From coast to coast, the summer season of racing kicks into high gear this weekend with $1 million Haskell Stakes (G1) at Monmouth Park on the Jersey Shore, the traditional $200,000 San Clemente Handicap (G2) at Del Mar, and the $500,000 Coaching Club Oaks (G1) at Saratoga.
Monmouth Park. Monmouth Park Photo.
Saturday marks the return of the G1 Haskell Stakes to the Jersey Shore.
The biggest race of the weekend is the 1 1/8-mile Haskell for 3-year-olds on Saturday, with Belmont Stakes (G1) winner Dornoch and a trio of Todd Pletcher-trained colts – Fierceness, Mindframe, and Tuscan Sky – among the probables.
The Haskell undercard includes four other graded stakes: the United Nations (G2), the Molly Pitcher (G3), the Monmouth Cup (G3), and the Matchmaker (G3).
Thorpedo Anna, winner of the Kentucky Oaks (G1) for trainer Ken McPeek, headlines a field of five in the 1 1/8-mile Coaching Club American Oaks for 3-year-old fillies. Other entries are Candied and Leslie’s Rose, both trained by Pletcher, Barbratina, and Intricate.
Thorpedo Anna won the Acorn Stakes (G1) on Belmont Stakes Day at the Spa, and most recently worked 5 furlongs in 1:01.55 on Saturday (July 13) over the Oklahoma training track.
“She’s done great here, and she goes out the first set. She’s been happy,” McPeek said of his filly who is 6-5-1-0 with earnings of over $1.7 million. “She does everything we ask her. She likes her work and she’s an easy filly to be around.”
Del Mar’s summer season opens July 20 (Saturday), with the San Clemente for 3-year-old fillies on the turf.
Fierceness Prepares for Haskell Comeback After Kentucky Derby Disappointment
The Haskell marks the return of 2-year-old champion Fierceness, last seen finishing a discouraging 15th as the favorite in the Kentucky Derby (G1) on May 4.
Fierceness. Coady Photo.
“I thought Fierceness was really impressive like he can be when he’s in good form,” Pletcher said after his Haskell trio posted workouts at Saratoga on Saturday (July 13). “Not so much the time in which he did it, but how effortlessly he was going around there. He looked fantastic.”
Mindframe ran second to Dornoch in the Belmont, while Tuscan Sky won the Pegasus Stakes at Monmouth on June 15.
Dornoch has been working well at Saratoga since the Belmont, most recently going 4 furlongs in 47.88 seconds on Saturday at the Spa.
“He’s only run four times this year. He’s a lightly-raced horse,” trainer Danny Gargan said. “The Haskell is perfect timing — it gives us six weeks from the Belmont and five weeks to the Travers (Aug. 24).”
For those who bet horse racing, another top 3-year-old is back in action Friday at Monmouth, when Woody Stephens (G1) winner Book’em Danno takes on five challengers in the 6-furlong, $100,000 Jersey Shore Stakes.
The draw for the Haskell is Wednesday, July 17.