This Saturday's Haskell Preview Day at Monmouth Park features four stakes races, including three graded and two on the turf. Louisiana Derby winner Kingsbarns and recent Long Branch Stakes winner Howgreatisnate head a field of eight 3-year-olds for the Pegasus Stakes, a prep for the Haskell, while multiple Grade 1-winner Tribhuvan headlines the Grade 3 Monmouth Stakes, a prep for the G1 United Nations.
Last year's Champion Female Sprinter Goodnight Olive headlines Saturday's G2 Bed o' Roses at Belmont Park, facing rival Wicked Halo who finished ahead of the champ last out.
A pair of 2-year-old stakes highlight the West Coast action at Santa Anita Park, while a pair of overnight stakes are on tap at Ellis Park Saturday.
Santa Anita closes out the Spring Meet Sunday with the G3 San Juan Capistrano over 1 3/4 miles, while Sunday's co-features at Belmont Park are a pair of New York Stallion Series races.
Next week, the highly-anticipated Royal Ascot meeting launches on Tuesday and runs through Saturday. Another mid-week highlight is the Northern Stars Turf Festival at Canterbury on Wednesday, featuring five turf stakes.
Saturday
4:44 p.m. – Pegasus Stakes at Monmouth Park
Louisiana Derby winner Kingsbarns and recent Long Branch Stakes winner Howgreatisnate head a field of eight 3-year-olds for Saturday's Pegasus.
Kingsbarns (Uncle Mo) was most recently 14th in the Kentucky Derby for trainer Todd Pletcher, and has recorded two half-mile works at Belmont Park in preparation for his return in the Pegasus. New rider Luis Saez will aboard the 8-5 favorite.
Pletcher also trains the 3-1 second choice Classic Catch (Classic Empire), last-out fourth in the G3 Peter Pan behind recent Belmont Stakes winner Arcangelo. Classic Catch will be ridden by Paco Lopez.
5:12 p.m. – Grade 3 Eatontown Stakes at Monmouth Park
The 52nd running of the Eatontown Stakes, at a mile and a sixteenth on the turf for fillies and mares, 3 and up, drew a field of eight as well. The Eatontown Stakes, which carries a purse of $150,000, serves as the prep for the Grade 3, $300,000 WinStar Matchmaker Stakes on the Haskell undercard.
Trainer Chad Brown trains the top two choices on the morning line, 3-1 favorite Gina Romantica and co-7-2 second choice Consumer Spending. The former won the Grade 1 Queen Elizabeth Challenge Stakes at Keeneland last out, while Consumer Spending was most recently second in the G3 Beaugay.
Also returning from the Beaugay is third-place finisher Surprisingly, trained by Shug McGaughey. Surprisingly finished just a neck back of Consumer Spending in the Beaugay.
5:19 p.m. – Grade 2 Bed o' Roses Stakes at Belmont Park
Reigning Champion Female Sprinter Goodnight Olive headlines a talented field of older fillies and mares in Saturday's Grade 2, $200,000 Bed o' Roses, a seven-furlong main-track sprint. Trained by four-time Eclipse Award-winner Chad Brown, the 5-year-old Ghostzapper mare was a perfect 4-for-4 last year, taking a pair of seven-furlong Grade 1s in the Ballerina Handicap at Saratoga Race Course and the Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Sprint at Keeneland on her way to Championship honors.
Goodnight Olive made her seasonal debut a winning one in the seven-furlong Grade 1 Madison on April 8 at Keeneland, but endured a troubled trip last out on May 6 at Churchill Downs in the Grade 1 Derby City Distaff when she lacked racing room while boxed in along the rail by returning rival Wicked Halo
Wicked Halo [post 3, Jose Ortiz] boasts a record of 13-7-1-4 for purse earnings in excess of $1.1 million. The 4-year-old Gun Runner grey, trained by Hall of Famer Steve Asmussen, won 4-of-8 starts last year, capturing the Grade 2 Prioress at Saratoga and the Grade 2 Raven Run at Keeneland en route to a closing third-place finish in the Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Sprint.
5:40 p.m. – Grade 3 Salvator Mile at Monmouth Park
The 76th running of the Salvator Mile, with a purse of $150,000, attracted a field of 10. The Salvator Mile is the prep for the Grade 3 $400,000 Monmouth Cup on the Haskell day undercard.
Chad Brown trainee Artorius is the 3-1 morning-line favorite, returning off an eight-month layoff under jockey Florent Geroux. The colt won last year's Curlin Stakes before finishing sixth in the G1 Travers.
Pennsylvania-bred Nimitz Class has won five straight races and bids to give trainer Bruce M. Kravets his first graded stakes victory, while Petulante enters off a two-race win streak for trainer Victor Barboza. Robert Reid's Ridin With Biden will make his first start since finishing 12th in the G1 Pegasus World Cup in January.
6:08 p.m. – Grade 3 Monmouth Stakes at Monmouth Park
Tribhuvan, who won the Grade 1 United Nations at Monmouth Park in 2021, will likely try to repeat in that race as a 7-year-old, making his seasonal debut in the $150,000 Grade 3 Monmouth Stakes at a mile and an eighth on the turf. The Monmouth Stakes is the prep for the United Nations.
Tribhuvan, who also won the Grade 1 Manhattan Stakes at Belmont Park in 2022, has not raced since Aug. 27. The Chad Brown trainee was fourth in the United Nations a year ago.
The post Weekend Lineup Presented By Monmouth Park: Haskell Preview Day appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.
