G1 Haskell Invitational. 9 furlongs, July 27, 2014

[Man o Taz]

Well, it seems like Albano is the only entrant out of the Pegasus. A shame about Ring Weekend not finishing.

It will be interesting to see who lines up for this race.

There may be some shooters from the July 5th Long Branch Stakes.

I keep hoping Shared Belief might enter if everything goes right in the Los Alamitos Derby.

And if he, Candy Boy and Bayern, finish 1-2-3 maybe we'll have three entrants from that race.

[peeptoad]

What happened to Ring Weekend?

[Man o Taz]

He was pulled up during the race, but reports from Mr. Motion suggest that it was precautionary and he is fine.

He seemed to go right to the lead in the race with some quick fractions and to me I did not think that was his racing style, but I may have him confused with someone else.

Then he faded after about three quarters of a mile and was pulled up in the stretch and walked off.

[Man o Taz]

Another Haskell Prep this weekend...with the Long Branch Stakes...

I do not recognize anyone...

Monmouth Park - Saturday, July 5, 2014
Race 11 - Post Time - 5:43 PM     
Long Branch S.
Monmouth Park STAKES

Purse $100,000. For Three-Year-Olds. By subscription of $100 each, which should accompany the nomination, $1,000 to pass the entry box and $500 to start. The owner of the winner to receive $60,000, $20,000 to second, $10,000 to third, $6,000 to fourth, $3,000 to fifth and $2,000 to sixth through last. Weight: 123 Lbs. Non-winners of a sweepstakes in 2014 allowed 2 Lbs.; $40,000 once since February 6, 2014, 4 Lbs.; $30,000 once since April 6, 2014, 6 Lbs. (Maiden, claiming, and state bred allowance races not considered.)The winning owner to receive a trophy. Closed Saturday, June 21, 2014 with 25 nominations. A $2,000 supplemental nomination, which included all fees, was made at time of entry, Wednesday, July 2, 2014. One And One Sixteenth Miles.
PP   Horse   Virtual
Stable   A/S   Med   Jockey   Wgt   Trainer
1   Encryption (KY)              3/C   L   P Lopez   117   K J Breen
2   Irish You Well (KY)      3/C   L   O Bocachica117   W M Catalano
3   Pass the Coffee (KY)   3/R   L   J Bravo   117   N P Zito
4   Misconnect (KY)      3/R   L   J Bravo   121   T A Pletcher
5   Meadowood (KY)      3/C   L   A Castellano, Jr.123   D S Ryan
6   Wise Child (NJ)              3/C   L   A Castellano, Jr. 117   J J Tammaro, III
7   Just Call Kenny (VA)      3/C   L   J Pimentel   123   P B McBurney
8   All Tied Up (KY)              3/C   L   G Saez   117   T A Pletcher
9   Tiz'naz (KY)              3/C   L   S Elliott   123   J C Servis

Owners: 1 - Stoneway Farm ; 2 - Donegal Racing ; 3 - Hurricane Boys Racing Stable ; 4 - Repole Stable ; 5 - Stonestreet Stables and G. Bolton ; 6 - Roseland Farm Stable ; 7 - ABL Stb., Bossone, Cahill, Donnely & PHF ; 8 - Dogwood Stable ; 9 - Main Line Racing Stable

Breeders: 1 - Greenwood Lodge Farm; 2 - Dell Hancock & Bernie Sams; 3 - Paula W. Cline & David V. Hall; 4 - Alpha Delta Stables, LLC; 5 - Scott Dilworth; 6 - John Bowers, Jr.; 7 - Althea Richards; 8 - Chris Cahill & Kirt Cahill; 9 - Spendthrift Farm LLC

[Man o Taz]

Other possible runners for the Haskell include:

Untapable coming off her June 28th win in the Mother Goose...do we see any similarities to another horse  in 2009?

G1 Haskell Stakes?
G1 Mother Goose
G1 Kentucky Oaks

The G1 Coaching Club American Oaks might still be a consideration for her as well, since running in the Haskell would only give her a three week rest between the Haskell and the Alabama Stakes.

And then there is:

Wildcat Red coming off a win in the Quality Road...
Bayern coming off a win in the 7 furlong Woody Stephens...
Social Inclusion coming off a 3rd in the Woody Stephens...
Medal Count coming off a 3rd in the Belmont Stakes...
Albano winner of the Pegasus Stakes at Monmouth...

And I continue to believe if Shared Belief is dominant in the Los Alamitos Derby he too could feature here.

[Man o Taz]

Heartbroken I will not be able to see Shared Belief in the Haskell and perhaps not in person racing again if they decide to sell/retire him after the 2014 Pacific and Breeders Cup Classics.

Heard Social Inclusion may be pointing to the Haskell.

And perhaps Bayern will as well.

Irish You Well, the Long Branch Stakes winner, is likely headed to the Haskell.

Tonalist we know is headed to the Jim Dandy. He'll likely be taking the NY route to the Breeders Cup Classic with the Travers and Jockey Club Gold Cup on his dance card.
Wicked Strong will likely be following the same route with Jimmy Jerkens, though if he does not perform well in the Travers Stakes, I could see him head to the Pennsylvania Derby to try and build some confidence for the Breeders Cup Classic.

I do wonder if Untapable may try the Woodward like Rachel Alexandra did if she is successful in the Haskell. Then the Beldame and Distaff. This would give her an impressive record of six G1 wins, two against males...and certainly put her in contention for Horse of the Year honors.

I do wonder where all the G1 Derby Prep, Kentucky Derby, Preakness and Belmont Stakes horses have gone.

Save the tragic loss of Intense Holiday and a couple of injuries, it seems only a fraction of them are running now.

And now its been reported that General A Rod may go as well as the runner up in the Long Branch.

The field is shaping up pretty good, but I still wonder where:

Dance with Fate...I know he just scratched and is sticking to the turf...
Vicar's In Trouble...I know he last finished 3rd in the Iowa Derby...
Wicked Strong...heading to the Jim Dandy
Samraat....heading to the Jim Dandy
Hoppertunity....
Wildcat Red just won the Quality Road as noted above.
Chitu....
Tapiture just won the Matt Winn
Uncle Sigh....was to be entered in the Long Branch...
Candy Boy....just finished 2nd in the Los Alamitos Derby...
Harry's Holiday....working at Churchill
Commanding Curve...working at Churchill...
Pablo Del Monte...working at Churchill...
Noble Moon...working at Belmont...
Big Bazinga...last work June 1st at Woodbine...
Coastline...last run in the Penn Mile on May 31st...
Strong Mandate...nothing since his last race...

[Raven]

Thanks for the food for thought!

[Man o Taz]

In Trouble...no races since June 7th allowance race where he finished 9th
Cleburne...training at Churchill Downs
Commissioner...no works since Belmont Stakes...
Conquest Titan...6th in the Matt Winn
Casiguapo...2nd in the Cherokee Run Stakes at Gulfstream Park
Asserting Bear...3rd in the Queensplate at Woodbine

[Man o Taz]

We Miss Artie...4th in the Queensplate...

[peeptoad]

We Miss Artie...4th in the Queensplate...

He's going to the Haskell?

[serenassong]

Other possible runners for the Haskell include:

Untapable coming off her June 28th win in the Mother Goose...do we see any similarities to another horse  in 2009?

G1 Haskell Stakes?
G1 Mother Goose
G1 Kentucky Oaks

The G1 Coaching Club American Oaks might still be a consideration for her as well, since running in the Haskell would only give her a three week rest between the Haskell and the Alabama Stakes.

Not to take any thunder away from the aforementioned gal- but if you swap out the Oaks for the Black Eye Susan - guess who you get-   Loved seeing Serena run in the Derby, but often wonder if she had gone to the Oaks instead- may have been spectacular.  Let's see if we can get filly #3 to win this race.

[Man o Taz]

No thunder taken away - she's another female winner of the Haskell.

Any filly accomplishing this task is special.

[curtis]

Heartbroken I will not be able to see Shared Belief in the Haskell and perhaps not in person racing again if they decide to sell/retire him after the 2014 Pacific and Breeders Cup Classics.

Heard Social Inclusion may be pointing to the Haskell.

And perhaps Bayern will as well.

Irish You Well, the Long Branch Stakes winner, is likely headed to the Haskell.

Tonalist we know is headed to the Jim Dandy. He'll likely be taking the NY route to the Breeders Cup Classic with the Travers and Jockey Club Gold Cup on his dance card.
Wicked Strong will likely be following the same route with Jimmy Jerkens, though if he does not perform well in the Travers Stakes, I could see him head to the Pennsylvania Derby to try and build some confidence for the Breeders Cup Classic.

I do wonder if Untapable may try the Woodward like Rachel Alexandra did if she is successful in the Haskell. Then the Beldame and Distaff. This would give her an impressive record of six G1 wins, two against males...and certainly put her in contention for Horse of the Year honors.

I do wonder where all the G1 Derby Prep, Kentucky Derby, Preakness and Belmont Stakes horses have gone.

Save the tragic loss of Intense Holiday and a couple of injuries, it seems only a fraction of them are running now.

And now its been reported that General A Rod may go as well as the runner up in the Long Branch.

The field is shaping up pretty good, but I still wonder where:

Dance with Fate...I know he just scratched and is sticking to the turf...
Vicar's In Trouble...I know he last finished 3rd in the Iowa Derby...
Wicked Strong...heading to the Jim Dandy
Samraat....heading to the Jim Dandy
Hoppertunity....
Wildcat Red just won the Quality Road as noted above.
Chitu....
Tapiture just won the Matt Winn
Uncle Sigh....was to be entered in the Long Branch...
Candy Boy....just finished 2nd in the Los Alamitos Derby...
Harry's Holiday....working at Churchill
Commanding Curve...working at Churchill...
Pablo Del Monte...working at Churchill...
Noble Moon...working at Belmont...
Big Bazinga...last work June 1st at Woodbine...
Coastline...last run in the Penn Mile on May 31st...
Strong Mandate...nothing since his last race...

Just out of curiosity, what leads you to believe that Shared Belief may be retired after the Breeder's Cup?

[Man o Taz]

I, of course, do not know that he will be retired at the end of the year, but there are a couple of reasons...

1. His hoof problems.
2. He has already won a juvenile eclipse award.
3. His connections appear to be taking an aggressive approach with him entering him in the Pacific Classic off of just two starts and then aiming for the Breeders Cup Classic - a more aggressive approach than I would think they would take if they planned on running him as a four year old.
4. If he achieves these goals there will be little left for him to prove on the race track.   
5. Recent statements by Mr. Rome when interviewed about the Mizdirection sale where he indicated something to the effect that this is a business and you have strike when the opportunity presents itself. 

[curtis]

I, of course, do not know that he will be retired at the end of the year, but there are a couple of reasons...

1. His hoof problems.
2. He has already won a juvenile eclipse award.
3. His connections appear to be taking an aggressive approach with him entering him in the Pacific Classic off of just two starts and then aiming for the Breeders Cup Classic - a more aggressive approach than I would think they would take if they planned on running him as a four year old.
4. If he achieves these goals there will be little left for him to prove on the race track.   
5. Recent statements by Mr. Rome when interviewed about the Mizdirection sale where he indicated something to the effect that this is a business and you have strike when the opportunity presents itself.

The aggressive approach I think has to do with the bonus and it's part and parcel of Hollandorfer.  Also since Shared Belief has no breeding potential, the traditional Eastern three-year-old stake races would not really add to his value.  If he were to win his next two races with monsterous ease, I suppose he could be sold but that isn't really Dorf's M.O.  He likes to race his horses and if properly managed, Shared Belief could be a factor for years to come.