Exchanging Fire proves she's for real

OCEANPORT, N.J. - Exchanging Fire, a former claimer, affirmed her status as a stakes winner Saturday with another dominant front-running victory at Monmouth Park in the $60,000 Serena's Song for 3-year-old fillies.

With Eddie King Jr. aboard, Exchanging Fire ($8.60) again threw down fast fractions. She hit the half-mile in 45.28 seconds and three-quarters in 1:09.57. Exchanging Fire polished off the mile and 70 yards in 1:40.22, beating the late-running Ethan's Car by 2 3/4 lengths with Lady Marlboro third.

"She's a fast filly and she was doing it all on her own today." King said.

The second-straight stakes win here puts Exchanging Fire, a $50,000 claim in March at Gulfstream Park, on the path to the Grade 3, $200,000 Monmouth Breeders' Cup Oaks on Aug. 12.

"We've been confident in this filly all along," said Robb Levinsky, the chairman of Kenwood Racing. "We honestly believe we have a horse that can win the races we're pointing for."

After the Monmouth Oaks, Levinsky hopes Exchanging Fire can advance to the $500,000 Fitz Dixon Cotillion Handicap at Philadelphia Park on Sept. 22.

Exchanging Fire is 4-2-0 in the 6 starts since the claim. The Serena's Song proved the easy win in her stakes debut, the Without Feathers here on June 23, was not a fluke.

"You're always afraid of the bounce situation when a horse spikes that big, but we had enough time between races," said Philadelphia Park-based trainer Stephen Mick. "She trained forwardly and gave me the confidence she could come up here and run a very good race again."

* Send Me an Angel ($16.20) set the pace and held on by a nose to win the $60,000 Incredible Revenge Stakes for fillies and mares.

The time was 1:02.86 for the 5 1/2 furlongs on the firm turf course.

Stewart Elliott was aboard for trainer Tim Hills as the 4-year-old improved her record to 4 for 16. Jazzy, making her U.S. debut after seven races in South Africa, rallied on the rail to get second with Top Ten List third.