OCEANPORT – Haskell weekend got off to a rousing start Friday when Grade 1 winner Book’em Danno pulled off a dramatic nose victory over previously unbeaten Little Ni in the $100,000 Jersey Shore Stakes at Monmouth Park.
And Haskell Day arrives with the field everyone expected for today’s $1 million NYRA Bets Haskell Stakes, with Belmont Stakes winner Dornoch and runner-up Mindframe heading a field of seven that does not include 2-year-old champion Fierceness, scratched late to run in next Saturday’s Jim Dandy Stakes at Saratoga.
As the early birds settle into the picnic area and other prime spots throughout the grandstand, what awaits is an intriguing card, with five graded stakes, including an undercard-anchoring appearance by Distaff champion Idiomatic in the Grade 3 $500,000 Molly Pitcher Stakes, using the race as a tune-up for next month’s at Personal Ensign at Saratoga.
The field in the Grade 2 $600,000 United Nations on the turf is topped by Grade 1 winner Far Bridge, while Highland Falls, a Curlin colt trained by Brad Cox, is favored in the Grade 3 $400,000 Monmouth Cup.
What’s it cost to run in the Haskell?
The cost to purchase one of the contenders in this year’s field wasn’t cheap, with the $600,000 Repole Stable and St. Elias Stables paid for Mindframe, the morning line Haskell favorite at 9/5, topping the list, with the 3-year-old having earned $447,360 on the racetrack so far.
More: Monmouth Park railbird as a kid returns with the top horse in New Jersey’s biggest race
At the opposite end of the spectrum is the $32,000 for longshot Just Step On It, having earned $100,000 since being claimed out of a maiden race at Del Mar last December.
The Haskell features a winner’s share of $600,000, with $200,000 for second place, $100,000 for third, $30,000 for fourth and $12,500 for everyone else in the race.
Dornoch has already proven to be a great investment for the partners put together by trainer Danny Gargan, who paid $325,000 as a yearling for the colt, now with $1.75 million in earnings. Timberlake was purchased for $350,000 as a yearling, and with earnings of $1.17 million, including a Grade 1 victory.
More: Why an unheralded horse carries the hopes of NJ racing in Monmouth Park’s $1 million Haskell
Tuscan Sky was purchased for $200,000 as a yearling, having bankrolled $190,500 on the track so far, while New Jersey-bred Sea Streak is a homebred from Monmouth County’s Holly Crest Farm.
It turns out the cost of entry to this year’s Haskell is a lot cheaper than a year ago, when the top five picks cost an average of $1.118 million, topped by the $2.3 million paid for Arabian Knight.
Big bucks up for grabs
There are a number of wagering specials as the track looks to top last year’s record Haskell Day handle, including a $500,000 guaranteed Pick 4 (Races 9-12) and $300,000 guaranteed Pick 5 on the last five races, in addition to the $0.20 Jersey Shore Pick 6, beginning with Race 8.
More: Betting guide to Haskell 2024 with expert predictions, analysis
Keep checking back right here throughout the afternoon for updates on what’s happened at Monmouth Park, right through the post-race interviews from the Haskell Stakes.
Here’s more of our coverage from Haskell Week:
More: Haskell Stakes 2024: Post positions, odds, analysis with Mindframe the 9/5 favorite
More: Haskell Stakes 2024: The new face of Monmouth Park’s big race; plus Haskell Day info
This article originally appeared on Asbury Park Press: Haskell Stakes 2024: What horses cost for Monmouth Park’s big race?
