#US RACING: Haskell Stakes, draw, analysis

The 2021 running of the US$1 million, Grade 1 Haskell Stakes at Monmouth Park on Saturday (July 17, 2021) will feature the second-place finishers from all three Triple Crown races – Mandaloun from the Kentucky Derby, Midnight Bourbon in the Preakness and Hot Rod Charlie from the Belmont Stakes.

Conspicuous by his absence from the Haskell will be Bob Baffert who has won the Jersey Shore’s signature race nine times. Baffert was hoping that that the Kentucky Derby winner Medina Spirit would head east for the race, but he did not have enough time to prepare following his third-place finish in the Preakness.

The 1 1/8-mile Haskell, which also provides a win-and-you’re-in spot to the Breeders’ Cup Classic, drew a field of seven 3-year-olds. This year’s Haskell also comes with the “BetMakers Bonzana,” which is a $1 million bonus to the winner should he go on to record victories in the Travers and the BC Classic.

Here is a full-field analysis for the Haskell Stakes, with the official morning-line odds provided by Monmouth Park.

1. Following Sea(3-1 – Runhappy – Todd Pletcher / Joel Rosario – 3: 2-0-1 - $115,520) Following Sea was moved from the barn of Bob Baffert to that of Todd Pletcher before his most recent 6 1/2-length victory in an allowance at Belmont Park, for which he was assigned a 100 Beyer. The Spendthrift Farms home-bred was odds-on in all three of his races. Pletcher considered running Following Sea in the Dwyer (G3) but opted for the Haskell, a race that he won in 2006, 2007 and with Verrazano in 2013. This son of Runhappy is a bit of a wild card because he will make his stakes debut in this formidable Grade 1 field and will race around two turns for the first time. There is no doubt that Following Sea has a bright future ahead of him and is very talented, but can he rise to the challenges at hand? Interesting wild card.
2. Antigravity(30-1 – First Samurai – Jerry Hollendorfer / David Cohen – 12: 2-3-3 - $140,310) The connections have gone back and forth about entering Antigravity in the Haskell. The ownership group decided to take a shot at getting third- or fourth-place money in this $1 million race. Antigravity was unable to break his maiden in his first 10 starts while racing in Kentucky and at Oaklawn Park, although he had several board-hitting efforts. But since coming to the Jersey Shore, the Jerry Hollendorfer trainee is unbeaten. Going two turns, the son of First Samurai won by almost four lengths and then came right back to take an allowance by a neck with a late-running effort. Hollendorfer won the Haskell in 1989 with King Glorious. David Cohen, who rode Antigravity in Arkansas, will come to New Jersey for the mount. Use underneath.
3. Mandaloun(2-1 – Into Mischief – Brad Cox / Florent Geroux – 7: 4-1-1 - $1,051,252) The Juddmonte Farms home-bred has four official wins from his seven career starts, along with his second-place finish in the controversial Kentucky Derby. Mandaloun skipped the Preakness and the Belmont Stakes to prep for the Haskell. He won the Pegasus in June at Monmouth, beating Weyburn by a neck in what turned out to be a closer finish than was expected. Regular rider Florent Geroux was on board that day and got valuable experience riding in a very competitive race where he had to follow the New Jersey Racing Commission rule that has banned the use of the crop for encouragement purposes. That experience might be significant in what could be a close finish in this year’s Haskell. Win contender.
4. Hot Rod Charlie(6-5 – Oxbow – Doug O’Neill / Flavien Prat – 9: 2-2-3 - $1,585,700) Hot Rod Charlie’s second-place finish in the Belmont Stakes (G1) was impressive to watch. He set a fast pace and then battled down the stretch with Essential Quality. The speed figures assigned to the top two in the Belmont confirm that their performances were outstanding. The 109 and 108 Beyer Speed Figures are the highest run by any 3-year-olds this year. Since then, Hot Rod Charlie has been firing off very fast workouts at distances of five and six furlongs at Santa Anita. He is a fast horse and we know that the nine-furlong distance will not be a problem for the son of Oxbow. His speed figures have not digressed even once in his nine-race career since his debut a year ago at Del Mar. Top choice.
5. Pickin' Time(20-1 – Stay Thirsty – Kelly Breen / Nik Juarez – 8: 3-1-0 - $199,825) This New Jersey-bred will try to become the second state-bred to win the Haskell going back to Thanks to Tony, who won in 1980. To his credit, Pickin' Time won two stakes races in a row as a 2-year-old in the Smoke Glacken sprinting at Monmouth in September and then the Nashua (G3) at Aqueduct by more than two lengths. He was fourth in his next two stakes tries before getting a five-month break. Trainer Kelly Breen brought him back at Monmouth at the end of May, but he did very little running while finishing last in a seven-horse field. Since then, Pickin' Time has recorded four fast workouts. A pair of two-turn races did not produce good results. Toss.

   6. Midnight Bourbon (9-2 – Tiznow – Steve Asmussen / Paco Lopez – 9: 2-3-3 - $661,420) Midnight Bourbon has been off since the Preakness. Assistant trainer Scott Blasi told me that his connections wanted to have a fresher horse heading into the Haskell. The place finisher from the second leg of the Triple Crown will ship to Monmouth from Saratoga, where he had a fast workout recently. His last victory was in the Lecomte (G3) in January, but it is hard to fault his record since then, with excellent finishes in every race, including his sixth in the Kentucky Derby. He did finish behind Mandaloun and Hot Rod Charlie in those races, and he has not earned at triple-digit Beyer. Steve Asmussen won the 2009 Haskell with Rachel Alexandra. Use underneath.

6. Basso(30-1 – Cairo Prince – Gregg Sacco / Isaac Castillo – 5: 1-0-1 - $41,520) Basso will be the first Haskell starter for the Monmouth Park-based trainer Gregg Sacco. The son of Cairo Prince flashed his talent when he won his debut at Monmouth last summer by eight lengths. His subsequent races as a 2-year-old were filled with troubled trips and immaturity. After taking the winter off, Basso needed to get back to the track because Sacco prefers to race his horses into shape. This is a huge step up in class and he no doubt will be a significant long shot. Toss.

   Summary: Handicappers should keep in mind that the horses in the Haskell will be allowed to race with Lasix and that the jockeys must follow the no-crop-use rule.

Hot Rod Charlie, Mandaloun and Midnight Bourbon have never raced with Lasix in their careers, and the riders of Hot Rod Charlie, Pickin Time, and Following Sea have never ridden at Monmouth Park without being able to use the crop to encourage their horses to win.

It is hard to see a scenario where Hot Rod Charlie, Mandaloun, Midnight Bourbon and Following Sea will not finish in the top three or four places in the Haskell. Hot Rod Charlie is the fastest horse in the field, and the Monmouth Park racing surface should suit his running style, while Midnight Bourbon and Following Sea prefer to be pressing the pace. The later-running Mandaloun should benefit from what should be a fast pace.

Down the stretch, the jockeys will not be able to use their crops as Hot Rod Charlie and Mandaloun seem like the ones that will be battling for the win.