SARATOGA SPRINGS — Trainer Steve Asmussen, his suit jacket soaked to his back and rainwater dripping off the tip of his nose, was asked if he had ever seen conditions this bad at Saratoga Race Course.

“You mean this good?” Asmussen said.

Asmussen, by far the North American leader in earnings this year, opened the 140th Saratoga season on Wednesday with three winners, including long shot Jardin in the Grade III Schuylerville for

2-year-old fillies.

The track was soaked by rain all day, forcing all five turf races to be moved to the main track, a year

after Saratoga lost a total of six turf races for the entire meet due to poor weather.

The rain actually picked up as soon as the Schuylerville was over, but Asmussen didn’t stop smiling, even though he also had the beaten favorite, Ocean Colors, in the feature. Off at 3-2, she led on the turn, but backed up and finished last of 11.

“It’s mixed emotions,” Asmussen said. “It’s a 2-year-old stake at Saratoga, both of them are coming off impressive maiden victories, you’ve got the elements and the draw, you don’t know what you’re hoping for.”

Jardin, a daughter of Montbrook by the Valid Appeal mare Unlimited Pleasure, broke from the far outside and used a stalking trip four-wide around the turn to catch Ocean Colors and Cameron Crazies, owned by former Duke basketball star Bobby Hurley and the longest shot on the board at 22-1.

Jardin ($26.40) won by four lengths over Cameron Crazies, who gutted out second by a nose over Girlfrienontheside to complete a $2,210.00 trifecta.

“I was very concerned with being on the far outside, and as the day wore on, it looked like it was where she needed to be, and she was very comfortable the whole way,” Asmussen said.

Asmussen said Ocean Colors, the daughter of 1988 Kentucky Derby winner Winning Colors, tied up a bit in the stretch.

Jockey Shaun Bridgmohan said she didn’t like the wet conditions.

“If you have a horse that doesn’t really handle it, it’s a tough situation,” he said. “Obviously, we can’t do anything about the rain, it’s nobody’s fault, but it’s not very pleasant.

“I’m not going to point fingers and make assumptions, but she’s a much better filly than she showed.”

Jardin, ridden by Robby Albarado for Padua Stables, will point toward the Grade I Spinaway on Aug. 31.

Asmussen’s other winners were Cognito, a 2-year-old who broke his maiden in the second race, and Jazz Nation in the sixth.

“It’s just the opportunity that we’re given,” Asmussen said. “We’re blessed with some very talented horses, and they’re the ones who win, the horses.”

Jazz Nation gave Hall of Fame jockey Kent Desormeaux the 4,999th winner of his career. Desormeaux, who stopped an 0-for-30 slide, has four mounts today.

A crowd of 18,127 showed up, down from about 30,000 for opening day in 2007.

“It was pouring rain at 11 o’clock, so, obviously, it’s disappointing,” New York Racing Association president Charlie Hayward said. “Last year, we took a total of six races off the turf for the whole meet, and today, we used up 83 percent of those.”

All of today’s turf races will be run on the main track, and the steeplechase in the first race was postponed until next Wednesday. Today’s first post will be at 1:35 p.m.