Any Given Saturday convincingly turned the tables on Hard Spun and Curlin in the Haskell (Ross Woodson/Horsephotos.com)

WinStar Farm and Padua Stables' ANY GIVEN SATURDAY (Distorted Humor) wasn't able to make an impact in the Run for the Roses, but the Todd Pletcher trainee dismissed Kentucky Derby (G1) runner-up Hard Spun (Danzig) and Preakness S. (G1) winner Curlin (Smart Strike) in Sunday's $1,060,000 Haskell Invitational H. (G1) at Monmouth Park. Any Given Saturday powered 4 1/2 lengths clear at the wire, finishing nine furlongs on the fast track in 1:48 1/5 to announce himself as a leading player in the second half of the season.

"Using Curlin and Hard Spun, the Preakness winner and the Derby second, as how you judge the three-year-olds, he beat them convincingly today," Pletcher said. "Obviously, he's as good as any three-year-old in this crop."

"I knew he was a better horse than he showed in the Derby," winning rider Garrett Gomez said. "In that race, we turned for home and he just flattened out (to finish eighth). From that time, Todd got him back going in the right direction. When I sat atop him in the Dwyer ([G2] on July 4), he was a different horse (when romping by four lengths). He was the same today. I was very confident. It was just a matter of what kind of trip I'd get from the one hole."

As expected, local hero Cable Boy (Jump Start) went straight to the front, intently tracked by Hard Spun while reeling off splits of :23 2/5, :47 and 1:10 3/5. Any Given Saturday was perfectly positioned in a ground-saving third by Gomez, who was merely biding his time to strike. Turning into the stretch, Gomez angled his mount to the outside for a straight shot at the leading pair, and the dark bay responded. Any Given Saturday stormed past Hard Spun and a retreating Cable Boy, clocking 1:35 2/5 for the mile, and proceeded to draw off in an authoritative display. The 9-5 second choice returned $5.60, $4 and $2.10, spearheading exotics worth $24.20 (exacta), $46 (trifecta) and $157.80 (1-7-6-4 superfecta).

"The race unfolded the way we thought it would," Pletcher said. "I don't give jockeys instructions, and all I told Garrett was there were three main speeds and I wanted him to secure an inside position going around the first turn. I don't handcuff a rider like Garrett with too many instructions. I was hoping he would get the jump on Hard Spun around the turn. He didn't, but he was good enough to push his way through there."

Hard Spun stayed on gamely to deny 4-5 favorite Curlin for runner-up honors by a head, paying $5 and $2.10 as the nearly 5-1 third choice.

"He ran good and the race set up perfectly for him," said Hard Spun's trainer, Larry Jones. "He picked up Cable Boy turning for home, but never really got a rest. Today he just got outrun. No excuses."

Curlin was reserved off the early pace, gradually crept into contention and swung four wide into the drive, but had no answer for the winner's brilliant kick and could not quite reel in the determined Hard Spun. The third-place finisher provided $2.10 for his labors.

"We're going to have to figure out why he ran third," conditioner Steve Asmussen said of Curlin. "He ran the worst race of his career and we'll have to find out why."

The 44-1 Imawildandcrazyguy (Wild Event) closed mildly to finish a clear fourth, 3 1/2 lengths adrift of Curlin but with four lengths to spare over Cable Boy. Xchanger (Exchange Rate) and Reata's Shadow (Include) completed the order under the wire, while California invader Stormello (Stormy Atlantic) was scratched after contracting colic Friday night.