Gregg Sacco | Horse Racing Free Tips

‘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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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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It Can Be Done: Gregg Sacco Chasing Fast Start To Monmouth Meet

Now in his 33rd year as a trainer, Gregg Sacco knows that success or failure on the opening weekend of a new meet generally doesn't mean much in the long term. But the competitor in him still has that burning desire to get off to a fast start.

That's his hope for Monmouth Park's 76th season opener on Friday when he sends out It Can Be Done in the featured $100,000 Jersey Derby. First race post time for the six-race twilight card is 5 p.m.

“You always want to get off to a fast start opening weekend and win a race or two, especially at your home track,” said Sacco. “I think it picks up the morale of the barn and yourself. So in that sense it's important.”

The 78th Jersey Derby, scheduled for a mile on the grass, has drawn a field of eight 3-year-olds (plus one MTO) as Monmouth kicks off its 53-day meet with four straight days of live racing over the Memorial Day weekend. Post time for Saturdays, Sundays and special Monday holiday cards throughout the meet will be 12:15 p.m.

Even a forecast calling for rain, which could move the Jersey Derby to the main track, has Sacco undeterred.

“He broke his maiden on the dirt so we're running turf or dirt,” said Sacco. “He had a very good number on the dirt and he trains well on the dirt. He won the Nownownow Stakes here (at Monmouth on Oct. 4) on the turf last year so he has shown he can run well on either surface.

“We've kept him on the turf since he broke his maiden but he has proven he can handle both surfaces.”

A gelded son of Temple City-Gotham Girl by Freud, It Can Be Done sports a 2-2-2 record from seven career starts with earnings of $150,330. After breaking his maiden going six furlongs on the dirt at Monmouth Park on Sept. 22, It Can Be Done won easily at a mile on the turf in the Nownownow Stakes two weeks later.

Owned by Red Oak Stable, It Can Be Done returned at 3 with a solid second-place finish in a $50,000 optional claimer at Gulfstream Park on Feb. 24. He was then third, beaten just a neck, in the Cutler Bay Stakes on Florida Derby Day at Gulfstream Park March 27.

“He wintered great in Florida,” said Sacco. “He had a beautiful second comeback race at Gulfstream and we penciled in this race right after that. There were a few other options – the Penn Mile, a race in New York, another race in Kentucky — but we decided to stay at our home turf.

“He's a fresh, sharp horse. He's ready to go. It looks like a very competitive race but he's a talented gelding.”

Jose Ferrer has the mount for owners Red Oak Stable.

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Monmouth: 44 Horses, 14 Jockeys Enter Six Races For Friday’s Opening Day Card

Sifting Sands, from the powerhouse Chad Brown stable, is among eight 3-year-olds (plus one main track only entrant) set to go in the $100,000 Jersey Derby that will serve as the feature race for opening day of Monmouth Park's 76th Thoroughbred season on Friday.

A total of 44 horses (plus one MTO) have been entered for the six-race twilight card, with a first race post time of 5 p.m.

With the New Jersey commission's enactment of the strictest whip rules in the country, allowing use of the crop only when needed for safety, Monmouth has been in the news for it's strict stance on jockey participation in the 2021 meet.

There are 14 jockeys named to ride on Friday's card, including: Jorge Panaijo, Luis M. Ocasio, Tomas B. Mejia, Luis R. Reyes, Christian J. Navarro, Jose C. Ferrer, Carlos J. Hernandez, Jomar Torres, Isaac Castillo, Jose Baez, Carlos Montalvo, Keiber J. Coa, Sean Gilpin, and Derbe Glass.

Three of the stakes entrants, including the MTO entry, do not currently have riders listed on Equibase.

The Jersey Derby, scheduled for a mile on the grass, will be contested for the 78th time. It's the oldest Derby in the United States, having first been run in 1864.

Trainers Kelly Breen (It's A Gamble), Gregg Sacco (It Can Be Done) and Jerry Hollendorfer (Riptide Rock) will look to get off to fast starts for the 53-day meet in the Jersey Derby as well.

Owned by Peter Brant, Sifting Sands will be making just his fourth career start in the Jersey Derby. The Irish-bred son of Dubawi made his last start in the Woodhaven Stakes at Aqueduct on April 21.

Monmouth Park will conduct live racing four straight days over the Memorial Day weekend. Post times on Saturdays, Sundays and special Monday holiday cards throughout the meet is 12:15 p.m.

The $100,000 Mr. Prospector Stakes at six furlongs headlines the Saturday card, with the $75,000 Politely Stakes serving as the Sunday feature. The Memorial Day card on Monday will be top by the $75,000 Spruce Fir for Jersey-breds.

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