Star Sweeper: Post 1; Morning Line 30-1
Trainer: Louis Linder, Jr.; Jockey: Luis Rivera, Jr.
Wednesday, July 15, 2026
Star Sweeper – 2026 Haskell Stakes Profile
Horse: Star Sweeper
Pedigree: Rock Your World-Tapless, by Tapit
Owners: Bran Jam Stable, David W. Clark
Trainer: Louis Linder, Jr.
Jockey: Luis Rivera, Jr.
Post Position: 1
Morning Line Odds: 30-1
Running Style: Stalker
Top Equibase Speed Figure: 91
Career Record: 9-2-2-0
Career Earnings: $151,250
Race: $1 million Haskell Stakes, Monmouth Park (59th running)
Distance: 1 1/8 miles (dirt)
Last race: 5th Pegasus Stakes, Monmouth Park (June 13)
Despite finishing last – by 20-plus lengths - behind Baby Vino in the listed Pegasus Stakes at Monmouth Park on June 13, his connections believe he deserves a chance to redeem the disappointing run.
Trained by Parx Racing-based Louis Linder, Jr., the gray colt was able to get into the Haskell field thanks to a second-place finish (by a head to Hedge Ratio) in the Long Branch Stakes at Monmouth on May 10.
The first two finishers in each of those races at Monmouth gain an automatic spot in the signature race at the track. Let it be noted that Baby Vino is the second longest shot in the Haskell at 15-1 – Star Sweeper is 30-1.
With a field that includes Preakness Stakes (G1) winner Napoleon Solo and Blue Grass Stakes (G1) and recent Matt Winn Stakes (G2) winner Further Ado the Haskell favorites, this sure seems like too much of a task to even finish in the top 4 of a seven-horse field.
Even considering the Pegasus to be a bounce race, the colt has a pair of wins as a 2-year-old, both at Parx, and is 0-for-5 in 2026. Both wins were in sprint races. The best we can say about him is he was his effort in the Long Branch at 1-mile, 70 yards. This will be his first graded stakes race.
He set the pace in the Long Branch and almost won. His only chance seems to be to go with the same approach under jockey Luis Rivera, Jr., and hope for the best.
And that would not be to finish last.
Doesn’t 30-1 odds on a colt with Tapit bloodlines sound like it’s worth a wager? In some races, maybe. But it’s rare for a double-digit longshot to pull off an upset in the Haskell. There was a 12-1 winner in 2023 (Geaux Rocket Ride); the biggest Haskell upset came in 1985 when Skip Trial won at 35-1. No bet.
-- US Racing Team
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.
