Big Brown comes to Monmouth, takes care of business
Derby, Preakness winner outdistances field at Haskell Invitational
BY JESSICA SMITH Staff Writer
      One question prevailed in the minds of more than 45,000 racing fans at Monmouth Park Sunday — will Big Brown make the huge comeback so many were hoping for by winning the Haskell Invitational? The answer was yes. "He showed his true class," rider Kent Desormeaux said.
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Live racing resumes at Freehold today
BY TIM MORRIS Staff Writer
      Once again, the Cane Pace will be the highlight of Freehold Raceway's new season. The nation's oldest daytime harness track reopens today for the 2008-09 campaign. Post time is 12:30 p.m. All customers with a paid Freehold program will receive a free T-shirt.
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Asbury Park 5K scheduled for Saturday
BY WARREN RAPPLEYEA Staff Writer
      The fifth annual Asbury Park 5K road race will take place Saturday. Race director Phil Hinck is expecting 1,000 or so runners to compete in the event, which begins at 8:30 a.m. A year ago, 868 people, many from Monmouth, Ocean and Middlesex counties, participated.
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A day at the races
     TOP PHOTO BY CHRIS KELLY, BOTTOM PHOTO BY JESSICA SMITH Above: Jockey Kent Desormeaux and Big Brown (right) lead the early action in the 2008 $1 million Haskell Invitational at Monmouth Park Racetrack in Oceanport on Aug. 3. Below: Desormeaux holds the winner's trophy from the race. Earlier in the year, Desormeaux led the horse to victories at the Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes before falling short at the Belmont Stakes in New York. Over 45,000 fans turned out for the day's 14 races. The prize horse finished the race in 1:48 1/5 and paid $2.40, $2.10, and $2.10 as a huge favorite. Coal Play, with odds of 20-1, placed in the runnerup spot, paying $8.00 to place and $4.20 to show. Cool Coal Man paid $2.80 to show. The Haskell Invitational brought in a record $4,257,409.
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