10.45 NYRA Bets Haskell Stakes (Grade 1) 9f
THE Preakness Stakes winner Journalism heads the eight-horse field for tonight’s feature at Monmouth Park as the three-year-old colts prepare for the later summer features.
The Derby and Belmont winner Sovereignty takes an easier path by going for the Grade 2 Jim Dandy Stakes next weekend but Journalism takes on three rivals who were behind him when he put up a terrific effort to win the Preakness in mid-May after suffering significant interference.
The Curlin colt ran down Gosger then to win by half a length and had Goal Oriented a further six and three quarter lengths back in fourth. He opened the year with victories in the Grade 2 San Felipe and Grade 1 Santa Anita Derby.
In the Derby at Churchill Downs, he was sent off as favourite but was run down by Sovereignty. He had Burnham Square back in sixth, over 10 lengths behind.
It will be his sixth outing of the campaign but none of his Haskell rivals have matched his triple-digit Beyer speed figure this season.
Back at Churchill in June, Burnham Square failed by half a length
to run down East Avenue in the Grade 3 Matt Winn Stakes. In April, he won the Grade 1 Blue Grass and was well fancied for the Derby.
Gosger won the Grade 3 Lexington by two lengths and at Pimlico he opened up a five-length lead in the straight before Journalism’s late rally. This is only his fifth lifetime run so the son of Nyquist is still open to improvement.
Bob Baffert’s Goal Oriented is also open to improvement, and lost ground in that Preakness interference.
Gosger looks the obvious next best on his Preakness run but Burnham Square was a little disappointing last time and ran really well off a less than ideal trip through in the Kentucky Derby and could raise his game here to chase Journalism home.
SELECTION: JOURNALISM
Next Best: Burnham Square
Rest of the card
In the Grade 3 Molly Pitcher Stakes over eight and a half furlongs for fillies, last year’s Saratoga Grade 1 Alabama Stakes winner Power Squeeze aims for her first win since that, with Todd Pletcher’s Candied, second in that race and in the Grade 1 Coaching Club American Oaks the main danger ahead of Randomized, also a Grade 1 winner last season at Saratoga in the Ogden Phipps Stakes.
The Grade 2 United Nations Stakes over 11 furlongs on turf has a big field of 12.
Chad Brown provides the likely favourite in British-bred Redistricting. The Kingman colt won the Listed Monmouth Stakes here last time out for Klaravich Stables. Rebel Red, another British-bred for Cherie DeVaux, is also to the head of the betting. The Frankel horse won the Listed Chorleywood Stakes at Churchill Downs last time.
Frankie Dettori also has a shot on Limited Liability for Shug McGaughey.
Saratoga
The feature is the Grade 1 Coaching Club American Oaks Invitational and Godolphin’s Immersive head the field.
On a delayed comeback run after her impressive two-year-old season where she was unbeaten in four races. That sequence included three Grade 1s and the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies. She was odds-on when beaten by a neck at Churchill Downs in the Monomoy Girl Conditions Stakes.
That winner, Take Charge Milady, lines up here too.
Mark Casse’s La Cara cruised to a three-length victory in Saratoga’s Grade 1 Acorn Stakes. The daughter of Street Sense is the only filly with two Grade 1 victories this season and turned the tables on Kentucky Oaks winner Good Cheer that time.
Sweet Seraphine, a daughter of Quality Road, gets 4lb from the favourite and has won her last two. It’s a wide open, hot contest and, with La Cara set to dictate, the race could be set up for Immersive, back at the track where she won her maiden and the Grade 1 Spinaway Stakes last year.