OCEANPORT – It’s all about the stars. When Triple Crown winner American Pharoah ran at Monmouth Park, records for attendance and handle fell.
And no one did more for the Haskell’s success over the past 25 years than Bob Baffert, with the now embattled trainer winning it a record nine times, including with American Pharoah, as the most identifiable figure in racing.
And while Baffert won’t have a contender in the starting gate when they run the $1 million NYRA Bets Haskell Stakes Saturday, Brad Cox will.
The 44-year-old Cox, who grew up blocks away from Churchill Downs, is one of the sport’s top young conditioners, with a meteoric six-year rise that’s seen him win nine Breeders’ Cup races and two Triple Crown races.
Now he brings the talented Timberlake off the bench in search of his third Haskell win in four years, having taken it with Kentucky Derby winner Mandaloun (2021) and the locally owned Cyberknife a year later.
“It’s very important for the younger guys coming up to participate in this race and carry on the tradition,” said Dennis Drazin, chairman and CEO of Darby Development, Monmouth Park’s operator. “Brad Cox is one of the best and he’s embraced this race.
“Of course we’re going to miss Bob this year. He’s disappointed he’s not coming. He been targeting it with Parenting. He has always supported us, and Bob is a part of the legacy of this race. A lot of legends have come to run in the Haskell. “
Next in line
Cox is well on his way to becoming the new face of a race that’s been won by top trainers including Chad Brown, Todd Pletcher and Steve Asmussen.
Last year Cox ran Salute the Stars, coming off a win in the Pegasus Stakes at Monmouth Park. This year, Timberlake, 8-1 in the morning line odds, has loads of talent but comes in off a 15-week layoff after finishing fourth as the favorite in the Grade 1 Arkansas Derby favorite, after winning the Grade 2 Rebel Stakes.
With a Grade 1 win in last year’s Champagne Stakes, Timberlake has the class to be a factor deep in the stretch Saturday.
“We know he’s a Grade 1 horse. He proved that last year and it’s going to be tough off the layoff,” Cox said. “But he is a very good horse and we’re looking forward to the challenge.
“I think he is good enough to get the job done, I really do.”
And it’s not just his support of Haskell.
Cox is sending four-time Grade 1 winner Idiomatic to run in the $500,000 Molly Pitcher Stakes. Her win at last year’s Breeders’ Cup Distaff was her eighth in nine starts in 2024, locking up an Eclipse Award.
Nothing changed early this year, with Idiomatic winning the Grade 1 La Troienne at Chruchill Dows on the Kentucky Derby undercard, before finishing second, beaten a neck, in the Grade 1 Ogden Phipps on the Belmont Stakes undercard.
“The decision to run in this race was that I wanted a race between the Ogden Phipps and the Personal Ensign (at Saratoga on Aug. 23), and if the right race presented itself we’d go for it,” Cox said. “I wanted to bring her back home to Churchill Downs and train her.
“I love the way she’s trained. She’s had three really nice works since the Ogden Phipps and I thought this would be the perfect race. This is something I thought of the morning after the Ogden Phipps. Everything’s moved well so far.”
IF YOU GO …
Monmouth Park Haskell Day
Gates open: 9 a.m.
First race: 12 noon, 14 races on the card
Haskell post time: 5:45 p.m.
Admission: $15
Parking: Free; Valet is $20.
Coolers: Picnic area only
Special wagering: $500,000 guaranteed Pick 4 (Races 9-12) and $300,000 guaranteed Pick 5 on the last five races; $0.20 Jersey Shore Pick 6 begins with Race 8.
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This article originally appeared on Asbury Park Press: Haskell Stakes 2024: Brad Cox has embraced Monmouth Park’s big race
