Haskell Stakes (Grade 1)

JUDDMONTE Farms have another top-notch three-year-old colt on their books this year but he seems destined not to get the credit he deserves.

Mandaloun is his name and, up to last weekend, he was best-known as the Kentucky Derby runner-up who is likely to be awarded the race when the disqualification of Bob Baffert’s Medina Spirit is confirmed.

Last Saturday at Monmouth Park, Mandaloun ‘won’ another major Grade 1 prize courtesy of the stewards when he was promoted to first place in the Haskell Stakes.

Trained by Brad Cox, Mandaloun (by Into Mischief) was beaten by a nose by the odds-on favourite Hot Rod Charlie but that horse was swiftly demoted to last place after jockey Flavien Prat was found guilty of causing interference about a furlong from home which led to Midnight Bourbon unseating rider Paco Lopez.

Midnight Bourbon was racing between Hot Rod Charlie on the outside and Mandaloun on the inside when the incident occurred.

Clipped heels

Hot Rod Charlie was going to the lead when he edged left in front of Midnight Bourbon, who clipped heels and unshipped Lopez, who was unhurt. After Midnight Bourbon fell, Hot Rod Charlie and Mandaloun raced nose-to-nose to the wire with Hot Rod Charlie getting his nose down first.

Later, Prat argued that new whip rules recently introduced in New Jersey played a part in what happened.

In May the New Jersey Racing Commission introduced a rule that horses can only be struck with the whip for safety reasons. Jockeys opposed the decision and threatened strike action but appear to have accepted the situation.

However, this incident will be cited as evidence against the argument to take the whip out of racing. Prat said: “Yes, the lack of a crop came into play. I was trying to correct him as much as I could.”

Hot Rod Charlie and Midnight Bourbon both deserve a change of luck following a series of good performances in top company this season. Meanwhile, connections of Mandaloun admit that they had some good fortune.

Winning rider Florent Geroux said: “It is not the best way to win, but Mandaloun ran a winning race and deserves this. It was a very hard battle. Hot Rod Charlie was going to win by a neck and right at the end my horse came back and made it really close.”

Brad Cox added: “We got a really good trip. I thought it was a lot like our Kentucky Derby trip. He was saving ground. Turning for home I thought we had a big shot at winning the race.

“I was so focused watching Mandaloun I didn’t see the horse go down. It looked like he clipped heels, but I was not sure what happened. I was not sure if (Midnight Bourbon) ducked in behind Hot Rod Charlie or if Hot Rod Charlie came over on him. Once I saw the head-on and the replay, I saw it. It didn’t take them long to change it and it was pretty obvious they would make a change.”

Breeders’ Cup Classic

Mandaloun earned an automatic berth in the Breeders’ Cup Classic with success here. Previous Haskell winners to have gone on to Breeders’ Cup Classic victory include Bayern (2014), American Pharoah (2015) and Authentic (2020).

Cox, who also trains Belmont Stakes winner Essential Quality, said no decision has been made on where Mandaloun will run next.

“We’re going to ship Mandaloun up to Saratoga and let him catch his breath,” Cox said. “We’ll catch our breath. Myself and Garrett (O’Rourke, Juddmonte Farms general manager) will come up with a game plan in the near future. No need to make a decision now.”

“I know he’s a genuine Grade 1 horse,’’ O’Rourke added. “There’s no fluke to the way the horse runs. It’s good that the horse justified how good a runner he is. He’s a beautifully bred horse and he was extremely well prepared. We’re extremely proud. It was an unusual race but we still feel like he ran a winning race and it tastes the same.”

‘Irish’ pedigree

Mandaloun’s ‘Irish’ pedigree is worth touching on. He is the second foal of Brooch, a very talented filly for Juddmonte trained by Dermot Weld. Pat Smullen rode her on all of her starts, which included a winning debut as a three-year-old at the 2014 Galway Festival.

Brooch (by Empire Maker) went on to win a listed race at Killarney and then a Group 3 race at Gowran Park. She reappeared in 2015 to win the Group 2 Lanwades Stud Stakes at the Curragh and she was placed twice more in stakes company before being retired. Her first foal, Radetsky, was trained by Weld but was of little account. Mandaloun was such a nice foal that Brooch has returned to Into Mischief every year since.