Haskell Stakes 2022: Odds, picks, preview, analysis, more
The Jersey Shore’s annual racing showcase sets up as a showdown between flashy colts from both coasts in a wide-open division.
Taiba (7-5) is a slight morning-line favorite over second choice Jack Christopher (3-2) for the Grade 1, $1 million Haskell Stakes. Post time from Monmouth Park is 5:45 p.m. EDT, with CNBC and TVG showing the 1 1/8-mile event for 3-year-olds.
Events like the Haskell and $1.25 million Travers Stakes (G1) on Aug. 27 at Saratoga offer top 3-year-olds more chances to face each other before they battle older runners this fall ahead of the Breeders’ Cup.
No leader has yet emerged from the sophomore division, which saw three different horses win Triple Crown races. None of that trio of Rich Strike, Early Voting and Mo Donegal will run Saturday at Monmouth, but four other Grade 1 heroes – Jack Christopher, Taiba, White Abarrio (5-1) and Cyberknife (6-1) – will be on display.
Taiba has made only three career starts. He debuted a winner March 5 at Santa Anita for trainer Bob Baffert, then changed barns to trainer Tim Yakteen in April after Baffert was suspended.
Running for Yakteen, Taiba drove clear past stablemate Messier to win the Santa Anita Derby (G1) in only his second career start. He lacked that late punch May 7 in the Kentucky Derby, tiring down the Churchill Downs stretch to a 12th-place finish.
Taiba is back with Baffert after the Hall of Famer’s suspension ended earlier this month. Jockey Mike Smith stays aboard the Gun Runner colt, who has been training toward the Haskell since early June at Santa Anita.
“The Kentucky Derby was a tall order for him,” Baffert, a nine-time Haskell-winning trainer, told Monmouth Park’s communications team. “I don’t know what happened in the Derby. I wasn’t around. The Haskell is a great race and there are some really good horses in here. I hope the horse shows up.”
Jack Christopher brings a perfect 4-for-4 record into Saturday’s Haskell. Three of his wins have come in graded stakes, including Grade 1 victories last October in the Champagne Stakes and June 11 in the Woody Stephens Stakes (G1), both at Belmont Park.
The Munnings colt’s 10-length romp on the Belmont Stakes card followed a 3 3/4-length score on the Derby undercard in the Pat Day Mile Stakes (G2). After going eight furlongs in the Pat Day and seven in the Woody Stephens, Jack Christopher stretches out to two turns for the first time in the Haskell.
Chad Brown sports a leading trio of 3-year-old dirt runners in Jack Christopher, Preakness Stakes hero Early Voting and Blue Grass Stakes (G1) winner Zandon. The trainer seeks a second career Haskell victory.
Florida Derby (G1) winner White Abarrio finished 16th in the Kentucky Derby, then improved to second June 25 at Thistledown in the Ohio Derby (G3) for trainer Saffie Joseph Jr.
Arkansas Derby (G1) victor Cyberknife and Howling Time (10-1) both exit the Matt Winn Stakes (G3) on June 12 at Churchill. The Brad Cox-trained Cyberknife – 18th-place runner in the Derby – edged trainer Dale Romans’ Howling Time by a nose in the Matt Winn.
The Haskell offers its victor a “win and you’re in” berth to the Breeders’ Cup Classic on Nov. 5 at Keeneland. Three horses have achieved the Haskell-Breeders’ Cup double in the last decade, all trained by Baffert: Authentic (2020), American Pharoah (2015) and Bayern (2014).
Here is a look at the field for the 2022 Haskell Stakes (trainer and jockey in parentheses) with morning-line odds:
1. Cyberknife (Brad Cox, Florent Geroux), 6-1
2. Taiba (Bob Baffert, Mike Smith), 7-5
3. One Time Willard (John Stephens, Paco Lopez), 30-1
4. Howling Time (Dale Romans, Joe Talamo), 10-1
5. King of Hollywood (Gregory Sacco, Nik Juarez), 30-1
6. White Abarrio (Saffie Joseph Jr., Joel Rosario), 5-1
7. Jack Christopher (Chad Brown, Jose Ortiz), 3-2
8. Benevengo (Jesus Cruz, Angel Rodriguez), 20-1
TimeformUS’ pace projections show Jack Christopher going out to the lead under jockey Jose Ortiz and setting a fast pace, followed by Taiba.
Haskell links
Reinier Macatangay writes about why Taiba owns the perfect style for the likely Haskell Stakes pace scenario. Macatangay also asks whether Jack Christopher can handle the Haskell’s nine-furlong distance.
Matt Shifman analyzes the Haskell Stakes field, from the four Grade 1 winners to three local long shots.
Handicappers Ed DeRosa and Sara Elbadwi discuss contenders Jack Christopher and Taiba, as well as the rest of the field in this year's exciting Haskell Stakes rendition.
Laurie Ross and Ashley Tamulonis go head-to-head handicapping the Haskell Stakes, both picking a different Grade 1 winner to hit the wire first.
Bob Baffert is busy at Del Mar and was not planning to make the trip to Monmouth this weekend. Assistant Jimmy Barnes has been on the Jersey Shore all week looking after Taiba, who he calls “a little fireball.”
While Taiba is rated as Super Screener's "top win contender," it gives a big chance to White Abarrio rallying for the upset under Joel Rosario.
Cyberknife’s “works have been very, very solid at Churchill” leading up to the Haskell, trainer Brad Cox said in a Barn Tour interview.
This week on the Ron Flatter Racing Pod, trainer Dale Romans talks about his Haskell Stakes entrant, Matt Winn Stakes (G3) runner-up Howling Time. Romans makes the case for why Howling Time can pull an upset.
This week on HorseCenter, hosts Brian Zipse and Shifman analyze and offer picks for the Haskell Stakes and preview the Coaching Club American Oaks.
Jack Christopher and Taiba are among 10 of J. Keeler Johnson’s watch list horses competing this weekend at Monmouth Park and beyond.
Johnson remembers history’s four fastest Haskell winners, including filly Rachel Alexandra’s memorable romp in 2009.
Saturday stakes
Here is a look at other graded stakes taking place Saturday at Monmouth Park and other tracks across North America. All post times are EDT.
3:16 p.m. – $500,000 Coaching Club American Oaks (G1), 3-year-old fillies, 1 1/8 miles, Saratoga, FS1
Nest (1-1) is back to battling fellow fillies after running second behind stablemate Mo Donegal on June 11 in the Belmont Stakes. Todd Pletcher trains and Irad Ortiz Jr. rides the Curlin filly, who won Keeneland’s Ashland Stakes (G1) in April before crossing second one month later at Churchill Downs in the Kentucky Oaks. D. Wayne Lukas trains Secret Oath (6-5), the Kentucky Oaks victor who also faced the boys in an American Classic, finishing fourth May 21 at Pimlico in the Preakness Stakes. Butterbean (8-1) wheels back to face the top of her division after winning the Iowa Oaks (G3) on July 9 at Prairie Meadows for trainer Kenny McPeek.
3:29 p.m. – $400,000 Monmouth Cup Stakes (G3), 3-and-up, 1 1/8 miles, Monmouth Park, TVG
Highly Motivated (6-5) returns to graded-stakes ranks for the first time since finishing 10th for trainer Chad Brown in the 2021 Kentucky Derby. Jockey Flavien Prat gets the call on the 4-year-old Into Mischief colt, a Belmont Park allowance winner in his last start May 28. Brown also trains Pipeline (3-2), who steps up off an April 22 allowance score at Aqueduct. Rough Sea (6-1), a Laurel Park stakes winner, makes a class jump off a starter optional claiming win July 9 at Monmouth for trainer Bruno Tessore.
4:05 p.m. – $200,000 Matchmaker Stakes (G3), 3-and-up fillies and mares, 1 1/8 miles (turf), Monmouth Park, TVG
Fluffy Socks (5-2) aims for the third graded score of her career, and first since the Sands Point Stakes (G2) last October at Belmont for Brown. Jockey Manny Franco will get a leg up on the 4-year-old Slumber filly, fourth-place runner June 18 at Monmouth in the Eatontown Stakes (G3). Brendan Walsh trains Lady Rockstar (3-1), who makes her graded debut after back-to-back allowance wins in May at Churchill Downs and June 5 at Belmont. 2021 Eatontown victor Vigilantes Way (7-2) was runner-up in that race’s 2022 edition for trainer Shug McGaughey.
4:38 p.m. – $400,000 Molly Pitcher Stakes (G3), 3-and-up fillies and mares, 1 1/16 miles, Monmouth Park, TVG
Search Results (3-2) is a three-time graded-stakes heroine for Brown, highlighted by an Acorn Stakes (G1) triumph last June at Belmont. Prat will pilot the 4-year-old Flatter filly, who was third June 11 after pressing a hot early pace in Belmont’s Ogden Phipps Stakes (G1). Brad Cox trains Bonny South (3-1), a Grade 2 victor who came home one spot behind Search Results in the Ogden Phipps. Fellow Grade 2 winner Army Wife (7-2) steps back into graded flight after winning the Lady Jacqueline Stakes on June 25 at Thistledown for trainer Mike Maker.
4:51 p.m. – $175,000 (about U.S. $135,000) Connaught Cup Stakes (G2), seven furlongs (turf), Woodbine, TVG
Shirl’s Speight (3-1), who won the Maker’s Mark Mile Stakes (G1) over the Keeneland lawn in April, crossed third over Monmouth Park’s main track June 18 in the Salvator Mile Stakes (G3). The Roger Attfield-trained, 5-year-old son of Speightstown shortens up in distance and returns to the turf under jockey Emma-Jayne Wilson. Mark Casse trains Filo Di Arianna (4-1), a Group 2 winner in Brazil who won a Woodbine allowance race July 3. Chewing Gum (6-1) makes his first start for trainer Bill Mott since winning Santa Anita’s Joe Hernandez Stakes (G2) on New Year’s Day.
5:09 p.m. – $600,000 United Nations Stakes (G1), 3-and-up, 1 3/8 miles (turf), Monmouth Park, CNBC and TVG
Tribhuvan (5-2) looks for back-to-back United Nations victories and a third Grade 1 win after wiring Belmont’s Manhattan Stakes (G1) on June 11 at 19-1 odds. Franco stays aboard the 6-year-old Toronado gelding for Brown. Brown also trains Adhamo (3-1), a Group 3 winner in France who was runner-up in the Manhattan. Two-time Grade 1 winner Gufo (3-1) came home third in the Manhattan for trainer Christophe Clement and makes his first start at Monmouth.
6:13 p.m. – $200,000 Caress Stakes (G3), 4-and-up fillies and mares, 5 1/2 furlongs (turf), Saratoga, FS2
Caravel (5-2) won the 2021 Caress Stakes for her then-trainer Elizabeth Merryman and now aims to repeat for her current conditioner Cox. Jockey Tyler Gaffalione gets the call on the 5-year-old Mizzen Mast mare, winner of the Intercontinental Stakes (G3) on June 10 at Belmont.
Cherie DeVaux trains Bout Time (3-1), who makes her graded bow off a Goldwood Stakes win June 25 at Monmouth Park. Saratoga stakes winner Star Devine (9-2) was runner-up in the Intercontinental for trainer Jorge Abreu.
10:04 p.m. – $200,000 San Clemente Stakes (G2), 3-year-old fillies, one mile (turf), Del Mar, TVG
Bellabel (4-1) returns from a layoff of more than six months dating to a Blue Norther Stakes win Jan. 2 at Santa Anita. Phil D’Amato trains the Belardo filly, who will have jockey Umberto Rispoli up. D’Amato also trains Island of Love (5-1), whose runner-up finish May 29 at Santa Anita in the Honeymoon Stakes (G3) followed a Senorita Stakes (G3) win earlier in the month at the same track. Tezzaray (6-1) makes her first start since winning Del Mar’s Jimmy Durante Stakes (G3) for trainer Peter Miller on Nov. 27.