to be long shots at Churchill.

First, Meadow Breeze won the Matron by a head at 34-1. Then, in yesterday’s $400,000 Frizette, Midwest shipper Sutra rallied up the rail under Luzzi to score by 13/4 lengths over 47-1 Delaware shipper Enchanting Star, with 2-1 favorite Allude and 2-1 second choice Awesome Ashley finishing out of the money. Meadow Breeze drifted home ninth of 10 at 5-1.

Sutra, a daughter of Meadowlake trained by Michael Stidham, was not without credentials. She won her Aug. 12 debut at Arlington Park by 23/4 lengths, then was beaten a nose last out going a mile in the Arlington-Washington Lassie. She and Awesome Ashley were the only fillies in the field to have raced the Frizette distance, and Awesome Ashley did it in a maiden race, not a stakes.

“She’s a real level-headed filly (and) has done everything right since the day I got her,” Stidham said of Sutra. “I was a little concerned when I looked at the track. It looked like a dry beach out there.”

In fact, Sutra’s final time of 1:40.1 tied it for the slowest Frizette ever in the 36 times the race was run at a mile.

Yesterday’s Grade 2, $300,000 Jamaica Handicap at a mile-and-an-eighth on grass won’t have any impact on this year’s Breeders’ Cup, but next year’s is another matter. The winner, Showing Up, already looms an early favorite for the 2007 BC Turf at Monmouth Park.

Trained by Tagg, the 3-year-old colt, whose only two losses from eight starts came when he ran sixth in the Kentucky Derby and third facing older horses in the Man o’War, carried highweight of 124 pounds under Velasquez, tracked an early pace duel between Kiss the Kid and Carnera, went to the lead turning for home, then turned back a determined run from Outperformance, who was in with 115 pounds, to score by 3½ lengths as the 2-5 choice.