NEW YORK -- Beat Hollow went wire-to wire Saturday to win the $400,000 Manhattan Handicap Saturday, the featured race on the undercard of the Belmont Stakes.

The 5-year-old British-bred charged out of the gate and was never really challenged as he won the 1 1/4 -mile turf race by two lengths over Forbidden Apple, who won the race a year ago. Trained by Bobby Frankel and ridden by Alex Solis, it was his third win in four starts since arriving in the United States on Jan. 31.

Beat Hollow finished in a time of 2:01.21 and paid $5.20 while earning $240,000.

"The plan was just to let him break and to run whenever he was comfortable,'' Solis said. "He was relaxed out there.''

Added Frankel: "I think he would have won even if he didn't have an easy lead.''

The $150,000 Riva Ridge, a seven-furlong race for 3-year-olds, was won by Gygistar, ridden by Pat Day. The promising Yankee Gentleman, who went off as a 7-5 favorite, led most of the way be fore faltering in the stretch.

Trained by Bill Mott and ridden by Jerry Bailey, Yankee Gentleman had won twice in three starts, the wins coming by a total of 16 lengths. In his other race, he went off as a 1-5 favorite but tossed Bailey coming out of the gate.

Yankee Gentleman had the lead into the stretch sitting fourth into the stretch. But he burst by the leaders at midstretch and won by 4 1/2 lengths. He was timed in 1:22.61.

"He ran right by Billy Mott's colt,'' said Day, who was replacing Eibar Coa, Gygistar's regular jockey. Coa was involved in a spill in the fourth race and while he wasn't seriously hurt, he didn't ride for the rest of the day.

"We are very disappointed,'' Mott said. "Jerry said he dragged him up there early and maybe too soon.''

Gygistar, the second choice at 4-1, paid $10.20 to win.

Coa was thrown when his mount, Pleasant County, and Imadeed were involved in a spill in the $65,000-added The WNBC for older fillies and mares.

Imadeed, ridden by John Velazquez, went down and Pleasant County tumbled over her.Imadeed was able to get up, but she fractured both sesamoid bones in her right front leg. Pleasant County sustained a fatal skull injury.

In the $250,000 True North Handicap, Explicit won for the third time in his last four starts.

He stalked pacesetter Yonaguska early, passed her halfway through the six furlongs, and pulled away to win by a length under Lonnie Meche in a time of 1:09.98. She won $150,000 to increase her lifetime earnings to $603,190 and paid $6.

Babae, ridden by Jorge Chavez, took the $147,000 Just A Game by a nose over favored Tates Creek after Voodoo Dancer, the 8-5 morning line favorite was scratched. The winner covered the 1 1-16 miles on turf in 1:34.57 and paid $8 to win.

The 6-year-old mare earned $67,000.