(Monday, August 4) The eight weeks between the Belmont Stakes and Sunday's $1 million Haskell Invitational (G1) were filled with questions for the connections of Kentucky Derby and Preakness winner Big Brown.

The big colt answered at least some of them on Sunday with a victory, although the 1-5 favorite had to work harder in the stretch than many of the 45,132 fans at the track and the millions more watching on national television would have guessed.

The colt broke quickly under jockey Kent Desormeaux to take the lead but was eased back as jockey Joe Bravo was intent on the lead aboard Coal Play.

Coal Play was able to set moderate early fractions of 23.05, 46.59, and 1:10.85 and turned for home with Big Brown still chasing him two lengths behind.

In mid stretch, it appeared Desormeaux may have made a tactical error letting Bravo dictate the pace and looked beaten. The jockey went to the whip and Big Brown was drifting out into the middle of the stretch but was making up ground.

The colt managed to make up ground inside the final furlong to catch the pacesetter late and draw clear to win by 1 ¾ lengths.

"He found a new gear and just kept sticking his neck out," Desormeaux said. "I knew he was going to get there. At the top of the stretch, that horse (Coal Play) took off, but Big Brown took off after him. He just kept coming, and I knew we'd get him."

It was relief for trainer Richard Dutrow, who watched Big Brown get eased in the Belmont Stakes.

"He showed up today," Dutrow said. "That other horse ran a huge, huge race. The last eighth, he got himself together and showed us what he's made of."

The winner stopped the timer in 1:48.31 for the nine furlongs and returned $2.40.

The exacta with the Nick Zito trained Coal Play returned $25.20. Zito also sent out the third place finisher Cool Coal Man, with the $2 trifecta returning $65.40.

Big Brown picked up a check for $600,000 for the win, bringing his career earnings to $3,314,500.

Zenyatta Remains Undefeated: The John Shirreffs trained Zenyatta improved her career record to a perfect seven for seven with a win in Saturday's $300,000 Clement L. Hirsch Handicap (G2) at Del Mar.

The brilliant filly went from last to first in the race, with jockey Mike Smith nearly getting himself caught in traffic but found a seam while three wide turning for home and got past Model inside the final furlong to win by a measured length.

The filly returned $3.40 to her backers, and the exacta with longshot Model paid $57.00.

She has bankrolled earnings of $914,580, and can become a millionaire in her next start, which likely will come in the $250,000 Lady's Secret Breeders' Cup Stakes at Oak Tree, the site of this year's Breeders' Cup. She would be pointed toward the Breeders' Cup Ladies Classic.

Indian Blessing Passes Test: Indian Blessing trounced five overmatched foes in Saturday's $250,000 Test Stakes (G1) at Saratoga, drawing clear to win by seven lengths.

Last year's two-year-old filly champion, trained by Bob Baffert, won her seventh race in nine career starts and increased her career earnings to $1,997,200.

She paid $2.80 as the favorite and covered the seven furlongs on the main track in 1:22.70.

Sweet Hope completed a $9.20 exacta.