e Five Racing and Stonestreet Stables's reigning Eclipse Award-winning juvenile Good Magic (Curlin) is the marquee name among 44 invitees to the GI betfair.com Haskell Invitational S. to be held at Monmouth Park Sunday, July 29.
Since securing his championship with a maiden-breaking victory in last year's GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile at Del Mar, the $1-million Keeneland September yearling purchase atoned for a third-place effort to fellow Haskell invitee Promises Fulfilled (Shackleford) in the GII Xpressbet Fountain of Youth S. with a tally in Keeneland's GII Toyota Blue Grass S. Apr. 7. A game second to subsequent Triple Crown winner and 'TDN Rising Star' Justify (Scat Daddy) in the GI Kentucky Derby May 5, the chestnut was a close fourth when last seen in the GI Preakness S. Given recent news reports that he has been taken out of training, Justify was not among those invited to the race.
A handful of leading 3-year-old fillies are also on the list, including GI Kentucky Oaks and GI Acorn S. victrix Monomoy Girl (Tapizar) and Wonder Gadot (Medaglia d'Oro). Neither seems likely for the race, however, as Monomoy Girl has the July 22 GI CCA Oaks as her next objective, while Queen's Plate winner Wonder Gadot is expected to face the boys again in the second leg of the Canadian Triple Crown, the Prince of Wales S. at Fort Erie July 24. Recent runaway GIII Delaware Oaks heroine Red Ruby (Tiznow) is also among the possibles.
Bob Baffert is an eight-time winner of the Haskell and the stable could still be represented in the race by the likes of Ax Man (Misremembered), who will try to stake his claim in Saturday's GIII Los Alamitos Derby.
Other prominent sophomores to be extended invitations include MGISW Bolt d'Oro (Medaglia d'Oro); the progressive GIII Ohio Derby winner Core Beliefs (Quality Road); towering GIII Dwyer S. hero Firenze Fire (Poseidon's Warrior); Gronkowski (Lonhro {Aus}) and Hofburg (Tapit), second and third, respectively, in the GI Belmont S. behind Justify; and GSWs My Boy Jack (Creative Cause), Quip (Distorted Humor) and Vino Rosso (Curlin).
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