Extra Anejo, shown training at Monmouth Park in preparation for the July 22 Haskell Stakes, is Ellis Starr’s top selection to win the race. (Bill Denver/EQUI-PHOTO)
Thursday, July 20: 1-6:30 p.m. on FS2; post time varies on FanDuel TV
Friday, July 21: 1-6:30 p.m. on FS2; post time varies on FanDuel TV
Saturday, July 22: 1-3 p.m. and and 6-7 p.m. on FS2; 3-6 p.m. on FOX; 5-6 p.m. on NBC; post time varies on FanDuel TV
Sunday, July 23: 1-3 p.m. on FS2; 3-6:30 p.m. on FS1; post time varies on FanDuel TV
Three others enter the race off stakes wins, topped by Arabian Knight, who returns from nearly seven months off and a win in the Grade 3 Southwest Stakes. Geaux Rocket Ride ships in from California off a win in the Affirmed Stakes and fits with these horses, as does Salute the Stars, winner of the Pegasus Stakes at Monmouth last month. Tapit Trice adds depth to the field, having won the Grade 1 Toyota Blue Grass Stakes in April before posting a seventh-place finish in the Kentucky Derby and then a third-place effort in the Grade 1 Belmont Stakes Presented by NYRA Bets. Howgreatisnate won the Long Branch Stakes in May at Monmouth and then finished third behind Salute the Stars in the Pegasus. Extra Anejo enters the Haskell off a 6 ¼-length win in his first try around two turns and is another with a chance. Awesome Strong rounds out the field having won the first four starts of his career including the Florida Sire In Reality Stakes, all in 2022, and he finished fifth in his only start this year.
Analysis and top contenders:
Although many of the eight entrants in this year’s Haskell Stakes have proven competitive at the level, I think Extra Anejo, who has yet to run in a stakes race, is good enough to take his first step into top company and win. After winning his debut last fall by 9 ½ lengths with speed to spare – and earning a very strong 99 Equibase Speed Figure for a 2-year-old – Extra Anejo was away from the races for nearly seven months. Returning in a sprint in May, he finished second with an 89 figure, but in his second start back he was a much better horse. This came in his first try in a route, run at a mile at Ellis Park, on June 10. Not only did he improve a lot to earn a 100 figure, Extra Anejo showed the maturity of a horse that has run many times as he relaxed in second about four lengths off the early leader and then went by in a flash to open up by six lengths in handy fashion. Since he’s a son of Into Mischief, I have no doubt Extra Anejo can succeed at the Haskell’s 1 1/8-mile distance as two of the last three editions of the Haskell were won by sons of Into Mischief – Authentic in 2020 and Mandaloun in 2021. He should continue his pattern of improvement in his third start and second route off the layoff, and if he does just that, Extra Anejo may be able to sit in stalking range behind likely early leader Arabian Knight and go by late to post the slight upset.
Geaux Rocket Ride at Monmouth. (Bill Denver/EQUI-PHOTO)
Geaux Rocket Ride has run three times in his career, the same as Extra Anejo, and he too is on a pattern for improvement. Geaux Rocket Ride won his sprint debut in January easily by nearly six lengths, earning a strong 101 figure. Five weeks later he went right into the big leagues, finishing second around two turns in the San Felipe Stakes and improving to a 104 figure. Given two months off, Geaux Rocket Ride returned last month in the Affirmed Stakes, and in that race he ran very similarly to the way Extra Anejo did in his recent win, stalking in third position for the first three quarters of a mile then moving up quickly to lead before being unchallenged the length of the stretch. That effort earned a 95 figure, but considering Geaux Rocket Ride is making his second start off a layoff, and considering the 104 figure effort prior to his rest, much better is expected. Hall of Fame trainer Richard Mandella rarely ships out of California but does very well when he does. Per a Race Lens query, Mandella has only started five horses in graded stakes routes on dirt when shipping outside of California in the past five years, winning with two of those including Omaha Beach in the 2019 Rebel Stakes and Soothsay in the 2021 Indiana Oaks, both races for 3-year-olds. With Hall of Fame jockey Mike Smith coming in from California for the mount, Geaux Rocket Ride must be taken very seriously as a contender.
Arabian Knight might be my top choice if not for the fact he is returning from nearly six months off, running two turns without a prep race and facing some serious talent in the Haskell. After winning his debut last fall with a 98 figure (similar to Extra Anejo and Geaux Rocket Ride), Arabian Knight was off for nearly three months but not only returned a winner, he did so in a two-turn race, the Southwest Stakes at Oaklawn Park. Unfortunately something has kept him away from the races since then, but he’s been working very fast in California for Bob Baffert and likely can fire his best shot, which would be a repeat of the 106 figure effort in the Southwest.
Honorable mention goes to Mage,Salute the Stars, andTapit Trice, who are all top 3-year-olds but who I feel are a bit less probable to win this race than Extra Anejo, Geaux Rocket Ride or Arabian Knight. Mage earned a career-best 104 figure winning the Kentucky Derby, which followed a 102 figure earned when making the lead in the Curlin Florida Derby Presented by Hill ‘n’ Dale Farms at Xalapa before being passed by Forte late in the race. In his only race since the Derby, Mage had little chance in the Preakness Stakes as his late kick was disadvantaged by the slow pace set by winner National Treasure. Salute the Stars won the local prep for this race, the Pegasus Stakes, last month with a 104 figure that is competitive in this field if repeated, and an improvement from the 98 figure earned one month earlier. Tapit Trice ran the best race of his career when winning the Blue Grass Stakes in April, earning a 103 figure, before a disappointing seventh in the Derby (91 figure) and a third-place effort in the Belmont Stakes with a 99 figure.
