Haskell Stakes A Potentia;l Gateway To Glory
The Haskell Stakes has been one of the signature races at Monmouth Park since 1968. Now with grade 1 status, a $1 million purse, and listed as a Breeders' Cup Classic win and you're in race, this jog over the New Jersey dirt has become the place to be for top three-year-old males. With many more exciting races in the division to follow throughout the summer, the Haskell serves as a race that helps determine contenders from pretenders. The 2025 edition features a very competitive eight horse field. Let's take a quick look at the entrants and provide a thought on those breaking from the gates on July 19 with trainer, jockey, and morning line. Carded as race 12, the expected post time is 5:45 eastern.1 Bracket Buster (Victoria Oliver, John Velazquez 10-1)- Romped home seven lengths clear at Monmouth on June 14 in the Pegasus Stakes picking his first win in three starts this year . Front-running style means he could absolutely affect the early pace from his rail position. If this speedy son of Vekoma were to somehow be left alone on the lead he could certainly bust a few brackets.
2 Journalism (Michael McCarthy, Umberto Rispoli 4-5) The Preakness champ and runner-up in the Kentucky Derby and Belmont Stakes deserves to be odds on after those three performances in a five-week span. Yes, this son of Curlin is the class of the field, but in this game, there are no givens. With a clear run, the Santa Anita Derby champ will be awfully hard to beat.
3 Wildncrazynight (Dan Ward, Isaac Castillo 30-1)- Local runner that finished second in the Pegasus at Monmouth and has started seven times this year with one win. This son of Midnight Lute will be making his first start in graded stakes company and should he win, it would be wild and crazy.
Burnham Square won the Bluegrass Stakes at Keeneland in April
4 Burnham Square (Ian Wilkes, Brian Hernandez Jr. 5-1)- Six of eight career starts in the top three with wins in the Holy Bull Stakes and Bluegrass Stakes and over $1 million in career earnings. Son of Liam's Map was a troubled sixth in the Kentucky Derby and a closing second in the Matt Winn Stakes in his last start. All that means he is a horse that can be there at the end.
5 National Law (Jorge Duarte Jr., Irad Ortiz Jr. 20-1)-This son of Constitution has two wins in five career starts but has never been in graded stakes company. Has run at Monmouth twice with both being fourth place finishes. Has a top jockey in the irons, but can't see him being ratified here.
6 Gosger (Brendan Walsh, Luis Saez 9-2)-Only four career starts but two have been in graded stakes company. Looked like the upset winner of the Preakness until the final jumps. Has shown the signs of being something special and has the jockey to get it done here.
7 Kentucky Outlaw (Felisse Dunn, Florent Geroux 15-1)-Three wins in five career starts at four different tracks with one of his victories coming in the Long Branch Stakes at Monmouth. This is a big asking of this son of Outwork, but of the longer shots, he might be the one to put in your superfecta.
8 Goal Oriented (Bob Baffert, Flavien Prat 4-1)- How can a horse that's onmly raced three times with no stakes wins be the second choice?...Bob Baffert has won this race a record nine times and NOBODY is better at getting a horse ready for a grade 1 race. Outside post means he will likely want to be on the lead. Not sure if he can take'em all the way, but he is conditioned by Bob Baffert.
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