OK To Play battled for the lead with Elusive Desire to her inside through fractions of 28, 55 4/5, and 1:25 1/5. Entering the stretch, the pacesetter tired but 6-1 Broadway Schooner, who stalked the pace in fourth early, came through to take the lead at the 1/8 pole. Raising Rachel rallied late but Broadway Schooner held her off in the final strides by a nose in 1:54. It was just a head back to favorite Elusive Desire third, and neck back to Margarita Momma fourth, in a four-horse blanket finish.
Winning trainer Jim Campbell said, "I thought we got beat at the wire, but this was one of those pleasant surprises that went in our favor. We are all just thrilled. Especially proud of this horse is her caretaker, Walter. He's just on Cloud Nine right now. She went a really tough race, went first over. Brian kept her alive. She definitely earned it today, Brian settled her nice from the gate. He had to move when he did. I thought he might flush a little cover, but he didn't, he just rode up patiently, kept her alive right to the wire."
Driver Brian Sears, who became the first driver to sweep the Hambletonian and the Oaks in the same year, said, "I got goose bumps when the four fillies came up to us. I kind of got stuck first over. I thought Jack (Moiseyev) would pull (Raising Rachel), but (Broadway Schooner) was hanging in there, real game, and they weren't really swarming in on her too quickly. I was going to be happy finishing second, I knew it was tight. I'm just so happy she ended up on top."
Hambletonian won by Muscle Hill
Nat Ray Invitational won by Lucky Jim
Peter Haughton Memorial won by Holiday Road
Merrie Annabelle won by Poof She's Gone
