Upsets galore at Monmouth over the weekend

Aseason-high crowd of 23,058 was on track for Father's Day at Monmouth Park to see Call My Bluff upset the $70,000 Battlefield Stakes and Luna Park surprise his foes in the $60,000 Bernie Dowd Handicap.

"It was a great card and a great afternoon of racing," said Dennis Dowd, senior vice president of racing for the New Jersey Sports & Exposition Authority. "Despite the rain we got late this morning and early this afternoon, an enthusiastic crowd showed up to watch 11 great races. It was the most electric crowd thus far this year and hopefully a sign of things to come in the months ahead."

Call My Bluff, ridden by Pedro Cotto Jr., took command right from the start and never looked back, scoring by 8 1/4 lengths after covering the mile and an eighth over the sloppy main track in 1:50 4/5. The winner returned $10 and $3.60 and topped a $40 exacta. Precious Passion closed for second, paying $3.20. It was another 5 3/4 lengths back to I'm Only Laughing with Ballonenostrikes rounding out the field that scratched down to four runners after being transferred from the turf. There was no show wagering offered on the Battlefield.

The Battlefield win was the sixth in 28 starts for Call My Bluff, a 6-year-old gelding by Pine Bluff from the Affirmed mare Kerplop. He boosted his lifetime bankroll to $201,036.

In the $60,000 Bernie Dowd Handicap, Luna Parkwore down a gameMeadowBlue to post a nose victory after stepping themile and 70 yards in 1:42 flat.

Trained by John Tammaro III, Luna Park returned $29, $11.20 and $5.60 and topped a $180.20 exacta. Meadow Blue paid $7.20 and $3.20. Cuba, who finished another 6 3/4 lengths back in third, paid $2.40 to show.

"I know Tammaro's horses always have horse until the end," said winning rider C.H. Marquez Jr., "and when I asked the horse, he just kicked in for me and got game until the wire."

Sunday's win marked the fifth in 19 starts for Luna Park, a 5-year-old gelding by Dance Brightly from theAffirmed mare Secret Surprise. He has now won $169,344 for owner Chad S. Anshelewitz.

On Saturday, Jayeff B Stables' Social Queen showed her love of Monmouth's turf course as she closed with a rush in the stretch to capture the $150,000 Eatontown Stakes (G3), the first graded event of the season.

Social Queen, who improved her record at the Oceanport track to four wins in five starts, out-gamed Chestoria through the stretch to score by a neck.

The 4-year-old Dynaformer filly, trained by Alan Goldberg and ridden by Jose Lezcano, raced the mile and a sixteenth over a firm grass course in 1:40 2/5.

The winner returned $8, $4.20 and $3 across the board as second choice in the field of eight fillies and mares. Chestoria, third choice at 9-2 who briefly held the lead, returned $5.60 and $3.40 and completed the $43 exacta. Miracle Moment, who set all the early fractions, held on for third, two and a quarter lengths farther back, paying $5.40 to show.

Social Queen won the Politely Stakes here on May 26 in her first start of the season. Last year she won an overnight stakes and an allowance race on the grass here.

The winner was content to stay far back early as Miracle Moment set solid fractions. Coming to the quarter-pole, both Social Queen and Chestoria launched their rallies. Chestoria briefly moved into the lead, but Social Queen would not be denied and resolutely ran her down.

"She's gotten bigger and stronger from her 3-year-old season," Goldberg said. "She's always been a nice horse for us and we always expected her to do good things. That was her second start in three weeks, so we'll give her a little break and try her in the Matchmaker (G3 on Aug. 3)."

"She's a really nice filly, a push-button horse," said Lezcano. "I started to ask her going into the far turn, and when I called on her, she really kicked in."

In the day's co-feature, the $70,000 Spend a Buck Stakes for 3-year-olds, one of Monmouth's prep races for the $1 million Haskell Invitational (G1) on Aug. 3, Cool CoalMan proved best by a neck after a spirited stretch duel with Atoned.

The winner, trained by Nick Zito and ridden by Eddie Castro, raced the mile and 70 yards over a fast track in 1:41 4/5 and returned $3.60, $2.20 and $2.10 across the board as the 4-5 favorite in the field of five 3-year-olds.

Atoned, second choice at 6-5, paid $2.40 and $2.20 and completed the $5.40 exacta. Chirac held third, nearly six lengths behind the top pair, and paid $2.80 to show.

This was the first win for Cool Coal Man since he took the Grade 2 Fountain of Youth Stakes at Gulfstream Park in February. After that, he was a well-beaten ninth in the Blue Grass Stakes and then ran a dismal 15th in the Kentucky Derby.

This was the fifth lifetime win in 10 starts for Cool Coal Man, a bay son of Mineshaft. Even though it was a dry racetrack, the colt wore front mud caulks.

Cobra Strike set the early pace,withCool Coal Man sitting to his outside and Atoned content to follow along the rail.At the quarter pole, the winner made his move to the lead. At the same time, Atoned gunned up along the inside. The two hooked up in early stretch and dueled to the wire, with Cool CoalMan proving best.

"He broke sharply out of the gate and got good early position," said Castro, who was aboard for the first time. "I just kept him on the outside in the clear because I didn't want to get in any trouble. I sat with him down the backside and waited. When I asked him, he just exploded, and then stayed tough through the lane."

The 41st renewal of the Haskell Invitational is set for Sunday, Aug. 3, but fans looking to get the best seats for New Jersey's richest Thoroughbred race can act now as reserved seats for the Grade 1 race are on sale.

The field for the race won't begin to take shape for weeks, but a bonus looms for Big Brown and Da' Tara, should they put the Haskell on their racing calendars. As the winner of the Kentucky Derby and Preakness, Big Brown's owner and trainer will each receive $50,000, should they start in the Haskell. With his upset score in the Belmont Stakes, the owner and trainer of Da' Tara will each get $25,000 if they start their Classic winner in the mile and an eighth Haskell. As part of the condition of the race, "a bonus of $25,000 per race will be given to both the owner and trainer of any horse that has won a leg of the Triple Crown and starts in the Haskell."

Seats for the $1 million Haskell can be purchasedWednesday through Sunday by calling, 732-571-5563.