The initial significant competition for 3-year-old Thoroughbreds since the conclusion of the Triple Crown series earlier in June will take place at Monmouth Park in New Jersey this Saturday. A highly competitive group will compete in the $1 million NYRA Bets Haskell Stakes.
The Grade 1 race, covering 1 1/8 miles, typically draws a number of notable competitors from the Triple Crown. This year is no different, with Journalism, the Preakness Stakes victor and runner-up in both the Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve and the Belmont Stakes Presented by NYRA Bets, leading an eight-horse field. The field also includes Gosger, who finished second in the Preakness, and Goal Oriented, who finished fourth.
First held in 1968, the Haskell has been won by some of the sport’s most exceptional racehorses, particularly from the late 1980s onward. These include Bet Twice (1987), Forty Niner (1988), Holy Bull (1994), Serena’s Song (1995), Skip Away (1997), Point Given (2001), Rachel Alexandra (2009), American Pharoah (2015), and Authentic (2020). Beyond its importance within the 3-year-old category, the Haskell is a component of the Breeders’ Cup “Win and You’re In” Challenge Series. The victor receives an automatic, entry-fee-paid spot in the $7 million Longines Classic on November 1 at Del Mar.
The Haskell will be shown live nationwide on NBC during a broadcast from 5 to 6 p.m. ET. It will also be broadcast on FanDuel TV. The scheduled post time is 5:45 p.m. ET.
Continue reading for details on each Haskell Stakes entrant, along with some wagering strategies.
1. Bracket Buster (10-1 morning-line odds)
Jockey: John Velazquez
Trainer: Victoria Oliver
Owner: BBN Racing
Career record: 7 starts – 2 wins – 1 second – 1 third
Career earnings: $236,318
Top Equibase Speed Figure: 101
Pedigree: Vekoma – Spring Dance, by Dance With Ravens
Color: Bay
Running style: Frontrunner/challenge the pace
Analysis: This offspring of the promising young stallion Vekoma enters the Haskell following a career-best performance in Monmouth Park’s preparatory race, the NYRA Bets Pegasus Stakes. He took the lead shortly after the start of the 1 1/16-mile race, held on a muddy track, and pulled away coming out of the final turn, winning by an eased-up seven lengths. That victory was a rebound after Bracket Buster faded to seventh, 12 ¼ lengths behind Haskell entrant Goal Oriented, in a 1 1/16-mile allowance-optional claiming race at Churchill Downs, also on a sloppy dirt track. Three races prior, Bracket Buster set the early pace and finished well enough to hold second behind another Haskell competitor, Gosger, in the Stonestreet Lexington Stakes over 1 1/16 miles at Keeneland. He would need to improve on his Pegasus Stakes performance to have a chance at an upset in the Haskell. At the very least, Bracket Buster should play a significant role in establishing the early pace, along with Goal Oriented and longshots Kentucky Outlaw and Wildncrazynight. Two-time Haskell Stakes-winning jockey John Velazquez is always a threat with speedy horses, and he rejoins this colt for the first time since guiding Bracket Buster to a maiden victory last fall.
2. Journalism (4-5)
Jockey: Umberto Rispoli
Trainer: Michael McCarthy
Owners: Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners, Bridlewood Farm, Don Alberto Stable, Robert LaPenta, Elayne Stables Five, Susan Magnier, Michael Tabor, and Derrick Smith
Career record: 8 starts – 5 wins – 2 seconds – 1 third
Career earnings: $3,198,880
Top Equibase Speed Figure: 110
Pedigree: Curlin – Mopotism, by Uncle Mo
Color: Bay
Running style: Chaser
Analysis: Journalism is a well-deserved, odds-on morning-line favorite in the Haskell. He is returning east from trainer Michael McCarthy’s California base for another attempt to win one of the East Coast’s most prestigious races. He has a record of 1-for-3 in this regard, winning the 1 3/16-mile Preakness Stakes with a remarkable stretch run and securing a pair of solid second-place finishes behind Sovereignty in the Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve and the Belmont Stakes Presented by NYRA Bets. In the Preakness, Journalism found himself boxed in behind other horses entering the stretch. In a risky maneuver, Umberto Rispoli squeezed his mount between Goal Oriented and Clever Again early in the stretch at Pimlico. Journalism made contact with Goal Oriented but survived the scramble, accelerated impressively, and then overtook Gosger in the final strides – a finish that will be replayed and remembered for years. Journalism also held the lead in the stretch of the Kentucky Derby and Belmont Stakes but could not fend off strong rallies from Sovereignty on both occasions. That leading horse will not be present at Monmouth Park on Saturday. Unless this well-bred, expertly trained Curlin colt has already reached his peak and is about to decline in form, he will be very difficult to beat. At least four Haskell opponents prefer to run on or near the front, allowing jockey Umberto Rispoli to position Journalism comfortably behind the leaders, placing him well to seize control of the race as the field turns for home.
New to racing? Let us explain…
Odds-on favorites are horses whose odds are less than even money when the wagering pools close. This means that if you bet $2 on a horse going off at 4-5 odds, you would receive $3.60 back – four-fifths of each dollar wagered plus your $2 investment.
3. Wildncrazynight (30-1)
Jockey: Isaac Castillo
Trainer: Dan Ward
Owner: Flurry Racing Stables
Career record: 10 starts – 2 wins – 3 seconds – 1 third
Career earnings: $182,837
Top Equibase Speed Figure: 92
Pedigree: Midnight Lute – Proud to Be Wild, by Wildcat Heir
Color: Bay
Running style: Challenge the pace/chaser
Analysis: Wildncrazynight is the longest shot on the Haskell Stakes morning-line and is expected to start at odds around 30-1 or higher. The race features several opponents who share his forward running style but are faster and more accomplished. The gelding outperformed his 31.20-1 odds to finish second in Monmouth’s Haskell prep race, the Pegasus Stakes, but was no match for Bracket Buster, who beat him by seven lengths. He’s had an active career since debuting nearly a year ago at Monmouth, racing nine more times with only one finish worse than fourth. However, Wildncrazynight had never attempted a distance longer than six furlongs before running in the 1 1/16-mile Pegasus, where he lost ground in the stretch. His sire, Midnight Lute, was a champion sprinter, and his dam’s (mother’s) side also leans towards speed. Considering these limitations, it would not be surprising to see regular jockey Isaac Castillo position Wildncrazynight farther off the pace than in his recent races, aiming to pick off a few tired runners in the stretch and secure a small portion of the Haskell’s $1 million purse.
4. Burnham Square (5-1)
Jockey: Brian Hernandez Jr.
Trainer: Ian Wilkes
Owner: Whitham Thoroughbreds
Career record: 8 starts – 3 wins – 2 seconds – 1 third
Career earnings: $1,057,755
Top Equibase Speed Figure: 107
Pedigree: Liam’s Map – Linda, by Scat Daddy
Color: Bay
Running style: Chaser/closer
Analysis: This classy gelding arguably has the best chance to defeat Journalism in the Haskell if that competitor experiences a decline in form. He has consistently performed well in eight starts, with his worst finish – a sixth-place effort in the Kentucky Derby – impacted by a difficult trip. Burnham Square recovered from having to slow down on the backstretch of the 1 ¼-mile Derby to make up ground late and finish with interest. He followed with another late rally in the Matt Winn Stakes, finishing a half-length behind pacesetting winner East Avenue. The 1 1/16-mile Matt Winn was reduced to a four-horse field after scratches, and East Avenue was left unchallenged on the lead at Churchill Downs. Despite this, Burnham Square still pushed forward into a slow pace and tried hard. He has typically employed a come-from-behind running style in all but one of his career starts but is versatile enough to adopt a stalking position if needed. This may be the best strategy for jockey Brian Hernandez Jr. on Saturday, given Monmouth’s track favoring speed. Burnham Square should benefit from the stretch back out to 1 1/8 miles (the distance of his win in April’s Toyota Blue Grass Stakes) and is a must-use horse for exacta and trifecta wagers.
5. National Law (20-1)
Jockey: Irad Ortiz Jr.
Trainer: Jorge Duarte Jr.
Owner: Colts Neck Stables
Career record: 5 starts – 2 wins – 0 seconds – 0 thirds
Career earnings: $70,525
Top Equibase Speed Figure: 87
Pedigree: Constitution – Susie’s Baby, by Giant’s Causeway
Color: Gray or roan
Running style: Chaser
Analysis: This outsider will likely struggle to make a significant impact in the Haskell Stakes. His two victories – a maiden win in a one mile and 70-yard race at Parx Racing and an allowance-optional claiming win over 1 1/16 miles at Pimlico – came against competition several levels below what he will face on Saturday. The son of quality sire Constitution posted his career-best Equibase Speed Figure of 87 in his start following those two wins, when he finished fourth and 8 ¾ lengths behind Bracket Buster in Monmouth Park’s 1 1/16-mile Pegasus Stakes. The typical Equibase Speed Figure range for Haskell winners over the past 20 years is between 110 and 115, which seems unattainable for this contender. Multiple Eclipse Award-winning jockey Irad Ortiz Jr. takes the mount for the first time, which is a positive. If his skill set enhances National Law’s form, a fourth-place effort in this small field is a remote possibility … perhaps.
6. Gosger (9-2)
Jockey: Luis Saez
Trainer: Brendan Walsh
Owner: Harvey A. Clarke Racing Stables
Career record: 4 starts – 2 wins – 2 seconds – 0 thirds
Career earnings: $692,200
Top Equibase Speed Figure: 108
Pedigree: Nyquist – Gloria S, by Tapit
Color: Gray or roan
Running style: Challenge the pace/chaser
Analysis: Besides Journalism resuming his pursuit of a 3-year-old championship in Saturday’s Haskell, the most intriguing storyline is how this talented but inexperienced colt progresses. Gosger nearly pulled off a 15.50-1 upset in the Preakness Stakes two months ago, surging to a five-length lead. However, he could not maintain it in his fourth career start, succumbing to Journalism in the final strides after that rival overcame a near-disastrous incident in early stretch. Gosger entered the Preakness off two impressive victories, winning a one-turn mile maiden race at Gulfstream Park in February and then the 1 1/16-mile Stonestreet Lexington Stakes by two lengths over Bracket Buster at Keeneland in April. Gosger earned a 108 Equibase Speed Figure in the Preakness Stakes and finished 2 ¼ lengths ahead of Sandman in second, indicating plenty of untapped potential with this colt. He will be paired again with his Preakness rider, Luis Saez. Look for Saez, who won last year’s Haskell aboard Dornoch, to be just as aggressive with Gosger as he was at Pimlico, providing the colt with the opportunity to break away from the field from a stalking position if the chance arises.
7. Kentucky Outlaw (15-1)
Jockey: Florent Geroux
Owner/Trainer: Felissa Dunn
Career record: 5 starts – 3 wins – 0 seconds – 1 third
Career earnings: $146,500
Top Equibase Speed Figure: 95
Pedigree: Outwork – Fend, by Street Sense
Color: Bay
Running style: Frontrunner/challenge the pace
Analysis: This Mid-Atlantic-based colt is a candidate for trifecta and/or superfecta bets in the Haskell if he can improve upon his two recent performances – although even with improvement, he remains an outsider as a potential winner. Kentucky Outlaw posted Equibase Speed Figures in the mid-90s in consecutive stakes races over the past 2 ½ months. He first won the one mile and 70-yard Long Branch Stakes at Monmouth by 1 ½ lengths and then faded late to finish third behind Admiral Dennis in the 1 1/16-mile Delaware Derby at Delaware Park in mid-June. He contributed to the early pace in both of those stakes races and has run near the front in four of his five career starts, the exception occurring when he encountered early trouble in Laurel Park’s Federico Tesio Stakes. It is unlikely Kentucky Outlaw will sustain his position late in the Haskell, but he could influence the race by contributing to fast early fractions under skilled pace jockey Florent Geroux, a two-time Haskell winner.
New To Horse Racing? Let Us Explain…
Pace jockey: Jockeys, like horses, possess varying strengths and weaknesses. A jockey skilled at judging pace (early tempo) can settle his or her horse while running in the early lead. The slower a horse runs early in a race, the more energy it conserves to maintain the lead when challenged late.
8. Goal Oriented (4-1)
Jockey: Flavien Prat
Trainer: Bob Baffert
Owners: SF Racing, Starlight Racing, Madaket Stables, Stonestreet Stables, Dianne Bashor, Determined Stables, Robert Masterson, Tom Ryan, Waves Edge Capital, and Catherine Donovan
Career record: 3 starts – 2 wins – 0 seconds – 0 thirds
Career earnings: $231,960
Top Equibase Speed Figure: 109
Pedigree: Not This Time – Bizzy Caroline, by Afleet Alex
Color: Dark bay or brown
Running style: Chaser
Analysis: This well-bred colt from the stable of record-holding Haskell trainer Bob Baffert will receive a second chance in a prominent stakes race after losing all hope of winning the Preakness Stakes back in May. Goal Oriented was beginning a rally in the 1 3/16-mile middle jewel of the Triple Crown early in the stretch at Pimlico when heavy favorite Journalism moved into a narrow opening between him and Clever Again and bumped Goal Oriented forcefully, causing all three runners to lose balance. Journalism recovered to accelerate quickly and outfinish Gosger for the Preakness victory. Goal Oriented, commendably, did not give up and continued to run, finishing fourth, 6 ¾ lengths behind the winner. In his two races leading up to the Preakness, Goal Oriented dominated a six-furlong sprint when debuting at Santa Anita Park and then controlled the pace to win a 1 1/16-mile allowance-optional claiming race over highly regarded Hypnus on the Kentucky Derby undercard at Churchill Downs (Bracket Buster finished a distant seventh). In-form jockey Flavien Prat, the reigning Eclipse Award winner, rode Goal Oriented at Churchill and in the Preakness and remains aboard on Saturday for Baffert. Baffert has remarkably won the Haskell nine times and has finished in the top three with all 15 of his Haskell starters since 2000. Expect Prat to be aggressive with Goal Oriented early after breaking from the far outside post position to secure his mount’s position at the front of the Haskell field before reaching the first turn. Even if he does, the presence of several other speed horses may make it difficult for Goal Oriented to pull off the upset.
