Yesterday, we provided our preview of the Jim Dandy Stakes at Saratoga on Saturday. Today, we preview the Haskell Invitational at Monmouth Park on Sunday.
Run at Monmouth Park near the Jersey Shore, the Haskell Invitational is always a big race, because it brings together some of the top three-year-olds who ran in the Triple Crown races earlier in the year. This is the 50th anniversary of the Haskell Invitational, which carries a purse of $1 million. There are plenty of familiar names in the 2017 Haskell Invitational and some of them will likely move on to run in the Travers Stakes later this summer at Saratoga.
Here’s our Viewers’ Guide to the Haskell Invitational:
Notes: This is the 50th running of the Haskell Invitational . . . Irish War Cry’s owner, Isabelle Tomaso, is the daughter of Amory Haskell, the namesake of the Haskell Invitational . . . Practical Joke finished 3rd in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile and was a finalist for the Eclipse Award for top juvenile last year . . . Girvin lost the Ohio Derby by a nose to Irap last month . . . Past winners of the Haskell Invitational include American Pharoah, Rachel Alexandra, Big Brown, Holy Bull and Forty Niner.
Monmouth – July 30 – Post Time: 5:47 p.m. (Eastern) – Race 12
TV: NBC – 5:00-6:00 p.m. (Eastern)
Distance: One and One-Eighth Miles
1. Irish War Cry(Trainer – Graham Motion, Jockey – Rajiv Maragh)
Sire: Curlin, Dam: Irish Sovereign, Damsire: Polish Numbers
Auction History: None
Race History: 7-4-1-0, Earnings: $979,460
Winner of Wood Memorial & Holy Bull Stakes, 2nd in Belmont Stakes
2. Battle of Midway (Trainer – Jerry Hollendorfer, Jockey – Flavien Prat)
Sire: Smart Strike, Dam: Rigoletta, Damsire: Concerto
Auction History: $410,000 (yearling)
Race History: 6-3-1-2, Earnings: $550,000
2nd in Santa Anita Derby, 3rd in Kentucky Derby
3. Timeline (Trainer – Chad Brown, Jockey – Javier Castellano)
Sire: Hard Spun, Dam: Azorina, Damsire: Empire Maker
Auction History: $500,000 (yearling)
Race History: 4-4-0-0, Earnings: $243,000
Winner of Peter Pan Stakes & Pegasus Stakes
4. Practical Joke (Trainer – Chad Brown, Jockey – Joel Rosario)
Sire: Into Mischief, Dam: Halo Humor, Damsire: Distorted Humor
Auction History: $135,000 (mixed), $240,000 (yearling)
Race History: 8-4-2-1, Earnings: $1,295,800
3rd in Breeders’ Cup Juvenile, 2nd in Bluegrass Stakes, 1st in Dwyer Stakes
5. McCraken (Trainer – Ian Wilkes, Jockey – Brian Hernandez)
Sire: Ghostzapper, Dam: Ivory Empress, Damsire: Seeking the Gold
Auction History: None
Race History: 7-5-0-1, Earnings: $472,228
Winner of Matt Winn Stakes & Sam Davis Stakes, 3rd in Bluegrass Stakes
6. Hence (Trainer: Steve Asmussen, Jockey: Paco Lopez)
Sire: Street Boss, Dam: Floating Island, Damsire: A.P. Indy
Auction History: None
Race History: 9-3-1-1, Earnings: $612,001
Winner of Sunland Derby & Iowa Derby
7. Girvin (Trainer – Joe Sharp, Jockey – Robby Albarado)
Sire: Tale of Ekati, Dam: Catch the Moon, Damsire: Malibu Moon
Auction History: $140,000 RNA (yearling), $130,000 (yearling)
Race History: 6-3-2-0, Earnings: $974,400
Winner of Louisiana Derby, 2nd in Ohio Derby