Setting Sail in the 2018 Haskell
By: Nick Costa, Trackside with Trackman
The $1 million event is, a “Win and You’re In” for the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Classic.
The
2018 running marks the 51st renewal of the race named for, Amory Haskell, the
first president and chairman of the Monmouth Park Jockey Club.
This
year’s edition suffered a substantial loss of star power when it was announced
Triple Crown winner, Justify, who was targeted for the Grade 1 summer fixture,
would not be participating. The Bob Baffert trained colt was on the sidelines
with a left ankle injury.
Those
trainers that were originally going to skip the race to avoid facing horse
racing’s 13th Triple Crown champion in the ‘Centerpiece of the Summer’ at the
Jersey shore, then altered their objevtives when his absence was made public.
There
were no plans as to when or where Justify would race next.
Then
on Wednesday, it was announced that the unbeaten colt with immense talent who
made his debut February 18th, and in a span of 111 days skyrocketed to stardom
winning four Grade 1’s, including becoming the first horse to win the Kentucky
Derby without racing as a 2-year-old since Apollo in 1882, would not be
returning to the races, but instead, was retired.
His
vacancy presents a nice opportunity for some of the other top horses from the
3-year old division to participate in Monmouth Park’s signature event.
Headlining
the list are the runners-up from the first two jewels of the Triple Crown, Good
Magic and Bravazo. The former was last year’s champion two-year-old colt and
chased Justify through the Churchill Downs stretch in the Kentucky Derby but
could not close the 2 ¼-lengths deficit. The latter finished fast in the
Preakness at Pimlico to come up just a half-length short of Justify.
With
Justify gone to the breeding shed, the second half of the 3-year-old division
is wide open, and several runners from this interesting and competitive crop
are looking to be that next horse who emerges to the forefront and grabs the
spotlight. And it all starts here.
The
nine-furlong Haskell Invitational goes as race 12 on the 14-race card and will
be televised live on NBC-TV from 5-6 p.m., with post time slated for 5:45 p.m.
Here
is a look at field from the rail out.
1
- Lone Sailor – Bravo/Amoss - Gave
the Haskell a major boost when it was determined he would run in the race. Colt
has not won past the maiden ranks, but has competed against the best horses in
the division in the first two legs of the Triple Crown. Was eighth in the
Kentucky Derby and fifth, beaten just two lengths for the top spot in the
Preakness, and only a length behind Good Magic. The son of Majestic Warrior
enters off a runner-up finish behind Core Beliefs in the Ohio Derby. If you
believe lightning can strike twice in the same place, remember last year’s Ohio
Derby runner-up (Girvin) won the Haskell. Amoss saddles his first Haskell
starter, and Lone Sailor has given every indication that he’s ready to go again
following five-week layoff.
2
- Navy Commander - Arroyo/Reid –
Shipped into Monmouth three weeks ago and became a stakes winner when he wired
a five-horse field in slow time in the one-mile-and-one sixteenth Long Branch
Stakes, the local prep for the Haskell. Navy Commander is on a two-race winning
streak for the second time in his career and when it comes to winning races for
this gelding, and he has five of them from 11 lifetime starts, albeit softer
company, the son of Poseidon’s Warrior has always done his best running on or
very near the lead. Has a win over the surface which is always a plus, but
another win here in this spot would be shocking.
3
- Roaming Union - Jimenez/Breen-
Union Rags colt was blanked in six tries in his juvenile campaign, then finally
broke through maiden ranks in January at Aqueduct, winning by a dozen lengths.
The Polytrack at Turfway didn’t pan out in his first try against winners, then he
faltered back on dirt at Laurel after leading to three-quarter mark. Following
a pair of runner-up finishes, including last month’s Pegasus Stakes at
Monmouth, where he missed by a neck, he now makes his first graded stakes
start. Roaming Union has since recorded a pair of five-furlong workouts and now
must face his stiffest competition yet.
4
- Core Beliefs - Prat/Eurton –
Unraced at two, this son of Quality Road did not compete in the Triple Crown
races, but has developed nicely since breaking his maiden in the spring. Last
month, he won the G3 Ohio Derby in a photo finish by a nose, overcoming a wide
trip from post 10. In May, he managed a second-place finish in the G3 Peter Pan
at Belmont Park after stumbling at the start. In April, in his first start
against winners, he was third behind Justify in the GI Santa Anita Derby. All
three were at today’s nine-furlong distance. Has yet to finish out of the money
in six career starts. Core Beliefs has raced extremely well in graded stakes
competition and could be just starting to put it all together.
5
- Bravazo - Saez/Lukas – Gave the
race another major ‘shot in the arm’ when he was added to the lineup. Danced
every step of the 2018 Triple Crown series and acquitted himself very well in
each event. His late charge in the Preakness where he came up a half-length
short behind Justify, was sandwiched in between a pair of ‘better than looked’
sixth-place finishes in the Derby and Belmont. Both races came with legit
excuses - Wide the entire way in the former and pinned down along the inside
for much of the race in the latter - Bravazo’s lone graded stakes victory came
in the G2 Risen Star in February at Fair Grounds. Regular and solid works since
the Belmont have this Awesome Again colt fit and on his toes for the Haskell.
6
- Good Magic - J.Ortiz/Brown – Last
year’s 2-year-old champion and Breeders’ Cup Juvenile winner is the most
accomplished horse in the race. Following his win in the Blue Grass Stakes,
this son of Curlin was a solid runner-up in the Kentucky Derby and fourth in
the Preakness Stakes. In the latter, he dueled on the lead with Justify deep
into the stretch before tiring. He skipped the Belmont with the Haskell as the
next target and has trained steadily for this race. With Justify now retired,
Good Magic is the best 3-year-old in training, until proven otherwise, and
gives Brown an excellent shot at his first Haskell win.
7
- Golden Brown - Rendon/McBurney -
Based at Monmouth Park, this son of Offlee Wild enters this contest having run
good races over the turf in his last two starts, including an upset win in the
G3 Kent Stakes at Delaware Park in his last race two weeks ago. Colt has raced
four times at Monmouth– three on dirt and once on the grass where he rallied to
finish a fast-closing second in the state-bred Dan Horn Stakes last month. He
has also performed very well on dirt, although they have been strictly sprint
races. Displayed an affinity for a distance-of-ground when put on the turf, but
this is a dirt route where he is an unknown quantity. Golden Brown is in top
form but pitted against some of the better 3-year-olds in the country is a very
tough test to go long on dirt for the first time.
Summary: The biggest event
of the summer at the Jersey Shore is a very competitive race, and a good one to
wager on. Although the race seems to be Good Magic’s for the taking, only one
favorite (American Pharoah) in the past four running’s of the Haskell has won.
With
that said, I will look elsewhere for the win.
LONE SAILOR is still just a
maiden winner but has given a very good account of himself competing against
the best in the division. Throw out the Kentucky Derby, where was hampered by a
slow start and his last three races have been highly competitive. He will be
looking for pace up front and with several
speed/stalkers types in here, enough may develop to allow his closing style
to get it done. As an extra added attraction, he gets the services of ‘Jersey’
Joe Bravo, a 13-time Monmouth riding champion to guide him.
GOOD MAGIC will be a heavy favorite
in this race and deservedly so.
He
is the most accomplished horse in the field. Has won at the distance and sports
a top-notch trainer/jockey combo. But he returns from a nine-week layoff and
may not be fully-cranked. Therefore, he could be vulnerable.
BRAVAZO is a tough horse and
showed his durability competing in all three legs of the Triple Crown. He is a
Grade 2 winner, and two-time Grade 1 runner-up which gives him every chance to
win this.
Play: With $100 ThoroFan
dollars, I will wager $30 to win on Lone Sailor. I will play a $20 exacta box
with Lone Sailor/Good Magic ($40 total) and a $15 exacta box with Lone
Sailor/Bravazo ($30 total).
Good
luck, and as always, enjoy the race.
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