Normally, we take trainer Brad Cox at his word. He labeled his Further Ado the “best 3-year-old two-turn colt in the country” at a news conference prior to Saturday’s $1 million Haskell Stakes (G1) at Monmouth Park.
Maybe Cox is right on target. Or perhaps he’s simply caught up in the moment.
We’ll have a better handle on Further Ado after the Haskell, where he faces six rivals as the 2-1 favorite in the first major stakes for 3-year-olds after the Triple Crown.
The Haskell is a Breeders’ Cup “Win, and You’re In’’ to the Classic (G1) on Oct. 31 at Keeneland. The race is the main event on the biggest day of the year in New Jersey racing.
The post time for Haskell is 5:45 p.m. ET.
There are a number of quality two-turn sophomores out there, including Kentucky Derby (G1) and Belmont Stakes (G1) winner Golden Tempo and Preakness Stakes (G1) winner Napoleon Solo. Further Ado certainly merits consideration for a leadership role. There are still a lot of races to be run before we can crown the best-of-the-best in this crop.
On his best days, Further Ado can be impressive, as evidenced by an 11-length win in the Blue Grass Stakes (G1). Off that effort, Further Ado was the 5-1 favorite in the Kentucky Derby, where he had a rough trip and finished 11th.
He rebounded with a solid win in the Matt Winn Stakes (G3) that had Cox chirping heading into the Haskell.
“I’ve loved what I’ve seen from him since,” Cox said earlier this week. “He’s held his condition very well. His weight’s great, and he’s always been a great workhorse.”
The morning line was a bit surprising, as many observers predicted Napoleon Solo would be tabbed as the early favorite. Few would be shocked if he held that role at post time.
He was in-hand through the lane while beating 13 rivals in the Preakness. He’s also the hometown hero with Paco Lopez, the king of Monmouth, aboard.
Until the recent sale to the mysterious Espoir USA, Napoleon Solo was the pride and joy of owner Al Gold, a long-time prominent Monmouth fixture.
Aside from local rooting interest, Napoleon Solo has the authentic credentials of being the only two-time Grade 1 winner in the field.
He ran twice as a 2-year-old, crushing the competition in his debut at Saratoga before stepping up to win the Champagne Stakes (G1) at Aqueduct with a powerful front-running effort.
The Jersey Shore is roasting under a punishing heat wave, and that translates into a packed down speed-favoring surface that Napoleon Solo should love. There’s always the possibility of pop-up showers at this time of year that could scramble the picture.
Neither Napoleon Solo nor Further Ado has run on a wet track.
All else being equal, we feel the 5-2 morning line price for Napoleon Solo, if it holds, is square value.
Iron Honor (3-1) is also in the mix following a game second-place effort chasing Napoleon Solo in the Preakness.
It’s hard to be enthusiastic about The Puma (7-2) who has not run since losing the Florida Derby (G1) by a scant nose. A skin infection knocked him out of the Triple Crown, and this is a long time between races.
On the upside, The Puma did beat Further Ado in the Tampa Bay Derby (G3), so the quality is there. The race fitness might not be.
| 1 | Star Sweeper | 30-1 | Luis Rivera, Jr. | Louis Linder, Jr. |
| 2 | Further Ado | 2-1 | Irad Ortiz, Jr. | Brad Cox |
| 3 | Baby Vino | 15-1 | Jorge Vargas, Jr. | Lindsay Schultz |
| 4 | The Puma | 7-2 | Luis Saez | Gustavo Delgado |
| 5 | Iron Honor | 3-1 | Flavien Prat | Chad Brown |
| 6 | Napoleon Solo | 5-2 | Paco Lopez | Chad Summers |
| 7 | Ocelli | 6-1 | Tyler Gaffalione | D. Whitworth Beckman |
Trainer Bob Baffert surprisingly doesn’t have a runner in this year’s Haskell, a race he’s won a record nine times. It wouldn’t be Haskell Day with a Baffert runner on the program, and he brought a good one for the $500,000 Molly Pitcher (G2) for fillies and mares.
The amazingly consistent Splendora is 8-4-0 in 14 career starts, including five stakes victories. She is a multiple Grade 1 winner (the 2025 Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Sprint and the 2026 Beholder Mile).
If Splendora brings her “A Game,” the rest are running for second money.
Just a Touch is 2-for-2 since Brad Cox switched the 5-year-old to the turf, scoring wins in an allowance race at Keeneland and an overnight stakes at Delaware Park.
Not that he was a complete dud on dirt. He was a close second in last year’s Monmouth Cup and in the 2024 Blue Grass to Sierra Leone. It appears he wanted grass all along, and he’s getting it in the $500,000 United Nations (G2) at 1 3/8 miles.
Program Trading is 2-for-2 over the Monmouth lawn, having won his debut here and the Monmouth Stakes last month. He is a two-time Grade 1 winner with victories in the 2023 Saratoga Derby and the 2024 Turf Classic at Churchill Downs.
The $350,000 Monmouth, formerly the Meadowlands Cup (G1), is only a Grade 3 event now, but this renewal is the equal of any older horse stakes this time of year outside Del Mar and Saratoga.
Skippylongstocking is the gallant 7-year-old trained by Saffie Joseph, Jr. He’s closing in on $6 million in career earnings, a total boosted by his win in the Pegasus World Cup (G1) back in January. His latest effort was a neck loss in the Alysheba Stakes (G2) on the Kentucky Oaks (G1) undercard.
Knightsbridge exits as one of his best efforts, even though it came in defeat. He was a game second to Nysos in the Met Mile (G1) at Saratoga.
City Girl gets big-time class relief in the Grade 3 Matchmaker for fillies and mares on turf.
The Franch-bred mare trained by Chad Brown recently ran a competitive fourth in the New York Stakes (G1) at Saratoga.
She looks like a short-priced favorite considering her international experience and her victory in the Beaugay (G3) at Aqueduct in May.
Sweet Treasure arrives on a two-race winning streak for trainer Brad Cox that includes a front-running victory in the Mint Julep (G3) at Churchill Downs.
The writing team at US Racing is comprised of both full-time and part-time contributors with expertise in various aspects of the Sport of Kings.
