The 41st running of the $1 million Haskell Invitational, the highlight of the Monmouth Park schedule once again this year, just got a lot more interesting. Big Brown, the Kentucky Derby and Preakness winner, will make his return to the track for the Aug. 3 Haskell, adding a jolt of anticipation to a race that annually attracts Monmouth's biggest crowds of the year.

Bob Kulina, Monmouth Park's general manager, was understandably delighted by the news.

"It will make it our biggest day of the year and a huge day for New Jersey racing and Monmouth Park," said Kulina. "We have been fortunate to get some good horses. Hopefully, our luck will continue."

"We're ecstatic to see that Big Brown plans on running in the Haskell," added Dennis Dowd, senior vice president of racing for the New Jersey Sports & Exposition Authority. "He's a tremendous horse with a ton of talent. I know racing fans at the Jersey Shore welcome the news as much as we do and look forward to another great renewal of the Haskell on August 3.

"Last year we got to see Curlin in the Haskell," Dowd said, "and he went on to win the Breeders' Cup Classic and Horse of the Year honors. The Haskell has stamped itself as the next logical step for horses after the Triple Crown and for those looking at yearend honors. This year's race should continue that tradition."

After Big Brown's Triple Crown attempt ended with a shocking last-place finish at the Belmont Stakes, the horse's future became the hot question.

However, co-owner Paul Pompa Jr. announced last week that the prized colt would make his return at the Haskell, rather than at the Travers Stakes on Aug. 23 at Saratoga.

"The [Haskell] race fits his style," Pompa said. "We were disappointed after the Belmont, and we needed to regroup. We did, and the Haskell is the plan."

Since his poor showing at the Belmont, where as the overwhelming favorite he never really got started, leading jockey Kent Desormeaux to ease up with a quarter mile remaining, Big Brown has been training daily at Aqueduct Racetrack.

While some questioned whether the colt's reported hoof injury was more serious that originally thought, the horse's trainer, Rick Dutrow Jr., has insisted that the horse was, and remains, ready to race.

"Big Brown is healthy, and our plan right now is to keep racing him this summer and fall," Dutrow said in a statement to a congressional committee investigating horse racing safety.

While Monmouth Park initiated a Triple Crown race bonus a few years ago that will pay the owners and Dutrow $50,000 each to run their colt in the Haskell (the bonus is worth $25,000 for each Triple Crown race victory), Pompa said the choice of the 1 1/8-mile Haskell over the 1 1/4-mile Travers Stakes on Aug. 23 at Saratoga was made based on the track and weather.

It has been speculated that with the decision to race at the Haskell, Big Brown may be able to get another start before what will likely be his final appearance before being retired to stud - the $5 million Breeders' Cup on Oct. 25 at Santa Anita.

Reserved seats are on sale for the Haskell Invitational and are expected to go quickly now that the Grade 1 race will showcase the return of Big Brown.

Grandstand and clubhouse reserved seats are available for $10 to $17, while box seats can be purchased for $12 each for Haskell Day. Seats can be purchased Wednesday through Sunday by calling 732-571-5563. Visitors to the track can purchase seats any racing day at the reserved seat booth located on the second floor of the grandstand.

Lezcano wins six on Sunday to tie Monmouth record

Jockey Jose Lezcano rode six winners on Monmouth Park's Sunday card, equaling a Monmouth Park record.

Lezcano's "six-bagger" kicked off in Sunday's second race with Shore ($4.20) and continued in the third atop Sweet Sugardaddy ($3), the sixth aboard Adjust ($7.80), the seventh with Way With Words ($9.20), the ninth atop Coli Bear ($11), and the last with Brush the Rail ($15).

Walter Blum, in 1961, was the first rider to set the mark. It was equaled in 1984 by Chris Antley, in 1987 by Julie Krone, and by Joe Bravo in 1994, 2002, 2005 and 2006.

A 23-year-old native of Panama, Lezcano returned to win his six on Sunday after being unseated from his mount, Brainy Baxter, in Saturday's finale.

Following Sunday's card, Lezcano leads the Monmouth rider standings with 42 victories, two more than Eddie Castro and 13-time leading jockey Joe Bravo.

During Saturday's meet, Zayat Stables' J Z Warrior took command at the start and was never threatened as she sped to a four-length victory in the $70,000 Dearly Precious Stakes.

J Z Warrior, sent off the 13-10 favorite in the field of six fillies and mares, raced the six furlongs in 1:09 4/5 over the fast main track and returned $4.60, $2.80 and $2.20 across the board. Irish Smoke, the second choice at 4-1, finished second to complete the $20.40 exacta, paying $4.80 and $3.20. D'Wild Ride, the longest shot on the board at 10-1, was third, returning $3.20 to show.

The winner, trained by Bill Mott and ridden by Joe Bravo, scored her first win this year in five starts. This was the first stakes victory for the 3-year-old daughter of Harlan's Holiday.

Bravo put J Z Warrior on the lead soon after the start, and the filly clipped off fractions of :21 4/5 and :44 2/5 to discourage all her rivals and was being geared down at the wire.

"I'm just very happy to get to ride when Bill Mott sends a horse here," Bravo said. "It makes my job very, very easy.All I had to do with this one was hold on. Anytime you have a sprint race, you have to worry about the break, and she broke beautifully."

On Friday, Sondra Bender's Aruban Sandwich collared the leader in midstretch and went on to an upset victory in the $40,000 allowance feature on the Monmouth turf course. The winner, trained by Larry Murray and ridden by Carlos H. Marquez Jr., raced the mile and an eighth over firm turf in 1:48 3/5 and paid $30.60, $11 and $5 across the board after scoring by one length.

No Use Denying, the 2-1 second choice, set all the fractions and held on for second, paying $4.80 to place and $3.20 to show and completing the $125.80 exacta. Succeed, the 8-5 choice in the field of seven, finished third, a length and a quarter farther back, and paid $2.60 to show.

Aruban Sandwich, a 4-year-old daughter of Alphabet Soup, shipped in from Maryland to pick up her second victory of the year in four starts. The filly, bred by her owner, broke her maiden on the grass at Pimlico in May.