The Haskell (Grade 1) (BC)- $1,000.000 Purse
MTH- For Three Year Olds
One Mile and One Eighth on the Dirt
July 20, 2024

Blazing made quite an impression this spring when he won the FL Derby on just over two weeks rest to get into the KYD. He didn’t run badly in that race at all, but it always seemed like he would be one to watch extra closely once the TC races were over. In the Haskell, he looked like one of the better options, and he was made our second pick as well as being the second choice overall on the board. There would be no one better than him on this day, as he would go on to win by a length over upset-minded Doc Rivers to give trainer Maxmillion Farm his first Haskell victory. Jockey Jo Dominguez is also a first-time winner. Congratulations to them! The race was won in a time of 1:47.73, the second quickest in the race’s history. Let’s take a look at it:

(1/4 Mile- :47.16)- Poison Arrow, trained by Mb Stables, takes the lead out of the gate and shows the way around the opening turn. That was unexpected, as recently he has been a closer. After half a mile, his advantage is a full length over second place Fractious- trained Gold Vault. Our eventual winner, Blazing, runs third for Maxmillion Farm and runs in the second lane, with Jerry Garcia Racing’s The Stranger running to his inside. It’s a length to the next pair, with Doc Rivers, the longest shot on the board, from D J C Racing Stables, running with Smokey Stover’s Lightning. Capiche (Fractious) is next on the rail, and to his outside are his stablemate Team Leader, as well as Baffert (Royalty Stables). Hoku (D J C Racing Stables) is a length behind them, and the trailers are Ocean Storm (Greyfriars Stable) and Key To The Forest (Alydar Stables).

(3/4 Mile- 1:11.38)- Poison Arrow is still the leader, but a couple of rivals are not going to wait until the stretch to challenge him. By the time they finish the backstretch portion, both Blazing and Gold Vault were beginning to make a push and it would be three wide for the lead moving into the turn. The Stranger stalks this group while in fourth, and it’s a length to Doc Rivers, who is on the rail. Lightning, Capiche, Baffert, and Team Leader run in the middle of the field, and not too far out of it. Hoku, Ocean Storm, and Key To The Forest were still not showing much.

(Top of Stretch, 1.7F To Go)- Midway into the turn, Blazing had powered his way to the front, and that was not just anyone he passed in doing so. That was Poison Arrow, the post time favorite, that he had put away. Gold Vault was unable to keep up with him and was now a length behind while running on the outside. Between horses, room was available for The Stranger and Doc Rivers to come on through if they were able to do so. Capiche, Baffert, Lightning, and Team Leader simply ran evenly but the race wasn’t over yet if they had been saving something. Hoku, Key To The Forest, and Ocean Storm continued to run at the back.

(Finish- 1:47.73)- Once he took over the top spot, there was no one that was going to get to Blazing, as he went on to win by a comfortable length. There was room for Doc Rivers on the rail, and he would be second, but those who bet on the longshot knew that he wouldn’t have time to grab the victory. Gold Vault is third, with the too little too late running Baffert at least picking up the fourth-place check. Both The Stranger and Poison Arrow fatigued late to the fifth and sixth respectively and were nowhere near the top three at the end. But they were still ahead of Capiche, Key To The Forest, Ocean Storm, Team Leader, Lightning, and Hoku.

About The Winner- Blazing, trained by Maxmillion Farm and ridden to victory by Jo Dominguez, is a three-year-old colt by Blaze Ahead and is out of Imposters. He was bred in the great breeding state of Pennsylvania as a third quarter two-year-old by Power Racing and was acquired by Maxmillion Farm when he was still unraced for $125.000 in a September 2023 private sale. Congratulations to the connections! The win is his fifth in seven starts, and his third stake win, all of which are graded. His career earnings are now $1,495.200.

Track: Fast
Time: :47  1:11¹  1:35²  1:47³

$2 Mutuel Prices:

$1 Exacta: 4 – 2 Paid 327.10
$1 Trifecta: 4 – 2 – 8 Paid 1,363.30

Scratched: Good Memories

— NS

Categories: Grade I, STAKES ARTICLES