One of the key races on the U.S. schedule will be staged at Monmouth Park this weekend, as horses aged three will compete in the Haskell Stakes. This will be the first race for some of the runners before taking their chance in open-age company in the Breeders’ Cup Classic in November.
Before Betting On Haskell Stakes
The Haskell Stakes has been run annually since 1968, when it was previously known as the Monmouth Invitational Handicap. It is a key prep for the horses that would have previously competed in the U.S. Triple Crown ahead of a potential bid for Breeders’ Cup Classic success later in the season. However, no horse has completed the double since Authentic in 2020.
The Belmont Stakes form will be represented this weekend, as the first two home will collide at Monmouth Park. Dornoch got the better of Mindframe on that day at Saratoga, but Todd Pletcher’s unexposed three-year-old could have stronger claims this weekend. Mindframe veered off his line in the closing stages in the Triple Crown race, but the experience from that start at the highest level could be the difference on Saturday.
Pletcher will have two runners in the Grade One this weekend, with Fierceness also set to make his return to the track. The Breeders’ Cup Juvenile winner from last season was seen by many as the top contender for the Kentucky Derby this year, but he faltered at Churchill Downs when finishing 15th. He now has questions to answer.
Tuscan Sky is another Pletcher runner that could be hard to discount this weekend after winning at Monmouth on his previous start. His turn of foot was devastating in the Pegasus Stakes to beat Domestic Product by over six lengths. Timberlake was well beaten by Fierceness at the Breeders’ Cup last year, and he returns after a lengthy break after finishing fourth in the G1 Arkansas Derby.
Haskell Stakes Offshore Odds & Picks
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| Horse | Odds |
|---|---|
| Mindframe | +150 |
| Dornoch | +275 |
| Fierceness | +350 |
| Tuscan Sky | +700 |
| Timberlake | +1000 |
Mindframe ticks plenty of boxes for the Haskell this weekend, and the Pletcher runner is preferred to reverse the form with Dornoch. We wouldn’t be surprised to see the American trainer land a one-two-three finish at Monmouth Park this weekend.
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Pick
Mindframe (+150)
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50% up to $1000
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