Susan's Angel wins for Lukas

OCEANPORT, N.J. - Susan's Angel wore down the pacesetting Schedule to win the $60,000 Serena's Song Stakes on Saturday at Monmouth Park.

It was only fitting that trainer D. Wayne Lukas won the race, which is named for his champion filly who beat the boys in the 1995 Haskell Invitational.

Susan's Angel got up by a head to win the prep for Monmouth's top event for3-year-old fillies, the Grade 2, $200,000 Monmouth Breeders' Cup Oaks on Aug. 15.

Susan's Angel ($7.80) had just come east from Churchill Downs, where in her last two outings she won her maiden by 8 1/4 lengths and missed by a nose in an allowance race.

Ridden by Eibar Coa for the first time, Susan's Angel stalked the demanding pace set by Schedule and got up at the end of a long stretch drive.

"I guessed we were going fast, and I thought we were going to be easy winners," said Coa. "I thought the horse in front would stop, but she fought right to the end."

Susan's Angel ran the mile and 70 yards in 1:41.14 over a track rated good.

Schedule suffered a second straight heartbreaker at Monmouth. She was disqualified from first place for drifting in the lane in the Dearly Precious Stakes on June 27.

Uphill Skier takes Spruce Fir

Moisture in the track from overnight rain might have been the best possible development for Uphill Skier in the $60,000 Spruce Fir Handicap for New Jersey-bred fillies and mares.

Uphill Skier ($6.20) won the off-the-turf stakes for New Jersey-bred fillies and mares by 3 1/4 lengths over Smart N Classy, with Eastern Gale third.

Uphill Skier, trained by Ben Perkins Jr., broke alertly under Stewart Elliott and fended off an early challenge from longshot Terrified Ice.

"We didn't plan to be on the lead," said Elliott. "When she broke like a shot, I really didn't have much of a choice."

After dispatching Terrified Ice midway on the final turn, Uphill Skier was home free. She ran the one mile in 1:38.50.

Uphill Skier had a record of three wins in four starts over off tracks coming into the race.

Vazquez injured after win

Gammy Vazquez, the trainer of leading owner Michael Gill's Monmouth division, was kicked in the leg by Ticket to Freedom following the 7-year-old gelding's victory in the third race.

The incident occurred in the winner's circle. An ambulance took Vazquez to a local hospital for X-rays.