Haskell Stakes Top Contenders: Napoleon Solo, Further Ado

The $1 million Haskell Stakes (G1), the signature race at Monmouth Park on the Jersey Shore, is a week away, and, as usual, the field will include prominent 3-year-olds from the Triple Crown trail.

At the top of the list is Preakness Stakes (G1) winner Napoleon Solo, who skipped the Kentucky Derby (G1) and bypassed the Belmont Stakes (G1) in favor of the Haskell.

The 1 1/8-mile Haskell on Saturday (July 18) is a favorite of Napoleon Solo’s former owner Al Gold, a New Jersey native who grew up near Monmouth Park and spent many days at the track trying to beat the odds. Gold won the Haskell in 2022 with Cyberknife at 7-1 odds.

A few weeks after the Preakness, though, Gold (who bought the horse for $40,000) sold Napoleon Solo to ESPOIR USA for what is reported to be a multimillion-dollar deal. Chad Summers is still the colt’s trainer.

Napoleon Solo will face some formidable foes that include Iron Honor, the Preakness runner-up; Further Ado, the Derby favorite who finished 11^th but won the Matt Winn Stakes (G3) on June 7; Ocelli, winless in nine starts but a close third in the Derby and fourth in the Preakness; and The Puma, the Derby morning-line favorite who was scratched hours before the race due to a swollen leg caused by a skin infection.

The other probables include Baby Vino and Big Cuddle.

Baby Vino won the Pegasus Stakes at Monmouth by 10 ¾ lengths on June 13, six weeks after breaking his maiden at fifth asking.

Big Cuddle has won four of five, including the Sir Barton Stakes on Preakness Day, May 16 at Laurel Park.

The post-position draw is Tuesday at noon ET.

No Baffert in Haskell

Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert, with a record nine Haskell victories, won’t have a chance at No. 10 this year as Crude Velocity, winner of the Pat Day Mile (G2) at Churchill Downs on Derby Day, was not nominated after missing a recent workout.

Baffert has had a huge impact on the Haskell. Three Haskell winners went on to win the Breeders' Cup Classic (G1) in their 3-year-old season – all trained by Baffert. He won both with Authentic in 2020, American Pharoah in 2015 and Bayern in 2014.

Haskell and Eclipse Award winners

The Haskell is considered a summer launching pad for top-flight 3-year-olds. The race has been won by 3-year-old male champions Wajima (1975), Holy Bull (1994), Skip Away (1996), Point Given (2001), War Emblem (2002), Big Brown (2008), Lookin At Lucky (2010), American Pharoah (2015), and Authentic (2020).

In addition, Haskell-winning fillies Serena’s Song (1995) and Rachel Alexandra (2009) earned Eclipse Awards during their 3-year-old campaigns.

Rachel Alexandra, Holy Bull, Point Given, American Pharoah, and Authentic also went on to claim Horse of the Year honors.

Haskell Stakes contenders:

• Further Ado: Trained by Brad Cox, the Gun Runner colt made a huge statement with a maiden win by 20 lengths in 2025 and an 11-length romp in the Blue Grass Stakes (G1) prior to the Derby on May 2. Both races were at Keeneland. However, he was bumped a few times during the race and finished 11^th in the Run for the Roses. He returned last month and won the Matt Winn Stakes (G3) at Churchill Downs on June 7. He was ridden by Irad Ortiz, Jr. In the Matt Winn and could be the early Haskell favorite.
• Napoleon Solo: The Liam’s Map colt was ridden to his Preakness win by Paco Lopez, who is appealing a 30-day suspension issued by the New York Racing Association for “gross careless riding” for his part in a four-horse spill at Saratoga this past week. Napoleon Solo won the Champagne Stakes (G1) as a 2-year-old, then ran fifth in both the Fountain of Youth Stakes (G3) and the Wood Memorial (G2).
• The Puma: The Essential Quality colt hasn’t raced since finishing a nose behind Commandment in the Florida Derby (G1) on March 27. He was the ‘hot’ horse for the Kentucky Derby but was scratched the morning of the race with a swollen leg from a skin rash. His lone win from four starts came in the Tampa Bay Derby (G3) on March 7. Gustavo Delgado is the trainer.
• Iron Honor: Trained by Chad Brown, the Nyquist colt won his first two starts at Aqueduct before stepping up and winning the Gotham Stakes (G3). A troubled seventh in the Wood Memorial had him bypassing the Derby and then running second in the Preakness, 1 ¼ lengths behind Napoleon Solo.
• Ocelli: Is he ready to break his maiden in the Haskell? Trained by Whit Beckman, the Connect colt is 0-for-9, including losses in six consecutive stakes races. However, he was third in the Wood, qualified for the Derby and led briefly before finishing a close third and was fourth in the Preakness and second in the Ohio Derby (G3).
• Baby Vino: A longshot for sure. A son of Vino Rosso trained by Lindsay Schultz, Baby Vino broke his maiden at fifth asking, was moved to Monmouth Park and won the Pegasus Stakes by nearly 11 lengths to gain free entry into the Haskell.
• Big Cuddle: The other longshot in the field. Trained by Gary Capuano, the Great Notion colt has four wins and a second in five starts. The Maryland-bred has victories this year in the Sir Barton Stakes on Preakness Day and the Delaware Derby on June 13.

Richard Rosenblatt

Richard Rosenblatt is an award-winning journalist and former Associated Press Horse Racing Editor. Currently, he serves as the news editor at US Racing, overseeing exclusive content from contributors worldwide.