John Heims
Monmouth Park

OCEANPORT, N.J. – The richest day in New Jersey Thoroughbred history and the deepest field in decades for the $1 million IZOD Haskell Invitational (G1) guarantee that Sunday’s 43rd Haskell Day card will be one of the most memorable ever at Monmouth Park.

The Haskell tops a card of 14 races – including six other stakes events – with total purses of $2,552,000, making it the most lucrative afternoon of racing ever conducted at Monmouth Park. The purse total eclipses the mark of $2,456,000 set in 2009 when the Haskell’s gross purse was raised to $1.25 million with the appearance of Rachel Alexandra.

The Haskell represents a major stepping-stone to this year’s 3-year-old championship and drew an ultra-contentious field that includes the winners of the Kentucky Derby and Preakness, plus the horses that finished second in those Triple Crown events. In addition, the field includes four lightly raced but highly qualified contenders.

Lookin at Lucky, the Preakness winner, was installed the 5-2 morning line favorite, with Super Saver, the Kentucky Derby winner, at 3-1, co-second choice with Trappe Shot, winner of four straight making his graded stakes debut. Ice Box, second in the Derby, is rated at 9-2, while First Dude, second in the Preakness and third in the Belmont Stakes is at 6-1.

The longer priced horses in the field – all in with a chance – are Afleet Again, 12-1; Our Dark Knight, 15-1, and Uptowncharlybrown, 15-1.

The Haskell, centerpiece of Monmouth’s Elite Summer Meeting, will be run as the 12th race on a 14-race program, with a probable post time of 5:46 p.m. The Haskell will be televised live on the ABC-TV network from 5-6 p.m. The entire card will be televised live on TVG.

Monmouth’s gates will open at 10 a.m. on Sunday, with the first race set to go off at 12 noon. The program includes six stakes in addition to the Haskell, topped by two Grade 3 turf events, the $200,000 Oceanport Stakes (11th race) and the $200,000 Taylor Made Matchmaker Stakes (9th race). The Oceanport will be televised live as part of the ABC Haskell show.

The other stakes on the card, each with a purse of $150,000, are the Majestic Light (3rd race), Jersey Derby (7th race), Regret (8th race), and Teddy Drone (10th race).

The day’s betting program will include a Pick 5 on races 6 through 10 with a guaranteed pool of $250,000, and a Pick 4 on races 11 through 14, also with a guaranteed pool of $250,000.

Admission to Monmouth on Haskell Day will be $5 for the Grandstand and $8 for the Clubhouse, with seniors (55 years and older) admitted to the Grandstand for $3 and the Clubhouse for $5. Children 12 and under are free.

All paid admissions on Sunday will receive a free 2010 Haskell cap while supplies last.

In addition, all military personnel, in uniform or with military ID, will be admitted free and will receive a free Haskell cap.

The field for this year’s Haskell is being compared to what is regarded as the most competitive renewal ever, the 1987 running, when Bet Twice, Alysheba (who went on to be 3-year-old champ) and Lost Code provided a blanket finish.

Lookin at Lucky has been anything but lucky in his draw positions, and could do no better than sixth after drawing the dreaded rail spot in the Kentucky Derby.
 
Trainer Bob Baffert changed riders to Martin Garcia for the Preakness, and this time the colt drew Post 7 and wore down First Dude to win by three-quarters of a length.

Lookin at Lucky drew the inside post again for the Haskell but in an eight-horse field should have more racing room that he had in the Derby.

Baffert will be seeking a record fourth Haskell victory. The trainer, who saddled Point Given to win in 2001, War Emblem in 2002 and Roman Ruler in 2005, is tied with Jimmy Croll and Sonny Hine, who also have three wins.

Super Saver is trained by Todd Pletcher, who won back-to-back Haskells with Bluegrass Cat (2006) and Any Given Saturday (2007). The colt gave Pletcher his first-ever win in the Kentucky Derby, but then ran eighth in the Preakness.

Ice Box made a huge late run to get second after a traffic-filled trip in the Derby, but subsequently finished ninth in the Belmont Stakes for trainer Nick Zito.

Zito will also send out the lightly raced Our Dark Knight, who will be making his graded stakes debut. However, the Medaglia d’Oro colt was second in the Spend a Buck Stakes here and then won a Monmouth allowance last out.

First Dude was consistent in his two Triple Crown tries, running second by less than a length in the Preakness, and then third, beaten just a length, in the Belmont Stakes. The big colt is expected to be the speed of this Haskell.

Trainer Kiaran McLaughlin will saddle two horses in the Haskell. Trappe Shot, also making his graded stakes debut, won the Long Branch Stakes here for his fourth straight score, and is regarded as the “now” horse in the Haskell field as a late-developing 3-year-old.

Uptowncharlybrown has flashed his ability several times and will be a sentimental pick for many at Monmouth. He was trained by Monmouth Park regular Alan Seewald, who passed away suddenly in April. Mr. Seewald’s ashes were scattered in the Monmouth Park winner’s circle.

Afleet Again, a big gray son of Afleet Alex, has been training regularly at Monmouth and has finished third in the Spend a Buck Stakes and second in the Grade 3 Pegasus here. Trainer Butch Reid has given the mount to “Jersey” Joe Bravo, who is currently leading all jockeys here as he seeks his 14th Monmouth riding title.