With the $1 million Haskell Invitational just a few weeks away, Atomic Rain looks to be ready to make a run at Monmouth Park's showcase event.

PHOTOS BY ERIC SUCAR staff Clockwise from above: Horses and jockeys make their way to the finish line during the "JoAnn Snyder Birthday Classic" race at Monmouth Park in Oceanport on July 11. Jockeys and their horses sprint toward the finish line. Channing Hill sits atop Actin Good as they make their way to the finish line during the "27th Annual Cook Family & Friends Picnic" race. After finishing 16th in the Kentucky Derby, 31½ lengths behind Mine That Bird, Atomic Rain came back home to Monmouth, and on June 6 won an allowance race and looked good doing it.

"That race put his head back on straight," said trainer Kelly Breen, of Old Bridge. "I know his Derby line looks bad, but Joe [jockey Joe Bravo] did the right thing. The mile and a quarter was a lot to ask of him at that time, and when he got tired in the stretch, Joe just relaxed on him and let him gallop out. What was going to happen if he kept pushing — he might have been 14th, which gets you nothing.

"This way, Joe saved him for the next race, and he won that."

On Saturday, Breen's horse made it two in a row by waiting patiently early on before moving wide for the drive and running up the score with a 4¾-length win in the $175,000 Long Branch Stakes, the traditional prep for the Haskell.

"This was the most professional race I've seen him run," said Breen. "I don't know yet what we'll do between now and the Haskell. He was pretty cranked up for this, but if I can crank him up anymore, I will. He's really coming into his own and if there's a time for that, it's now."

After breaking sharply, Atomic Rain took back early on before making his big run to the lead. He stepped the mile and a 16th over a fast main track in 1:43 3/5 and returned $7, $3.80 and $2.40 as part of the coupled entry with Rapid Redux, who set most of the pace. Despite the Odds completed the $54 exacta and paid $6.60 to place and $3.40 to show.

Arkansas Derby winner Papa Clem, who was sent off the 6-5 favorite, ran into some trouble early, but rallied to pay $2.40 to show.

Following the race, winning rider Joe Bravo was impressed with Atomic Rain's improvement.

"It's unbelievable how much this horse has matured," he said. "Right from the start of the race he wanted to go. I kind of had to try to relax him heading into the first turn. He always had the ability and now his mind is on track."

The Long Branch victory was the third in 10 starts for Atomic Rain, a 3-year-old colt by Smart Strike from the Cox's Ridge mare Paradise Pond.

He has now earned $248,540 for owners George and Lori Hall.

While Atomic Rain may not be among the favorites once the Haskell lineup is finalized (especially if the likes of Kentucky Derby winner Mine That Bird and Preakness winner Rachel Alexander join Belmont winner Summer Bird in the mix), he will certainly be one to watch. Thus far, Summer Bird is the only of the three triple-crown race winners to commit to the Haskell.

Summer Bird took to the Monmouth Park racetrack just after 9 a.m. on Sunday as the colt byBirdstone continues to prepare for the Haskell. With Eddie Castro in the irons, Summer Bird was caught in 1:01 4/5 by the clockers, going the last quarter in :24 2/5. After overnight rains, the track surface was sealed and wet.

"It was exactly what we wanted," said trainer Tim Ice, who shipped his Classic winner to Monmouth on July 3. "His last two works here pretty easy, so I wanted to get a little something more into him today. This was what I was looking for."

Summer Bird breezed five furlongs at Louisiana Downs on June 27, going in 1:04 2/5. He had an identical work here on July 6.

A winner of $723,040 with two wins from just five career starts, Summer Bird broke his maiden at second asking on March 19 at Oaklawn Park. He was then third in the Grade 2 Arkansas Derby, beaten a length and a quarter by Papa Clem, who is also being pointed for the Grade 1 Haskell. After running on to be sixth in the Kentucky Derby, Summer Bird went from next to last to first in the Belmont Stakes, winning by nearly three lengths.

Owned by Jayaraman, Kalarikkal and Vilasini, Summer Bird will have two more works before the Haskell.

"He'll continue to work on Sundays," Ice said. "Desormeaux [jockey Kent, who was aboard for the Belmont win] will be here for his last work on the [July] 26."

Another Haskell hopeful, Big Drama, skipped a workout on Sunday and instead will go out on Monday, just after the break.

"I didn't like the track condition this morning, so we'll wait for tomorrow," said trainer David Fawkes, who conditions the Montbrook colt for Harold L. Queen.

A six-time winner in nine outings, Big Drama boasts earnings of more than $1 million, with a graded stakes win in the Grade 3 Delta Jackpot last December at Delta Downs.