The Haskell (Grade 1) (BC)- $1,000.000 Purse
MTH- For Three Year Olds
One Mile and One Eighth on the Dirt
July 20, 2019
The summer heats up this weekend in more ways then one, and at MTH we will be treated to the 14th running of the Grade 1 Haskell. This is a race that has been good in the past to winners of one of the TC races, as the last three Haskell winners (Pretty Ferro, Shootfromthehip and Carneyman) held that distinction. We have also seen Five Fives go to the winners circle here, as well as Dark Crown, who won the very first running of the Haskell. In 2019, we will have our PRK and BEL winners in the field, but if they are going to do the same thing the last three winners have done, they will have to overcome starting from the outside. BEL winner Admiration drew post 12, and PRK winner Hollywood Latte is beside him in post 13. This is an exciting field with many runners that took part in the TC series, and had success in it. The reward for the winner is not only part of the nice $1,000.000 purse, but also a guaranteed spot in the BC Classic. Let’s meet the field!
#1- For The Boys (D J C Racing Stables, ridden by J Bravo)- While we did see For The Boys in a few prep races over the spring, he hadn’t really reached his full potential until recent. He sat out the TC races, but had success over Memorial Day weekend in the $200.000 bred Commentator, winning the NY-bred stake. The follow up race, even though he didn’t win, was also impressive, as he ran third in the Grade 2 Foster Handicap on about two weeks rest. If this upswing continues, the sky is the limit, and he may be one of the favorites in here.
#2- Apples To Oranges (Mb Stables, ridden by R Bejarano)- The Slither colt has been very successful in the TC season, running third in the KYD, closing well late in that race, before running second in the BEL, missing Hollywood Latte in a close photo. Prior to that, he won the Wood Memorial, so there is plenty of reason to like this one. A slight concern that I have is whether or not this race is long enough for him. He’ll be coming on late, as I don’t think there will be a significant tactic change with him, but will he run out of time?
#3- Chrystal Believer (Maxmillion Farm, ridden by D E Centeno)- After winning the Grade 2 San Felipe, and narrowly missing out in the SA Derby by finishing second, Chrystal Believer became a horse that was considered by many in the game to be one of the top threats to Beach Dandy in the TC chase. However, things have not really panned out for him, and after finishing in the middle of field in both the KYD and the PRK, Chrystal Believer has been given a couple of months to recoup. He should like going nine furlongs, as opposed to the longer distances of the TC chase, and cannot be overlooked to get back to his top form.
#4- Liberty Valance (D J C Racing Stables, ridden by S X Bridgmohan)- Won the Grade 3 Southwest at OP in February after breaking his maiden, and since then, he has been regularly running against the top horses in the division, and has performed decently. At the same time, he has not done enough to be considered an elite horse yet, but a win in the Haskell would certainly change that. His lone TC appearance was in the BEL, where a finished 5th as an approximate 50/1 shot. One thing to note is that he has never really been able to get a good post for a big race until now.
#5- Red Cup (Our Athletes, ridden by P Lopez)- The trainer keeps trying these big races, hoping the Red Cup that showed up and finished 3rd in the BC Juvenile, or ran second in a couple of preps at SA (Lewis Stakes and the San Felipe) will get a refill on his form. He comes off a couple of double digit finishes, in the KYD and in the BEL, one in which he tried to come from behind, and another where he tried to do it from the front. It resulted in a similar finish. Pretty soon, the horse is going to have to justify this confidence on the track.
#6- Pure Authority (Joshua Stables, ridden by I Ortiz Jr)- Despite selling Beach Dandy after the PRK, the trainer still made out very well in the BEL, by getting both the third and the fourth place finishers. Pure Authority, starting from the far outside, ran fourth in the BEL, being able to stay with the leaders most of the way, and hanging on fairly well until the end. His biggest win so far is the Grade 3 Coolmore Lexington, but is an intriguing option in here, especially if the odds are even a quarter of what they were for his last two races.
#7- Scarlet Ninja (Joshua Stables, ridden by J J Castellano)- I gave this horse some attention last week when talking about the Sanford, and how he is the only horse from last year’s race that has done anything significant as a three year old so far. Showing that it’s better to be good now, as a three, rather then as a two year old, the 10th place finisher from the Sanford ran third in the BEL last month. Previously, he was second at the Grade 3 Day Mile. A versatile horse in regards to distance, and he is certainly not done yet.
#8- Twin Towers (Fractious, ridden by T Gaffalione)- There have been some high dollar amounts that have surround this horse in private sales, but so far his biggest win was his last race, the ungraded $150.000 Easy Goer at BEL last month. The works for this Commanding colt are great, and a big reason why there is so much hope for him to be extremely successful. Leading into this race, all seems great, but he’s lacking that signature win, and it’s tough to pick him over others in here. It’s going to come one day, but I can’t pick him until after it does.
#9- Mercedes Benz (First Class Stable, ridden by F Pennington)- This is really the only horse in the field where you can say they are making a strong jump in class. He’s never run in any type of stake, and four of his starts have been on the grass. Ran second in a four horse allowance here last month. His work at the beginning of the month right here is likely why he is part of the field, so let’s see if he’s found new horsepower under the hood.
#10- Phooeys Queen Blue (Estero Farms, ridden by A A Gallardo)- Last year, the trainer won the race with Pretty Ferro, and will be looking to his Phooeys Blues colt to defend that title. This is a horse that has had good success picking up wins, with three in seven career starts, highlighted by taking the FL Derby in late March. Ran in two TC races, and earned himself a fourth place check in the PRK. He should be in the mix here.
#11- Marx On The Moon (Court Jester Racing, ridden by E Jaramillo)- If this race were two furlongs shorter, then he could be considered one of the favorites, but the trainer has bigger goals for him. In four races going at least a mile, he has a lone second place finish to show for it, but that was in the Grade 3 Peter Pan in May, so you can see why the trainer is hoping that he can settle in at going longer. Jaramillo has been regular rider and has shown very good chemistry with the horse.
#12- Admiration (Mb Stables, ridden by J R Velazquez)- After the dust settled on the TC races of 2019, it ends up being Admiration that we can say was the most successful horse during that time. He bypassed the KYD, and as one of the few rested horses in the PRK, he finished second, missing out in a close photo. Three weeks later, he showed that he could still run with the best on shorter rest himself, and this time, turned in the victory. Of the three TC winners, he was the only won who hit the board in another of the races. Won from post 12 in the SA Derby, and is the horse to beat in this race.
#13- Hollywood Latte (Nakamura Stables, ridden by J Talamo)- Ran in all three of the TC races, and scored himself a win in the PRK. He also registered double digit finishes in both the KYD and the BEL. Prior to the KYD, he won the LA Derby. So, which Hollywood Latte is going to show up for this race. If you like patterns, then it seems as though he would run a very good race here, but inconsistent horses can be frustrating. He was also due for an outside post, and gets one.
#14- Commanding Bee (John Henry, ridden by D Van Dyke)- The Command Attention gelding has just one win in eleven career starts, but showed plenty of promise as a two year old with great runs in the DMR Futurity and Champagne, which got him into the BC Juvenile. He was sold for $500.000 on New Years Eve to John Henry, and right now former trainer Serenity Stables has certainly got the better end of the deal. He finished off the board in three straight, but did run third in his last start, the Grade 1 Metropolitan Handicap at BEL.
Prediction: 12-1-7-10
— NS
Categories: Grade I, STAKES ARTICLES
