Scott Shapiro: Haskell Day Spot Plays for Monmouth | Saturday, July 20, 2024

The Haskell has long been a summer stop for some of the best 3YOs in the country and that certainly has been the case during the first portion of the twenty-first century. In 2001, Point Given rattled off his third straight victory after disappointing as the chalk in the Kentucky Derby. Big Brown and Rachel Alexandra won the Grade 1 event in 2008 and 2009 and Triple Crown winner American Pharoah put on a show in his first race back off the freshening in 2015.

Stars of the game continue to show up for Monmouth Park’s premier event but upsets by Cyberknife and Geaux Rocket Ride have stolen the show the last two years. The 2024 event once again has attracted some of the best 3YOs in training and as always has an outstanding card to go along with the $1 million dollar event at 9-furlongs. Couple that with a two-million point Late Pick 4 Hit and Split promotion at XpressBet and 1ST/Bet and you have a day worth dedicating your time and budget too.

Here are a few horses I will be leaning on Saturday at the Jersey Shore:

Race 5: Matchmaker Stakes (G3)

The first stakes race of the day is this 9-furlong affair for fillies and mares over the Monmouth lawn. Trainer Chad Brown has won this race four straight years and seven times overall. He once again holds an extremely strong hand in the Matchmaker with three of the seven set to break from the gate, including #1 Delahye. The Medaglia d’Oro filly has won 4 of 6 to start her career, including an off the pace win over the yielding going in the Mint Julep (G3) at Churchill Downs last time out. The $550k Keeneland September purchase has moved forward steadily thus far and projects to be on the lead or right off the pace in a race without much early speed. Jockey Flavien Prat picks up the mount for the first time.

Play- Win #1


Race 11: United Nations (G2)

There should be an honest early pace at the very least in the biggest turf race of the year at Monmouth Park. #3 Get Smokin and #8 So High are all but certain to be involved early with the chance of #1 Grand Sonata and #2 Emmanuel being ridden for speed as well. This bodes well for runners from off the pace, including #7 Dataman. The Tapit gelding does not boast as strong of a resume as some of the more experienced runners in this group, but unlike most in the 2024 United Nations, this Graham Motion trainee appears to still be on the improve. Motion has freshened up this Wertheimer and Frere homebred off a pair of off the pace victories against lesser, including his win over this course in the Cliff Hanger on May 25 where he was able to overcome a slow early pace to run down the lone speed in the final furlong. Dataman appears to be thriving at the right time for a trainer that won this event in 2006 with Better Talk Now and in 2014 with Main Sequence.  I will bet him to win and single him aggressively in the Hit Split Late Pick 4 promotion.

Play- Win Bet #7


Race 12: Haskell Stakes (G1)

This year’s Haskell goes through the 8-5-morning line favorite, #7 Mindframe. The lightly raced son of Constitution has done almost nothing wrong through three starts rattling off dominant wins at Gulfstream Park and Churchill Downs to kick off his career and then losing by just a half-length to the much more experienced Dornoch in the Belmont Stakes (G1) early last month. The fact he did not regress significantly in his second start off of that monster 103 Beyer on debut speaks to the quality of this Todd Pletcher trainee. He will need to avoid getting caught up in what could be a fast early pace if he wants to earn his first Grade 1 win, but the outside draw and presence of Irad Ortiz Jr give me confidence he can do just that.

I certainly am not going to rush to the windows to bet Mindframe at his 9-5-morning line price, but I will use him on top of a cold exacta with #4 Timberlake. The son of Into Mischief was given time this spring after tiring late as the even-money choice in the Arkansas Derby (G1). With speed to his inside and outside, jockey Flavien Prat should be able to take a hold of Timberlake and work out a favorable off the pace voyage. I do not expect him to run down Mindframe but do like his chances to pick up the pieces

Play: Exacta 7-4


Good luck on Haskell Day!!

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