The 59th running of Monmouth Park's $1 million NYRA Bets Haskell Stakes, a Breeders’ Cup Challenge Series “Win and You’re In” race for the $7 million Longines Breeders' Cup Classic, drew a field of seven 3-year-old colts. Four of the seven entrants are graded stakes winners, including Preakness Stakes winner Napoleon Solo. Since 1991, 16 of the last 35 Haskell winners competed in the Preakness and there have been eight in the same time frame to sweep both races, including Journalism last year. Further Ado and Ocelli are the only entrants this year that ran in the Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve. Twenty-five of the last 35 Haskell winners raced in the Derby with just four winning both races: War Emblem (2002), Big Brown (2008), American Pharoah (2015), and Mandaloun (2021).
Here’s a look at this year’s field from the rail out:
Star Sweeper, a Rock Your World colt with the highest morning-line odds at 30-1, seeks the first win of his 3-year-old campaign. Star Sweeper made his last two starts at Monmouth with a runner-up finish in the Long Branch Stakes and a fifth-place finish last time out in the NYRA Bets Pegasus Stakes. The 2-1 morning line favorite, Further Ado, is fresh off a two-length victory in the Grade 3 Matt Winn Stakes at Churchill in early June. The Gun Runner colt is trained by Brad Cox and will have Irad Ortiz Jr. back aboard. Baby Vino dominated the Pegasus Stakes at Monmouth Park last time out by 10 ¾ lengths, and the Vino Rosso colt enters off back-to-back runaway victories. The Puma, who scratched from a planned start in the Kentucky Derby, returns for the first time since a runner-up finish by a nose in the Grade 1 Curlin Florida Derby Presented by Hill ‘n’ Dale Farms at Xalapa on March 28 for trainer Gustavo Delgado. Luis Saez will be aboard as regular rider Javier Castellano recovers from an injury. Preakness Stakes runner-up Iron Honor seeks his first win around two turns. The Nyquist colt won the Grade 3 Gotham Stakes, going a one-turn mile at Aqueduct to start his 3-year-old campaign back in February. Flavien Prat, who was aboard in the Preakness, retains the mount for trainer Chad Brown. Preakness winner and 5-2 morning-line second choice Napoleon Solo drew post-position six for trainer Chad Summers. The Liam’s Map colt was undefeated as a 2-year-old but finished fifth in both the Coolmore Fountain of Youth Stakes and Wood Memorial Stakes presented by Resorts World Casino at age 3 before winning the Preakness last time by 1 ¼ lengths. Paco Lopez, who has been aboard his last two starts, retains the mount. Ocelli is the lone maiden in the field but has amassed $829,800 in earnings. He drew the far outside for trainer Whitworth Beckman. The Connect colt finished third in the Kentucky Derby by a length and fourth in the Preakness. Last time out, Ocelli finished runner-up in the Grade 3 Ohio Derby and will have Tyler Gaffalione back aboard.
Analysis and Main Contenders:
Following a troubled trip and an 11th-place finish as the Kentucky Derby favorite, Further Ado returned to the track with an impressive two-length win in the Matt Winn Stakes at Churchill Downs last time out when reunited with regular rider Irad Ortiz Jr. As a 2-year-old, Further Ado broke his maiden by an incredible 20 lengths at Keeneland when stretching out to two turns last fall and then again showed his talent with a 2 ¾-length victory in the Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes in his final start of 2025. Further Ado returned as a 3-year-old in March, coming off a nearly 3 1/2-month layoff in the Grade 3 ESMARK Tampa Bay Derby, and was second best to fellow Haskell contender The Puma. Further Ado came back to Kentucky to run in the Grade 1 Toyota Blue Grass and romped by 11 lengths Stakes in his one and only start at this 1 1/8-mile distance, earning a career-best 107 Equibase Speed Figure, the highest by any horse in this field. Further Ado has been training well since his last start, posting a five-furlong bullet work in :59 on July 4 and most recently five furlongs in :59.60 before shipping to Monmouth. Cox has won the Haskell two times with Mandaloun in 2021 and Cyberknife in 2022.
Further Ado is ranked first by late pace with a 100.0 rating. Historically, horses in dirt route stakes races with the highest late pace rating who also won their previous start win at 32% from a large sample size of 373 starts over the past year. More positives for Further Ado are his connections with Cox and Ortiz, who are dominant when combining in graded stakes races. Over the past three years, Cox and Ortiz have won at an astounding 31% from 52 starts in graded stakes races at all tracks together and that win percentage jumps to 35% in graded stakes races with winners last time out. The pace in the Haskell should set up well for Further Ado, who most likely will press the pace and pounce just before the quarter pole like his win in the Blue Grass. With his success at 1 1/8 miles, winning connections, blistering workouts, and a victory last time out on in the Matt Winn, Further Ado has a big chance at winning the Haskell.
The biggest unknown in this year’s Haskell is The Puma returning from a nearly four-month layoff. The Puma had been on a steadily improving pattern prior to the Derby, breaking his maiden with a three-quarter-length win in the Tampa Bay Derby over Further Ado with a 95 Equibase Speed Figure. The Puma improved to a 97 Equibase Speed Figure when nosed out by Commandment and forced to settle for second in the Florida Derby when stretching out to this 1 1/8-mile distance. That 97 speed figure ties as the highest last-out speed figure in this race along with Napoleon Solo and Ocelli. Following his scratch from the Derby, The Puma did not record a published workout until June 6. The Essential Quality colt has been training forwardly since then with a five-furlong workout in :59.80 on June 27, six furlongs in 1:15.36 on July 4, and in his most recent breeze he worked a bullet five furlongs in :59.30 before shipping to Monmouth. Along with his steadily increasing workout pattern, The Puma is ranked first by average speed in this group with a 93 Equibase Speed Figure and second in average class rating with a 93. The Puma has a ton of talent and if he can continue the progression pattern or repeat his performance from the Florida Derby, he could easily find the winner’s circle. A Grade 1 win at 1 1/8 miles, however, is a tall task for any horse coming off a long layoff.
Napoleon Solo seemingly reverted to his old self with his impressive Preakness Stakes win. As a 2-year-old, Napoleon Solo was unstoppable with a 5 ¼length romp in his career debut at Saratoga and a dominant 6 ½-length win in the Grade 1 Champagne Stakes. Napoleon Solo got off to a disappointing start to his 3-year-old season, finishing a distant fifth in the Fountain of Youth after a 4 1/2-month layoff. He again finished fifth when stretching out to this 1 1/8-mile distance in the Wood Memorial, a race that produced no winners in their next starts besides Napoleon Solo. The 7.90-1 fourth betting choice in the Preakness, Napoleon Solo was able to rate just off the blistering pace, took command at the quarter-pole, and cruised to a 1 ¼-length victory. Napoleon Solo could set the pace like he did in the Champagne, but if jockey Jorge Vargas sends Baby Vino to the front Napoleon Solo could employ the tactics he used in the Preakness. Following his win in the second leg of the Triple Crown, Napoleon Solo, like Further Ado and The Puma, has been working extremely well and has posted three bullet workouts in a row at Belmont going into this race. Napoleon Solo proved last time out he still has the ability he flashed as a 2-year-old and he could very well become the ninth horse since 1991 to win both the Preakness and Haskell.
The rest of the field (with best Equibase Speed Figures in similar races): Star Sweeper (91), Baby Vino (99), Iron Honor (95) and Ocelli (97).
Win Contenders in Preference Order:
Further Ado
The Puma
Napoleon Solo
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