‘The Horses Don’t Know Their Odds’: Isaac Castillo Grateful For Longshot Mount In Haskell

Though Basso is listed at 30-1 on the morning line for Saturday's TVG.com Haskell Stakes at Monmouth Park, making him the co-longest shot in the seven-horse field, jockey Isaac Castillo feels confident he can defy the odds.

Castillo's mount aboard the Gregg Sacco-trained Basso will wind up being his second in a Grade 1 race in his six-year career – the first coming aboard Oceans Map in the Grade 1 United Nations one race prior on the Haskell Stakes card. Oceans Map is also trained by Sacco.

“I am ecstatic about this opportunity for Isaac,” said Castillo's agent, Dylan Fazio. “It's a big opportunity for him to continue to show himself.”

The Grade 1 riding assignments are added milestones to what has been a breakout year for the 23-year-old Panamanian, who has already set personal bests in 2021 for mounts (369 entering the weekend), victories (57) and earnings (more than $1.2 million).

The past two years Castillo has been working tirelessly to establish himself at Monmouth, finishing eighth in wins during the 2020 meet. With 22 wins this summer he is currently third in the Monmouth Park rider standings behind co-leaders Paco Lopez and Jose Ferrer (28 wins apiece).

That groundwork of the past two years will have its biggest payoff yet on Saturday, with Castillo scheduled to ride in nine of the 14 races on the Haskell Stakes program – and both Grade 1 races.

“I appreciate the opportunities from the trainers. As I start to ride more, more trainers are starting to notice,” said Castillo. “I am starting to do better, and I feel more confident with every ride.”

While the Haskell will mark the biggest race of Castillo's career (after the United Nations, of course), he is more appreciative of the opportunity than he is nervous about it. He fully understands the importance of being in his first $1 million race, especially since it comes on the heels of the $500,000 United Nations.

“It is unexplainable,” said Castillo. “I am very grateful to have a good agent and I am very thankful to have the opportunities given to me from the trainers.”

Castillo has ridden Sacco-trained horses with success in the past, but none have presented the opportunities that Kentucky-bred Basso will in the Haskell Stakes or that Oceans Map, another longshot, will in the United Nations. The Haskell also offers a “Win and You're In Classic Division” berth into the Breeders' Cup Classic to the winner. Castillo said riding in the Haskell, even on a horse who is not given much of a shot, is something he finds himself anticipating even more than the first start of his career.

Though this will start to fulfill one of his dreams of riding in prestigious, big-money races, he said any nervousness will disappear when the field enters the gate for the 54th edition of the Haskell.

Having a mount one race earlier in a Grade 1 will help calm any nerves as well.

“A win (in either race) would be unexplainable,” said Castillo. “It will mean a lot to me and my family back in Panama, and they would be so proud of me, and at the big achievement.”

Basso will be taking on the daunting challenge of facing all three Triple Crown runners-up in Mandaloun, Midnight Bourbon and Hot Rod Charlie, as well as the promising Todd Pletcher-trained Following Sea.

Castillo, meanwhile, will find himself in consecutive races against the likes of some of the sport's top riders, such as Florent Geroux, Flavien Prat and Joel Rosario.

“I am not intimidated by those in the field,” said Castillo, a graduate of the Laffit Pincay Jockey School in his native Panama. “I am happy that I will be able to ride with these jockeys so I can keep improving and learn from some of them.

“The horses don't know their odds and they don't even know about the prize they can win, so I am very excited to get the opportunity to win as a longshot and I will do anything I can to finish first in these races.”

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Mandaloun, Basso Turn In Final Breezes For Haskell At Monmouth

Kentucky Derby runner-up Mandaloun and Basso turned in their final works this morning ahead of next Saturday's $1 million Grade 1 Haskell Stakes at Monmouth Park in Oceanport, N.J., with Belmont Stakes runner-up Hot Rod Charlie due to arrive later today from California.

Mandaloun went five furlongs in 1:02 breezing while Basso was clocked in 1:02.2 breezing for the same distance over the Monmouth Park strip.

“An easy maintenance work,” said Blake Cox, the son of Brad Cox, Mandaloun's trainer. “He went the five-eighths in 1:02 and was out in about 1:13.3 and he galloped out very well.

“We asked him a little bit and he picked it up. A very solid work.”

Mandaloun, who arrived at Monmouth Park on Tuesday, has the advantage of a race over the track, having won the TVG.com Pegasus Stakes here on June 13.

Cox said Mandaloun will have a light schedule next week. His father is due in the day of the race, he said.

“We'll just gallop steady into the race,” said the younger Cox. “This was a good work seven days out. We stayed on schedule.”

Gregg Sacco, the trainer and part owner of Basso, was similarly pleased with his colt's work.

“Kind of what we wanted to go,” said the Monmouth Park-based Sacco, who will mark his Haskell debut. “I didn't want him to go too fast because he had a stiff work last week. He galloped out in 1:14 and change.

“We're all set to go. It was actually a picture-perfect work. Isaac Castillo (who will ride Basso in the race) was on him. He couldn't have been any happier with him.”

Sacco said Basso would have a week of maintenance work next week and planned to have the son of Cairo Prince school in the paddock and at the gate.

The Doug O'Neill-trained Hot Rod Charlie, the Louisiana Derby winner who was third in the Kentucky Derby, was on a flight that was due to arrive at 4:30 p.m. He is expected to van into Monmouth Park around 6 p.m.

Midnight Bourbon, the Preakness runner-up, Monmouth Park-based Pickin' Time, and Following Sea are the other probables for the 54th edition of the G1 Haskell Stakes. Todd Pletcher, who trains Following Sea, had Dr Jack listed as a possible starter as well, but Saturday said that the Pioneerof the Nile colt, who was third in the Pegasus Stakes at Monmouth Park in his last start, would not start in the Haskell.

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Sacco Believes Longshot Basso Will ‘Step Up’ In Haskell

Gregg Sacco knows exactly what he's up against in the $1 million TVG.com Haskell Stakes on July 17: Three, maybe four, of the top 3-year-olds in training, all of them sharp, while he sends out a horse that tired in the slop in an allowance optional claimer on June 26 in his first start of the year.

But the veteran trainer, whose family traces its roots to the earliest days of the modern Monmouth Park, isn't deterred and will take a big swing in the Grade 1 Haskell with Basso, who quite possibly will be the longest shot in the field.

In fact, Sacco seems genuinely enthused about the opportunity, especially since this will mark his first Haskell starter in a training career that began in 1989.

“We know he is going to have to step up,” said Sacco, whose father William was Monmouth Park's leading trainer in 1962. “We're anticipating he will in his second start as a 3-year-old. We're in our backyard. We're confident he will run a respectable race.

“We'll be walking out of our barn onto the track and we'll see what happens.”

A son of Cairo Prince, Basso has just one win from five career starts, four of them at Monmouth. He broke his maiden first asking by eight lengths last Aug. 23 but has yet to produce a signature moment.

That's something many of the other expected contenders for the Haskell have had already. Mandaloun was the Kentucky Derby runner-up; Midnight Bourbon was the Preakness Stakes runner-up and Hot Rod Charlie was the Belmont Stakes runner-up. Still on the fence about the Haskell is Preakness winner Rombauer.

“All of them popped up at some point to be where they are now,” said Sacco. “They can pop up any time as a 3-year-old. We're looking for a big improvement off his first race back. He was only 70 percent that day (when he finished sixth). We knew that going in.

“He made a bold move up to the lead at the quarter pole and he just got tired. It was nasty that day with the rain and the heat, he was in post nine, and we knew going in he was in desperate need of a race. So we're taking a shot. We'll see how it goes. But we feel he will run a respectable race.”

Owned by Michael Fazio and Monmouth Stud (which is Sacco), Basso's appearance in the starting gate will make up for some of the disappointment for both men from 2019, when Joevia was scratched the day of the Haskell due to a foot injury.

Sacco said Basso will work five-eighths of a mile either Saturday or Sunday at Monmouth Park, depending on the condition of the track following heavy rain Thursday.

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Haskell Contender Mandaloun Penciled In For Saturday Work At Monmouth

Kentucky Derby runner-up Mandaloun will work Saturday at Monmouth Park – weather permitting – according to Blake Cox, the son of trainer Brad Cox, as the 3-year-old son of Into Mischief continues to move forward with his preparations for the $1 million TVG.com Haskell Stakes on July 17.

Mandaloun was part of a contingent of Cox runners that arrived at Monmouth Park on Tuesday, a group that included four horses entered for the four other graded stakes races on the Haskell Day card.

Arklow (Grade 1 United Nations), Juliet Foxtrot (Grade 3 WinStar Matchmaker), Night Ops (Grade 3 Monmouth Cup) and Vault (Grade 3 Molly Pitcher) accompanied Mandaloun on the van from Kentucky.

“Everyone shipped in very well,” said Blake Cox. “All of them galloped Wednesday and today.

“Mandaloun is doing very well. We'll probably point for a work on Saturday, weather dependent. It will be a nice, easy half. He's ready to go.”

Mandaloun already has a race over the track, having won the TVG.com Pegasus Stakes on June 13.

The list of possible starters for the 54th edition of the Grade 1 Haskell Stakes includes Belmont Stakes runner-up Hot Rod Charlie; Preakness Stakes winner Rombauer; Preakness runner-up Midnight Bourbon; Following Sea; Pickin' Time; Basso and Antigravity.

Pickin' Time, trained by Kelly Breen, Basso (trained by Gregg Sacco) and Antigravity (trained by Jerry Hollendorfer) are stabled at Monmouth Park.

Blake Cox said the Grade 1-winning Arklow, coming off a victory in the Grade 3 Louisville Stakes at Churchill Downs on May 15 in his seasonal debut, “might work an easy half” on Sunday in preparation for the mile and three-eighths United Nations on the turf.

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