Jon
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Post by Jon on Jul 23, 2014 0:22:29 GMT -5
If anyone cares,it's a "Win & You're In". Wonder who Wiz likes? LOL
The $1,000,000 William Hill Haskell Invitational
Sunday, July 27, 2014
Welcome to the grandest day of racing on the Jersey Shore and the richest invitational in America: The Grade I, $1,000,000 William Hill Haskell Invitational. Featuring the nation's top 3-year-old Thoroughbreds, the Haskell has been won by racing greats such as Horse of the Year Point Given, Horse of the Year Rachel Alexandra, Vox Populi Award winner Paynter, and most recently Verrazano who devastated the field by a record-breaking 9 3/4 lengths. Don't miss the glamour, excitement, and passion of Monmouth Park's premier race! New for 2014: show off your most fashionable outfit and be named Best Dressed Couple, sponsored by Lilly Pulitzer Shops at Riverside and Tommy Bahama Garden State Plaza! Winners will receive a $200 gift card to Lilly Pulitzer and a $200 gift card to Tommy Bahama!
from Monmouth site
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Jon
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Post by Jon on Jul 23, 2014 0:23:54 GMT -5
Wildcat Red tries to cap rags-to-riches tale in Haskell
By Jim Dunleavy
DRF
OCEANPORT, N.J. – Trainer Jose Garoffalo grabbed the gold ring last year when he bought Wildcat Red out of the Ocala Breeders’ Sales Co.’s June sale of 2-year-olds and horses of racing age for $30,000.
Wildcat Red has since won the Grade 2 Fountain of Youth and Grade 3 Hutcheson, just missed in the Florida Derby, and has earned $750,000. On Sunday, he will be among the top contenders in the Grade 1, $1 million Haskell Invitational at Monmouth Park.
“The first day I saw this horse at the track, I knew he was going to be good,” Garoffalo said. “At first, I didn’t know how far he would run, but now he is more focused, more relaxed; he will rate himself. As he developed, I changed the way I trained him. I started giving him longer gallops.”
Garoffalo, 50, is from Caracas, Venezuela. He came to the United States in 1999 and has won more than 340 races. He has a 30-horse stable at Gulfstream Park.
“I am from a family of horse breeders,” he said. “I went to law school but never worked in the law. This is my passion.”
Garoffalo has trained six stakes winners in the United States, including Yara, who won the Grade 2 Davona Dale in 2012. Garoffalo bought her for $24,000 out of the 2011 OBS spring sale of 2-year-olds.
Wildcat Red’s owners, the Honors Stable of Salvatore Delfino and Josie Martino, also have roots in Venezuela. They are “Italians in Venezuela,” Garoffalo explained.
Wildcat Red has made 8 of his 9 starts in Florida. His lone journey outside the Sunshine State came in the Kentucky Derby, where he finished 18th. The comment line in his past performances for the Derby reads, “bobbled, bumped start, steady soon after, shuffled 7/8, 5wd, tired.” It is the only time Wildcat Red has finished worse than second.
“Luis Saez was very good in the Derby,” Garoffalo said of the colt’s rider. “When he saw things weren’t going to work out, he didn’t force the horse, and we came out of it okay.”
Wildcat Red had a useful prep for the Haskell in the $90,000 Quality Road Stakes on June 28, when he won by 10 lengths. While a number of other Haskell horses will complete their serious training at their home bases and ship in a few days prior to the race, Garoffalo decided to send Wildcat Red in early and work him at Monmouth.
“He looks a lot better on this track than he did at Churchill,” Garoffalo said. “The track is going to fit him. He is getting a good hold of this track.”
Wildcat Red was calm and professional before, during, and after his Sunday workout. Garoffalo had exercise rider Peter Shelton gallop him a leisurely mile and then work three furlongs. Garoffalo timed him in 36.60 seconds, with a final eighth in 10.80 seconds. Track clockers credited him with a half-mile in 48.80.
Garoffalo, his team, and apparently Wildcat Red are ready for the second half of their dream season to begin.
“He’s a gift for getting us to the Derby,” said assistant trainer Nick Galati, who previously spent summers at Monmouth with trainer Stephen DiMauro.
In a separate conversation, Garoffalo echoed those sentiments.
“The horse is a blessing,” he said.
◗ In addition to Wildcat Red, the Haskell field as of Tuesday morning included the filly Untapable (trainer Steve Asmussen), Bayern (Bob Baffert), Social Inclusion (Manny Azpurua), Medal Count (Dale Romans), Albano (Larry Jones), Irish You Well (Wayne Catalano), Just Call Kenny (Patrick McBurney), and Encryption (Kelly Breen).
◗ The Haskell is a Win and You’re In race for the Breeders’ Cup Classic and will be televised live on NBC from 5-6 p.m. Eastern.
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Jon
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Post by Jon on Jul 23, 2014 0:27:42 GMT -5
Untapable puts finishing touches on Haskell preparations
Brisnet
Top three-year-old filly Untapable breezed an easy half-mile in :50 1/5 over Saratoga's fast Oklahoma training track on Monday, completing her major preparations for her tilt versus males in Sunday's Grade 1 Haskell Invitational at Monmouth. Exercise rider Mike Callaham was aboard the Steve Asmussen trainee.
"So far everything is good. She cooled out good," assistant trainer Darren Fleming said. "She's on schedule to ship in on Thursday morning."
A homebred campaigned by Ron Winchell, Untapable is undefeated from four starts in 2014 by a combined margin of 31 lengths. When she takes on a contentious field in the Haskell, it will be the filly's first try against males, but Asmussen is no stranger to crossing that line.
In 2009, he sent Kentucky Oaks and Preakness Stakes winner Rachel Alexandra to Monmouth Park for the Haskell and she cruised to a six-length victory on her way to Horse of the Year and champion three-year-old filly honors. Now Untapable will try to become only the third filly to win the Haskell and join Hall of Fame member Serena's Song (1995) in the record books.
"It worked out pretty well for Rachel. There are no compunctions about sending her to the Haskell," Fleming said.
Untapable, an earner of $1,304,725 from an overall record of 8-6-0-1, spent the winter at Asmussen's base at the Fair Grounds, where she took the Rachel Alexandra and the Fair Grounds Oaks. Relocating to Churchill Downs in the spring, she drew off by 4 1/2 lengths in the Kentucky Oaks. Traveling to Belmont Park for the June 28 Mother Goose proved no problem last time out, and she coasted to a 9 1/4-length decision.
"We hope she settles in good. She did when she shipped to New York," Fleming said.
Untapable is by Tapit and out of Fun House, another Winchell homebred who incidentally was bred back to North America's leading sire Tapit on the morning of the Kentucky Oaks.
Fun House, termed a "superstar broodmare" by her owner, has a well-earned reputation for being all business. Like mother, like daughter.
"Untapable likes to be by herself and doesn't like a lot of attention from people. She can be warm and fuzzy, but only when it's her idea," Fleming said.
Regular rider Rosie Napravnik, who was replaced in the irons for the Mother Goose by John Velazquez while she was sidelined with a shoulder injury, will be back aboard for the Haskell. She aims to make history as the first female jockey to win Monmouth's signature race. In 2013, Napravnik finished second on Power Broker in the Haskell and won the Molly Pitcher on Joyful Victory and the Matchmaker on Starstruck on the undercard.
Likely to face the filly Untapable in the 1 1/8-mile Haskell are Albano, a 6 1/2-length winner of the June 15 Pegasus at Monmouth; Bayern, who exits a smashing conquest of the June 7 Woody Stephens on Belmont Day; Irish You Well, Just Call Kenny and Encryption, the respective trifecta from the final local prep, the July 5 Long Branch; Medal Count, last seen finishing third in the Belmont Stakes; Gulfstream track record-setter Social Inclusion, subsequently third in the Wood Memorial, Preakness and Woody Stephens; and Fountain of Youth winner Wildcat Red, a 10 1/4-length romper in the June 28 Quality Road at Gulfstream.
Bayern posted his final serious drill at Del Mar on Monday, covering five-eighths over the Polytrack in :59 4/5. His Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert already owns the record with six career Haskell victories.
The field for this year's 47th renewal of the Haskell will be drawn at noon (EDT) on Thursday.
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Jon
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Post by Jon on Jul 23, 2014 0:28:31 GMT -5
Bayern travel plans set; Irish You Well taking shot at Haskell
Brisnet
Trainer Bob Baffert confirmed that Woody Stephens winner Bayern will jet to Monmouth Park this Thursday as local hope Irish You Well will continue to train at the Oceanport, New Jersey track for Sunday's $1 million Haskell Invitational.
After watching the colt breeze five furlongs in :59 1/5 over Del Mar's all-weather surface Monday morning, Baffert, who has trained a record six Haskell winners, confirmed the son of Offlee Wild for the 1 1/8-mile Haskell and that Martin Garcia, who was aboard for the work, will have the mount in Monmouth's signature event.
Garcia, no stranger to the Haskell, captured the 2010 edition atop Lookin at Lucky and again in 2011 with Coil. A win on Sunday would tie him with Craig Perret for most Haskell wins by a jockey.
Bayern, who whistled to a 7 1/2 length victory in the seven-furlong Woody Stephens on Belmont Stakes Day, has won three of his six starts for owner Kaleem Shah Inc. He won his debut on January 4 of this year and took an entry level allowance next out in February, both at Santa Anita. After a third-place finish in the Arkansas Derby he put his nose down first in the Derby Trial only to be disqualified to second. He followed that up with a start in the Preakness and then his dominating score in the Woody Stephens.
Irish You Well, who took the Long Branch over the Monmouth strip on July 5, has been stabled at the track since May. As a maiden he took on graded stakes company, finishing third in the Illinois Derby at Hawthorne and the Peter Pan at Belmont Park.
"He's been there for quite a while and he loves the track there," said trainer Wayne Catalano, who conditions Irish You Well for Donegal Racing. "He broke his maiden on it and has been training well over it.
"He was third behind Tonalist and Commissioner in the Peter Pan and they went on to be one-two in the Belmont, so he deserves his shot."
Irish You Well will get a new rider in Jose Lezcano in the Haskell, as that duo will face a field that is expected to include the filly Untapable as well as Albano, Encryption, Just Call Kenny, Medal Count, Social Inclusion and Wildcat Red. The field for this year's 47th renewal of the Haskell will be drawn at noon (EDT) on Thursday.
"There is no question that it's a tough, touch race," Catalano said. "This is a big test for him, but he's been over that surface and he's been running well so everybody wants to give it a shot."
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