Heavy storms at Monmouth Park on Sunday did not dampen the enthusiasm of those who came to see what they wanted to see - a victory by Rachel Alexandra in the Grade 1 Haskell Invitational - but the wet weather significantly affected both the ontrack attendance and the overall handle on what could have been an even bigger day for the Jersey Shore track.
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - After several days of steady rain that rendered the main track less than suitable for workouts for three consecutive mornings, Sunday became a virtual cavalry charge during training hours. More than 300 horses recorded timed trials, including several prominent contenders for Saturday's Grade 1 Whitney.
Among the prospective Whitney starters to get in their final preps over the main track on Sunday were Dry Martini, Smooth Air, and Asiatic Boy. The three works provided a real contrast in styles leading up to the big event.
DEL MAR, Calif. - The best filly in the country ran last Sunday in New Jersey. At the other end of the continent, the best mare in the country runs this Sunday.
One week after Rachel Alexandra's tour de force in the Haskell Invitational at Monmouth, Zenyatta will put her unbeaten record on the line at Del Mar in the Grade 1, $300,000 Clement Hirsch Stakes, a race she won last year en route to an Eclipse Award as champion older filly or mare.
ETOBICOKE, Ontario - Winning the Breeders' Stakes was nothing particularly novel for Roger Attfield, who had accounted for seven editions of the Canadian Triple Crown finale prior to Sunday's $503,200 renewal of the 1 1/2-mile turf race. But Attfield had never won a Breeders' with a horse quite like Perfect Shower, who returned a very un-Attfield-like $95.30 when scoring by three-uarters of a length under his regular rider Jono Jones.
Our Minesweeper and Shem, winners of the opening weekend stakes at Santa Rosa, could make their next appearances at Golden Gate Fields in September.
Our Minesweeper improved to 2 for 2 with a game victory in the six-furlong Cavonnier Stakes for 2-year-olds on Saturday, while Shem captured Sunday's Joseph T. Grace Handicap. Both were wire-to-wire winners.
Hastings invader Summer Song was much the best in the $50,000 Madmoisel Handicap for fillies or mares at Northlands Park on Sunday.
Jockey Mario Gutierrez didn't have many options when Summer Song dragged him to engage the leaders while going three wide around the second turn. Gutierrez turned her loose approaching the stretch turn and then it was just a matter of by how many she would win by.
The final winning margin was seven lengths over Littlemiss Allison, who set the early pace along with Victory Romance. The 2-1 favorite, Tanika, rallied to finish third.
AUBURN, Wash. - Peaceful Reign, claimed out of a maiden race less than three months ago, coasted to a 4 1/2-length victory in the $50,000 Seattle Slew Handicap on Sunday at Emerald Downs, stamping himself as the leading local contender for the Emerald Downs Derby on Sept. 7.
SANTA ROSA, Calif. - Although odds-on Shem ($3.40) didn't get as easy a lead as expected, he slowed the pace and had enough left in the stretch to hold off Eager Pharisien to score his first stakes victory in the $56,000 Joseph T. Grace Handicap on Sunday at the Sonoma County Fair.
Shem relaxed nicely under Frank Alvarado, setting easy fractions of 24.79 seconds, 50.18, and 1:14.79 while holding a half-length lead over Awesome Jared.
As the field for the Haskell Invitational approached the starting gate and the rain-reduced crowd of 37,090 roared with anticipation, Darren Asmussen turned to his father, Steve, the trainer of superstar filly Rachel Alexandra, and said, "I got goose bumps."
Steve Asmussen rubbed his middle son's back and said, "I do too, buddy."
