As one of the signature summer horse races on the schedule, this Saturday's Haskell Stakes takes on a special role this year as a key Kentucky Derby prep. Normally run under invitational status as a lead-in race for a few Breeders' Cup events, this year's Haskell will be staged as one of the last big preps ahead of the Kentucky Derby on Sept. 5. The race features a few of the best three-year old Thoroughbreds in the nation looking to lock-up a spot in this year's 'Run for the Roses' at Churchill Downs.
The field for Saturday's featured race at Monmouth Park in New Jersey is set at seven with a trio of top contenders joining four hopefuls at much longer odds. The favorite at 4/5 odds on the morning line is trainer Bob Baffert's Authentic. He will try and bounce back from a second-place finish in this year's Santa Anita Derby.
The second-favorite at 5/2 odds is Dr. Post. Trained by Todd Pletcher, he is more than capable of winning on Saturday. This Kentucky-bred three-year old is coming off a second-place finish in June's Belmont Stakes at Belmont Park.
The third contender on the list is trainer Saffie Joseph Jr.'s NY Traffic. Listed at 7/2 odds on the morning line, this New York-bred three-year old is looking to join Belmont Stakes winner Tiz the Law as another Empire State product at the top of the Kentucky Derby futures list.
Out of the other four entries for Saturday's Haskell, Jesus' Team at 15/1 remains on my one to watch list.
Please check out my recent post on this race for Scores & Stats as part of my weekly horse racing coverage for this popular sports betting site.
No comments:
Post a Comment