Haskell Stakes

'TDN Rising Star' Mindframe (Constitution), who led into the final furlong of last month's GI Belmont Stakes before his inexperience cost him the final leg of the Triple Crown, rates the marquee in Saturday's GI NYRA Bets Haskell Stakes at Monmouth Park, a 'Win and You're In' qualifier for the GI Breeders' Cup Classic at Del Mar in early November. A $600,000 Keeneland September purchase campaigned by the formidable team of Mike Repole's Repole Stable and Vinnie Viola's St Elias Stable, the Maryland-bred won his seven-furlong Gulfstream debut by a...

SARATOGA SPRINGS, NY -- Missing from action for two months, but certainly not forgotten, beaten GI Kentucky Derby favorite and 'TDN Rising Star' Fierceness (City of Light) is ready to make his comeback. Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher said the Repole Stable homebred is set to resume competition in the GI Haskell Stakes at Monmouth Park on July 20 with stablemates Mindframe (Constitution) and Tuscan Sky (Vino Rosso). Mindframe is making his first start since finishing second in the GI Belmont Stakes on June 8. Tuscan Sky won the...

Kingsbarns (Uncle Mo) had always shown potential, but making good on it had become a problem. After he won last year's GII Louisiana Derby to remain undefeated in three career starts, he struggled to duplicate that performance. He did win the GIII Ben Ali Stakes at Keeneland, but his record still lacked that all-important Grade I win. That's no longer a problem. Kingsbarns defeated a strong field to win the June 29 GI Stephen Foster Stakes at Churchill Downs. To discuss that win and other matters relating to Spendthrift Farm,...

SARATOGA SPRINGS, NY-A steady rain Sunday morning wasn't going to put a damper on the mood at the barn of trainer Danny Gargan on the Saratoga backstretch. When you have the winner of the GI Belmont S. in one of your stalls, a lousy morning isn't going to feel so bad. And Dornoch (Good Magic), the upset winner of the Belmont, does indeed live in Gargan's barn. "My phone had 290 text messages on it," Gargan said, standing outside his office. "My phone hasn't stopped ringing. He came out of...

Monmouth Park will offer a weekend-long trainer bonus totaling $150,000 around the track's signature race, the GI Haskell S. Trainers will accumulate points covering races from from July 19 through 21, with $75,000 awarded to the winning trainer. "This is a great way to expand Haskell Day into Haskell Weekend and provide our fans with an amazing racing experience for three straight days," said Monmouth Park director of racing and racing secretary John Heims. "While Haskell Day is already circled on many conditioners' calendars, this new bonus will hopefully attract...

Following Sea (Runhappy--Quick Flip, by Speightstown), the recently retired winner of the 2021 GII Vosburgh S., will begin his stud career next season at Rivard Stables in Eli, Manitoba. The 5-year-old was purchased from his breeder, Spendthrift Farm, by longtime Manitoba horseman Gary Naherniak to stand in Western Canada. Racing in the Spendthrift colors for trainer Todd Pletcher, Following Sea was second in the 2021 GI Haskell S. and GI Cigar Mile and was third in the GI Breeders' Cup Sprint and GI H. Allen Jerken Memorial S., in addition...

When "Big Money" Mike Smith got the call on Geaux Rocket Ride (Candy Ride {Arg}) in Saturday's GI Haskell S., it was the culmination of a lot of planning and a bit of stalking. "I've had my eye on this colt for quite a while," admitted Smith on this week's TDN Writers' Room podcast, presented by Keeneland. "If you have seen him, you've seen that he's such a good-looking horse," said Smith, who talked about watching him through his early races. "And when I got the call that I was...

When Jim and Dana Bernhard purchased Pin Oak Stud last fall, the plan was always to return stallions to stand at the historic property and, while that idea may have been on the back burner before, the heat may be turned up a bit now after the couple's Geaux Rocket Ride (Candy Ride {Arg}) won the GI Haskell S. Saturday at Monmouth Park. "Jim and Dana Bernhard are on cloud nine," Pin Oak's Clifford Barry said Monday. "I think they can't believe it. I have spoken to them multiple times...

In hindsight, the victory by Geaux Rocket Ride in Saturday's GI Haskell S. was not at all difficult to predict. The real puzzler is how this top-tier Candy Ride (Arg) colt was let go at 12-1 in the betting. A pari-mutuel post-mortem points to a "perfect storm" anchored by two factors: The 2-for-2 'TDN Rising Star' Arabian Knight (Uncle Mo), the highly hyped sophomore from last winter, absorbed overzealous 11-10 favoritism despite not having raced in six months, with the Bob Baffert training factor (nine Haskell wins) contributing mightily to...

Pin Oak Stud's Geaux Rocket Ride (Candy Ride {Arg}) exited his victory in the GI TVG.com Haskell S. in good order, trainer Richard Mandella reported Sunday. The victory earned the lightly raced colt an automatic berth in the GI Breeders' Cup Classic and Mandella said he has several routes to consider to get to that Nov. 4 race at Santa Anita. The Sept. 23 GI Pennsylvania Derby at Parx, the Sept. 2 GI Pacific Classic at Del Mar and the Sept. 30 GI Awesome Again S. at Santa Anita are...

Race caller and TVG analyst Larry Collmus, whose distinguished career includes a 20-year stint as Monmouth Park's track announcer, has been named the winner of the 2023 Bill Handleman Award for outstanding coverage of last year's GI TVG.com Haskell S. First presented in 2012, the Handleman Award honors the late Bill Handleman, one of New Jersey's top sportswriters for nearly three decades for the Asbury Park Press. Handleman, a fixture at Monmouth Park and a passionate chronicler of the sport, died in June of 2010 at the age of 62....

Jack Christopher (Munnings), who suffered his first career loss when third in his two-turn debut in the GI TVG.com Haskell S. at Monmouth Park Saturday, is expected to cut back to one turn in the Aug. 27 GI H. Allen Jerkens S. at Saratoga next time out. "The horse ran really well and I thought he had a good trip," trainer Chad Brown said. "He got a little quick on the final turn when they moved from [the half-mile in] :46 into [three-quarters in] 1:09. That probably emptied him a...