The summer racing scene is really starting to sizzle with the recent openings of both Del Mar and Saratoga and it figures to get even hotter this weekend with a trio of stakes for three-year-olds that will feature all three Triple Crown event winners.

The action begins with a twin bill on Saturday as G1 Kentucky Derby winner Mine That Bird headlines the G2 West Virginia Derby while seven other three-year-olds will look to start grabbing headlines with a win in the G2 Jim Dandy up at Saratoga. Let’s start at Mountaineer Park.

Installed as the 3-5 morning line favorite, Mine That Bird will be making his first start since the ripple Crown in this $750,000 event going 1 1/8 miles. Mine That Bird raced in relative obscurity before bursting onto the scene with an improbable 6 ¾ length upset of this years’ Run for the Roses.

In the Preakness, the fact that Calvin Borel jumped ship to ride Rachel Alexandra garnered more headlines than his awesome late rally that left him just a length short in the Preakness while finishing second under Mike Smith. With Borel back aboard, Mine That Bird was sent off as the 6-5 chalk and was given a horrendous ride by Borel.

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Mine That Bird was much closer to the pace than he was in his tow prior starts, made a premature move to the front on the turn then lost a place battle to Dunkirk as he tired slightly through the stretch. Making Borel look even worse was the fact that eventual winner Summer Bird employed the tactics usually used by Mine That Bird to win the Belmont. Amazingly, Borel has once again taken off Mine That Bid, leaving trainer Chip Woolley to reach out for Smith once again. They’ll break from post 2.

The only colt with a remote chance of beating the “Bird” is Big Drama, and he’d have to do it with his speed. Trainer David Fawkes took blinkers off Big Drama for the first time in the Preakness where he dueled briefly with Rachel Alexandra before finishing fifth. With the blinkers back on last out, Big Drama won a $250K stakes at Charlestown from off the pace going seven furlongs. Still, one would have to believe that he’ll be back on the lead, if not awful close to it, in here under Eibar Coa from post 5.

Trainer Steve Asmussen will send out the entry of Soul Warrior and Sunday Sunrise in the West Virginia Derby. Soul Warrior will be making his third start off a layoff in here having finished second in the Iowa Derby last out. Miguel Mena rides from post 1. Sunday Sunrise will be ridden by Corey Lanerie from post 4 and has won just twice from ten starts with a last place finish in the G2 Dwyer his most recent effort.

Woodbine shippers Awesome Rhythm and Monty’s Best round out the field. Awesome Rhythm, winner of a minor stakes over the synthetic course up in Canada will break from post 3 for trainer John Ross with Jimmy McAleny aboard while Monty’s Best will be seeking his third consecutive win for trainer Reade Baker and jockey Eurico DaSilva. Last year, Monty’s Best was second in the G3 Iroquois at Churchill over conventional dirt behind multiple graded stakes winner Capt. Candyman Can.

Immediately following the W.V. Derby, Dwyer winner Kensei will lead six others to the gate for the $500,000 Jim Dandy going 1 1/8 miles. After finishing second in the G3 Derby Trial and third in the G2 Woody Stephens, Kensei took advantage of a great trip under Edgar Prado in the Dwyer and parlayed it into a rousing 3 ¼ length win in his first start over a mile. Another solid trip from post 3 appears to be in the cards in what will be this colts’ first start around two turns.

Charitable Man makes his first start since finishing fourth in the Belmont for trainer Kiaran McLaughlin. Two starts back in the G2 Peter Pan, Charitable Man sat a perfect trip to win by almost 4 lengths. Last year, Charitable Man broke his maiden at first asking over this course. Regular rider Alan Garcia returns from post 5. McLaughlin will also saddle last out allowance winner Flat Bold with Ramon Dominguez aboard from post 2.

Convocation and Warrior’s Reward, second and third in the Dwyer are back for another crack at a making a name for themselves in the Jim Dandy. Convocation finished well to get the place after breaking his maiden two back while Warrior’s Reward stumbled badly at the start, basically losing all chance for a win as the 4-5 chalk. Kent Desormeaux will ride Convocation for trainer Jimmy Jerkens from post 7 while Calvin Borel will pilot Warrior’s Reward for Ian Wilkes from post 4.

Saratoga Sinner showed promise earlier in the season before being sidelined after his upset score in the G3 Holy Bull at Gulfstream back in late January for trainer Eddie Kenneally. Julien Leparoux rides from post 1. Hall of Fame trainer Nick Zito will send out longshot Miner’s Escape for the first time since finishing last in the Belmont. John Velazquez will ride from post 6.

On Sunday, superfilly Rachel Alexandra will be going for her fourth straight G1 victory, eighth consecutive overall and second against the boys when she tackles six colts in the G1 Haskell Invitational at beautiful Monmouth Park going 1 1/8 miles.

The superlatives and adjectives are beginning to dwindle when it comes to one of the best fillies the Sport of Kings has seen in a while. Her G1 Kentucky Oaks win by a record 20 ¼ lengths over six inferior fillies was sensational and made many wonder if she belonged running the following day in the Kentucky Derby.

Her Preakness win, a gutsy gate to wire effort in which she held off late rallies by Mine That Bird and third place Derby finisher Musket Man, was the stuff that dreams are made of, with what seemed to be all of Baltimore heralding the filly as she returned to have her win picture taken.

Last out in the G1 Mother Goose, she was less than a second off the track record set by the immortal Secretariat while breaking the margin of victory mark set by the incomparable Ruffian when she waltzed home by 19 ¼ lengths in a sizzling 1:46 1/5 despite being geared down in the final furlong or so.

Asmussen has worked Rachel Alexandra four times up at Saratoga since her last start and appears to be ready to fire another bulletin the Haskell under regular rider Calvin Borel. They’ll break from post 6 and have been installed as the 4-5 morning line favorite.

The Todd Pletcher trained Munnings is second choice on the morning line at 3-1 and would likely be an overwhelming favorite based on his last two starts if not for the presence of the superfilly.

In his second start of the season two back, Munnings rallied from off the pace to win the seven furlong Woody Stephens by 5 ¼ length on the Belmont Stakes undercard over an accomplished field of sprinters. In his next start, Munnings tackled older horses for the first time and made a strong move up the rail on the far turn to score a 2 ¼ length victory in the G2 Tom Fool, again going seven furlongs.

The Haskell, however, is 1 1/8 miles around two turns, unchartered territory for Munnings. His lone try going a distance of round was in the G1 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile at Santa Anita last fall, but that was over the synthetic ProRide surface which Munnings didn’t seem to care for. Though he has plenty of questions to answer, there is no doubting his ability and he appears to have the best chance of any at toppling Rachel Alexandra. John Velazquez rides from post 4.

It’s unusual for a G1 Belmont Stakes winner to be the third choice on the morning line at 7-2 but that’s exactly what’s happening to Summer Bird in here. In just the fifth start of his career, Summer Bird exploded in deep stretch to take this years’ “Test of the Champion” by almost three lengths under a masterful ride by Hall of Fame jockey Kent Desormeaux last out when adding blinkers for the first time.

Trainer Tim Ice decided to send his charge up to Monmouth about a month ago from his Louisiana Downs base and it appears to have done wondered as Summer Bird has trained extremely well in the days and weeks leading up to the Haskell. The one problem Summer Bird might face is Monmouth Park’s history of being a speed favoring/front running style course that could compromise his solid late kick.

An intriguing longshot in the Haskell is Papa Clem. After winning the G2 Arkansas Derby and running fourth in the Kentucky Derby, Papa Clem through in a Preakness clunker when finishing sixth. After a brief freshening from trainer Gary Stute, Papa Clem came back east for the Long Branch, the traditional Haskell prep at Monmouth.

In the Long Branch, Papa Clem broke slowly and stumbled at the start before finishing third. Perhaps with a better trip and a race over the course under his belt, Papa Clem could wake up at a price in here. Elvis Trujillo, who was aboard for the first time in the Long Branch, has the return call from post 3.

Long Branch winner Atomic Rain has won three of 10 career starts, with all of his wins coming over the Monmouth Park strip. Purchased by the powerful Godolphin Stable after the Long Branch, Atomic Rain was entered in the Haskell despite being plagued by some foot problems earlier this week. Joe Bravo rides from post 5.

The Haskell field is completed by a couple of minor stakes winners. Iowa Derby winner Duke of Mischief hails from the David Fawkes barn and will break from post 1 under Eibar Coa. The Derek Ryan trained Bunker Hill will add blinkers for the Haskell and break from post 7 under Kendrick Carmouche. Bunker Hill won the Continental Mile at Monmouth last year.

THE PLAY
I think Charitable Man is going to run a big one in the Jim Dandy and stamp himself as a big player as far as the rest of this year and next is concerned. Bet $30 to win on Charitable Man and make a $1 trifecta part-wheel using Charitable Man with Warrior’s Reward and Convocation with All for $10. Also make a $2 trifecta box using Charitable Man, Warrior’s Reward and Convocation for $12. Total bets cost $52. Good luck!!!!