Usually by this time of year, when the leaves start to turn and there’s a nip in the air, a 2-year-old colt has emerged to capture the fancy of racetrackers looking for the next “big horse.” But the Old Spa was sparse with 2-year-old heroics this summer, and the one Saratoga stakes winner who held the most promise – Circular Quay, an unbeaten 41/4-length winner of the Hopeful – was knocked off his pedestal, finishing second last Saturday in the Breeders’ Futurity at Keeneland.

So it’s up to today’s 135th running of the Grade 1, $400,000 Champagne Stakes at Belmont Park to produce a young colt who’ll grab the headlines leading up to the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile, three weeks away on Nov. 4 at Churchill Downs.

In a field of 10 going a mile, the one expected to seize the moment is Nobiz Like Shobiz, who looked like the second coming of Hindoo in winning his only start, Sept. 9 at the Big B.

Here’s how the Post’s “Binocs” described the big bay colt’s debut:

“Did we just see 2007 Derby winner?

In field of 2-year-old maidens going mile … Barclay Tagg’s first-time starter Nobiz Like Shobiz, Albert the Great colt well-bet at 7-2 with Cornelio Velasquez up, after sitting chilly just off pace battle, suddenly kicked into gear, split horses top of lane, exploded past (3-5 favorite) Bullara to run off TV screen.” Tagg – who also saddles the heavy favorite Showing Up in today’s Jamaica Handicap at 11/8 miles on the Belmont inner turf course – knows it takes a very talented horse to go straight from a maiden win to victory in a Grade 1.

“But what else is there?” said the hardboot who made Funny Cide a national hero. “The first time I saw him, I thought he was something special.

You wish he had more experience.

But he’s got a pretty good mind.” The biggest threats to Nobiz Like Shobiz are a pair of more experienced colts, both of which have already won graded stakes: Scat Daddy and Got the Last Laugh.

Scat Daddy, trained by Todd Pletcher, was the 2-year-old du jour after breaking his maiden first out at Belmont in June by 51/4 lengths, then coming with a breathtaking late run to win the Grade 2 Sanford at Saratoga.

But he fell out of favor, finishing second to stablemate Circular Quay in the Hopeful.

Got the Last Laugh is unbeaten in two starts for Bill Mott, breaking his maiden at the Spa by two lengths, then dead-heating for the win in the Grade 3 Arlington-Washington Futurity.

Also today at Belmont, a field of 10 2-year-old fillies contests the Grade 1, $400,000 Frizette, a mile prep for the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies.

Meadow Breeze will be out to prove her photo-finish score at 34-1 in the Matron was no fluke, but this race is as wide-open as they come. We’ll go with Allude, who sizzled six furlongs in 1:09.3 breaking her maiden by 5 3/4 lengths last out.