OCEANPORT - Praying for Cash ran his way into the $1 million Haskell Invitational Saturday with a game victory in the $150,000 Long Branch Breeders' Cup Stakes (G3) at Monmouth Park.

In the day's second feature, the $60,000 Elkwood Stakes, Ashkal Way set a course record for one mile on the grass in taking his third straight U.S. victory, as jockey Jose Velez Jr. recorded a stakes double.

Praying for Cash, trained by Monmouth's leading conditioner, Kelly Breen, and ridden for the first time by Velez, battled with Latent Heat, the 1-2 favorite, for most of the mile-and-a-16th Long Branch while stuck down on the inside the whole trip. The two entered the final furlong on almost even terms, but Praying for Cash dug down gamely and put his rival away in the run to the wire, finishing a length and a quarter in front and stopping the timer in 1:45 2/5.

Latent Heat held off a hard-charging Victory Lake by a neck for the place. Gottcha Gold was fourth, and Meadow Blue, part of an entry with Praying for Cash, was last of the five 3-year-old starters.

The winner earned an invitation to run in the Grade 1 Haskell, mile-and-an-eighth centerpiece of the Monmouth meeting, on Sunday, Aug. 6.

In winning the Long Branch, Praying for Cash paid $10.60 and $2.40 as third choice. Latent Heat paid $2.20 for place and completed the $21.80 exacta.

It was the third Monmouth score in four tries here for Praying for Cash, and the bay son of Songandaprayer, Cash No Credit, by West By West, earned a prize of $90,000 for his owners - Bobby Hurley, Rick Gallo and Scire LLC. The winner's share more than doubled the colt's lifetime bankroll, bringing it to $151,630. In his last start, the Coronado's Quest, Praying for Cash tried two turns for the first time and was compromised by a slow start.

"Going two turns for the first time is tough on a horse and that's probably what happened to him last time," Breen said. "He ran a real tough race today. We weren't necessarily going to the lead. We left that up to Jose [jockey Velez.] If nobody went with Latent Heat, then we were going to press him.

"It wasn't the best of trips," Breen said. "He got stuck down on the inside the whole way, but he showed a lot of grit and dug in."

In the Elkwood, Godolphin Racing Inc.'s Ashkal Way maintained his unbeaten record in North America as he closed into a fast pace to score by a half-length over Hotstufanthensome, stopping the timer in a course record 1:32 2/5 for one mile on firm turf.

The two favorites (both went off at $2.20-1, but Hotstufanthensome was the actual betting choice by a few dollars) finished three lengths in front of Pulpit Talk, an 11-1 chance.

Ashkal Way, trained by Saeed Bin Suroor and ridden by Velez, returned $6.40, $3.20 and $3.40 across the board and topped a $22 exacta.

This was the third straight victory in the U.S. for Ashkal Way, a 4-year-old Irish-bred son of Ashkalani who won twice in England last year. The chestnut gelding took both his allowance starts at Belmont after coming to America in May. This was his first stakes win in the U.S.

Both Ashkal Way and Hotstufanthensome followed a blistering pace before making a move. Hotstuf hit the front first in midstretch, but Ashkal Way ranged up on the outside and ran his rival down in the final sixteenth.

"I followed Hotstuf all the way," Velez said. "When he moved, I moved, and I was able to run him down. They were going really fast up front and when I called on my horse, he really took off."

Stan Hough sweeps

Sunday stakes

Trainer Stan Hough sent out both stakes winners on Monmouth's Sunday card, winning the Politely with front-runner Brunilda and the McSorley with closer Terrific Challenge.

Cobra Farm's Brunilda made the pace under Eddie Castro before stopping the timer in 1:40 4/5 over firm turf and returned $3.80, $2.40 and $2.10 as the favorite in the field of seven fillies and mares.

"I'm having a pretty good day today," said Hough after the Politely win. "The fractions worked out great for her on the front end and she came home good. I'm going to point her toward the Eatontown Stakes (here, Grade 3, Aug. 26)."

Smart N Classy, a graded stakes-winning New Jersey bred, closed for the place, finishing two lengths behind the winner. Smart N Classy completed a $15 exacta and paid $3.20 and $2.20. Humoristic was another neck back in third, and paid $2.60 to show.

Sunday's win marked the eighth win for Brunilda, a 6-year-old mare by Mutadkddim out of the Logical mare la Valkiria, bred in Argentina. She has now earned $287,883 for her owner.

Earlier on the card, Terrific Challenge, owned and trained by Hough, rallied strongly down the lane to capture the $55,000 John McSorley Stakes, covering the five furlongs over firm turf in a speedy 54 3/5 under jockey Joe Bravo.

Terrific Challenge, sent off the favorite in the field of nine 3-year-olds and up, returned $4.40, $3.20 and $2.60 and topped a $31.40 exacta. Bingobear finished a length and three-quarters behind the winner and paid $7.20 and $5.80. Max West was another three-quarters of a length back in third, good for a $3.60 show mutuel.

The McSorley win was the fifth in 15 starts for the 4-year-old colt by Royal Academy from the Crafty Prospector mare Clever Empress. He has now banked $209,463 for his owner.

Justin Nixon named Cask 591 Trainer of the Week

Justin Nixon, who saddled High Blitz to win the Mr. Prospector Stakes last weekend, has been named the Cask 591 Trainer of the Week.

The award, bestowed by media covering Monmouth Park racing, is sponsored by Cask 591, a popular new restaurant and lounge located at 591 Broadway in Long Branch. Nixon will receive a gift certificate from the restaurant.

Nixon, who trains the Stronach Stables horses, sent out High Blitz for his second stakes victory of the Monmouth meeting. The horse won the Wolf Hill Stakes on May 29 in his previous Monmouth start.