The million-dollar, Haskell Stakes is Saturday at Monmouth Park. This is the 59th edition of the 1 1/8-mile race for 3-year-olds and is the first marquee race in the division since the end of the Triple Crown series in early June.
Here is a brief look at the field:
1. STAR SWEEPER [ML 30-1] Jockey: Luis Riveria Jr. Trainer: Louis C. Linder Jr. His two wins came in sprints at Parx as a 2-year-old, but he did run the best race of his career two starts back when 2nd by a head in the Long Branch Stakes on the main track at Monmouth. Unfortunately, he has raced in six other Stakes races in his career and finished 10 lengths or more behind the winner in each of them.
2. FUTHER ADO [ML 2-1] Jockey: Irad Ortiz Jr. Trainer: Brad Cox. As a tepid favorite in the Kentucky Derby, he was jostled early and faded late in an 11th-place finish May 2nd at Churchill Downs. He rebounded from that disappointing result with a two-length win in the $500,000 Matt Winn Stakes June 7th at Churchill. He enters the Haskell with fast speed figures and proven Grade 1 class.
3. BABY VINO [ML 15-1] Jockey: Jorge Vargas Jr. Trainer: Lindsay Schultz. Needed five starts to break his Maiden, which came May 1st at Oaklawn Park. He’d shown some promise before that win, running 2nd twice and 3rd once in his first four races, then something clicked after that first win. He followed with a 10 ¾-length romp June 13th at Monmouth in the Pegasus Stakes. With his win on this track and the tactical speed he displayed in his two victories he could be overlooked here. Downside? This is the best competition he’s faced in his career.
4. THE PUMA [ML 7-2] Jockey: Luis Saez. Trainer: Gustavo Delgado. Due to a skin infection, he was scratched from the Kentucky Derby. His last two starts prior to the Derby were a win in the Grade 3 Tampa Bay Derby and a runner-up finish in the Florida Derby indicate he can compete with the best 3-year-olds. The Haskell will be his first race in more than 3 ½ months, but he’s never finished outside the top three in any of his races. An intriguing contender with significant upside.
5. IRON HONOR [ML 3-1] Jockey: Flavien Prat. Trainer: Chad Brown. After a win in the Grade 3 Gotham Stakes, he then ran 7th as the favorite in the Wood Memorial at Aqueduct. He was pointed to the Preakness Stakes rather than the Derby and finished 2nd by 1 ¼ lengths in the second jewel of the Triple Crown. In the 1 3/16-mile Preakness, he earned a new career-best speed figure and proved he could be effective in two-turn races. He cuts back a sixteenth of a mile for the Haskell and should be able to use his tactical speed to settle in just behind the pacesetters.
6. NAPOLEON SOLO [ML 5-2] Jockey: Paco Lopez. Trainer: Chad Summers. He flashed the brilliance of a budding star at age 2 with a pair of wins in as many starts by a combined margin of 11 ¾ lengths, including a runaway 6 ½-length victory in the Grade 1 Champagne Stakes. He won the $2 million Preakness Stakes on May 16th which makes him a top win candidate in the Haskell. His tactical speed could be a big advantage in a race that lacks a ton of pace and historically favors runners settling within a few lengths of the lead.
7. OCELLI [ML 6-1] Jockey: Tyler Gaffalione. Trainer: Whit Beckman. Finished in the money in three different Graded Stakes races, including a 3rd-place finish at 70-1 odds of in the Kentucky Derby. Yet, for all of his accomplishments he remains a Maiden. Most recently he ran 2nd, by a length in the $500,000 Ohio Derby. He has run consistently well in his last four starts since his blinkers came off, but can he win the Haskell? He should at least be passing horses late with a chance for another top three finish.
The Haskell Stakes is listed as race 12 on a mammoth card of 14, with a scheduled Post Time of 5:45.
Best of luck however you play it.
