Haskell: Field, post positions, odds for $1 million race
After a valiant duel with Essential Quality in the Belmont Stakes last month, Hot Rod Charlie (6-5) was installed as the morning-line favorite for Saturday’s Grade 1 Haskell Stakes, a $1 million race featuring the second-place finishers from all three springtime classics.
Trained by Doug O’Neill and ridden by Flavien Prat, Hot Rod Charlie drew post position 4 and will go with blinkers off in the seven-horse field that will race 1 1/8 miles around two turns of the main track at Monmouth Park.
A “win and you’re in” qualifier for the Breeders’ Cup Classic, the 5:50 p.m. EDT race will be televised by NBCSN and TVG.
Mandaloun (2-1), the Kentucky Derby runner-up, will start from post 3. He came back last month for a neck victory in the Pegasus Stakes at Monmouth. Trainer Brad Cox has assigned Florent Géroux to ride again on Mandaloun, who may yet be promoted to the Derby victory if Medina Spirit is handed a medication disqualification by the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission.
Midnight Bourbon (9-2) was drawn into post 6 for his first race since he was second in the Preakness. Trainer Steve Asmussen has called on Paco López to take the ride. López replaces jockey Irad Ortiz Jr., who is at Saratoga this weekend. Asmussen finished first in the Haskell 12 years ago with Rachel Alexandra, the last filly to win the race.
Following Sea (3-1), a former Bob Baffert trainee who won by 6 1/4 lengths last month at Belmont Park in his first race for Todd Pletcher, drew the rail and will be ridden by Joel Rosario. He will be coming off Lasix, which is not allowed for the Haskell.
Coming back from a last-place finish in the off-the-turf Jersey Derby on May 28 at Monmouth, Pickin’ Time (20-1) comes off Lasix and starts for trainer Kelly Breen from post 5 with jockey Nik Juárez.
After it took him 11 races to break his maiden for trainer Jerry Hollendorfer, allowance winner Antigravity (30-1) has found Monmouth to his liking. Starting from post 2 and coming off Lasix, he tries for his third consecutive victory there Saturday with jockey David Cohen replacing López. Hollendorfer won the Haskell in 1989 with King Glorious.
Debut winner Basso (30-1), trained by Gregg Sacco, tries to end a four-race losing streak Saturday from the outside post with his new jockey Isaac Castillo. He will be coming off Lasix.
The National Weather Service has forecast a 50 percent chance of rain and a high of 85 degrees Saturday with the possibility of afternoon thunderstorms at Monmouth Park.