Streak the Shore for 1-Million Points

A fine field of the nation's top 3-year-olds, featuring Preakness Winner and Belmont runner-up Oxbow, converge this Sunday on the biggest day of racing on the Jersey Shore and the richest invitational in America - the G1 $1,000,000 Haskell Invitational.

The Haskell will highlight a 14-race card, five of which are graded stakes events. The wagering menu features 13 rolling Daily Doubles and we are giving all Players who cash a winning Daily Double in three or more consecutive races, a share of 1,000,000 TSC Elite Points!

First post set for 12 Noon ET with the Haskell slated as the 13th race with an estimated post time of 6:20pm ET / 3:20pm PT.

Official Results Announced - Click Here

How to earn a share of 1,000,000 TSC Elite Points

• Cash a winning Daily Double starting in three or more consecutive races (for example: races 1, 2 and 3 or races 4, 5 and 6) on the Monmouth Park race card this Sunday, July 28.
• All wagers must be made through a valid TwinSpires.com account.
• Qualifying winners may win only one (1) share of the prize. 

Points will be credited by Tuesday, July 30

Haskell Day Wagering Highlights

• 10-cent Superfecta's
• $1 Rolling Daily Doubles
  
• 50-cent Rolling Pick 3's
• 50-cent Pick 4's - Races 2-5, Races 6-9 and Races 10-13 ($250,000 guaranteed)
• 50-cent Pick 5 - Races 5-9 ($100,000 guaranteed)
  
• 10-cent Jersey Shore 6 (Races 6-11)
  

The Guaranteed Wagering Pools - Haskell Day features a $100,000 guaranteed 50-cent Pick 5 on Races 8-12 and a $250,000 guaranteed 50-cent Pick 4 on Races 10-13.

Haskell News

Haskell features Oxbow, Verrazano
by The Handicapper's Edge
Images by  David Owens/Equi-Photo and Jim McCue/Maryland Jockey Club

Preakness winner Oxbow will make his first start since a runner-up in the Belmont Stakes, but he's not the morning line favorite in Sunday's Grade 1, $1 million Haskell Invitational at Monmouth Park. That distinction belongs to Verrazano, who exits a 9 1/4-length victory in the local prep, the Grade 3 Pegasus Stakes on June 16. Verrazano is listed at 9-5 with Oxbow the 2-1 second choice.

Verrazano and Oxbow are the main draws, but the 1 1/8-mile Haskell has also attracted Kentucky Derby runner-up Golden Soul and Grade 1 winner Power Broker. The seven-horse field highlights a dynamite card at the New Jersey track that contains four additional graded stakes.

Winner of the Wood Memorial and Tampa Bay Derby, Verrazano easily captured his first four career starts before a disappointing 14th in the Kentucky Derby over a muddy track. The bay son of More Than Ready rebounded in scintillating fashion, dominating the Pegasus on the front end, and the Todd Pletcher-trained colt will retain the services of John Velazquez while breaking from the far outside post.

"We didn't want to be down inside and we would have picked the outside post if we had a choice, so we're happy," said Bryan Sullivan, a partner in Let's Go Stable, which owns Verrazano in partnership with the Coolmore connections of Michael Tabor, Mrs. John Magnier and Derrick Tabor.

Verrazano did not race at two, making his career bow at Gulfstream Park in January.

"We threw a lot at him in a short time this year," Sullivan said. "He went from an unraced two-year-old into the Derby, which is an incredibly tough race. But right after the Derby, we drew a circle around the Haskell as our goal, and we used the Pegasus Stakes to get here. That race showed us he likes this track a lot. If he can duplicate that race, we'll be in good shape on Sunday."

Oxbow could be showing the way early with Gary Stevens from post 5. The speedy colt broke through with his first major victory when leading wire to wire in the Preakness, posting a 15-1 upset following unplaced efforts in the Kentucky Derby and Arkansas Derby, and backed up that performance with a very respectable second in the 1 1/2-mile Belmont Stakes, dueling through fast fractions before giving way grudgingly. D. Wayne Lukas conditions the improving son of Awesome Again.

"The post never seems to matter with him," Stevens said. "He's a one-dimensional horse who carries some good speed, and I just try to stay out of his way. I'm looking for a big effort from him Sunday. I talked to Wayne and he's happy where the horse is right now."

Power Broker will enter on the upswing, posting a convincing allowance win at Churchill Downs before a 3 3/4-length victory in the June 8 Easy Goer at Belmont Park, and Hall of Fame conditioner Bob Baffert has owned the centerpiece event at Monmouth Park, winning the last three runnings of the Haskell (Paynter, Coil and Lookin At Lucky) and six times overall. Power Broker concluded last year on a sour note, finishing fifth at short odds in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile, and was no factor when opening 2013 with a fifth in the Santa Anita Derby. The Pulpit colt has put those disappointing efforts behind him, registering a career-best 102 BRIS Speed rating last time, and the 3-1 third choice will keep Rosie Napravnik in the saddle.

Baffert changed his mind several times before finally deciding to send Power Broker to Monmouth.

"The horse is in the air right now, so there's no turning back," Baffert said Thursday morning from his base at Del Mar. "I was thinking about some other spots for him, but he worked so well (Tuesday), that I changed my mind and sent him East. The Haskell is a very tough race, but I think he deserves a chance. We don't know how good he is, but this will be a good gauge."

Baffert said post 4 will be fine, as long as Power Broker gets away cleanly.

"The break is very important," Baffert added. "If he can break well and get a comfy spot, he'll be up there with those speed horses. Rosie knows this horse really well, so I'll let her ride her race."

Golden Soul finished fast in a couple of stakes earlier this year before closing boldly in the Kentucky Derby, outrunning his 34-1 odds to be a clear second. The Dallas Stewart trainee was no factor checking in ninth in the Belmont Stakes, but the chestnut is eligible to perform better Sunday, especially with the potential for a hot pace with Verrazano, Oxbow and Power Broker all doing their best running on the front end. Robby Albarado rides the 8-1 fifth choice.

"I would expect him to be no more than seven to 10 lengths back early in the race," said Stewart, noting Monmouth's reputation as a speed-favoring track. "He can make his run from there."

Pletcher will also be represented by Micromanage, who posted his first stakes victory when shipping to Monmouth for the July 7 Long Branch, scoring by a convincing 4 1/2-length margin. Joe Bravo sticks with the late runner. Grade 2 hero Vyjack, who is cross-entered to Saturday's Jim Dandy at Saratoga, will be looking to turn things around in a tough spot following a pair of well-beaten performances in the Kentucky Derby and Belmont Stakes. Maiden winner Pick of the Litter, unraced since a third in the Grade 3 Lexington Stakes in April, figures to be the longest shot in the wagering.

Bet the Haskell Invitational and Montmouth Park horse racing online with TwinSpires.com and watch it live on TwinSpiresTV!

Past Haskell Invitational Winners

Monmouth Park Racetrack  2013 Racing Season

Dates: Monmouth Park’s meet gets underway on Saturday, May 11, and runs through Sunday, Oct. 6.  Racing will then shift north for all turf cards at the Meadowlands through Breeders’ Cup Saturday on Nov. 2.

Monmouth Park 2013 Racing Schedule: Through the month of May, live cards will be run on Saturdays and Sundays, plus a Memorial Day card on May 27. Starting on Friday, May 31, Monmouth will have live racing three days a week, Friday, Saturday and Sunday.  The 2013 meet goes through Sunday, Oct. 6.

Monmouth Park 2013 Post Times:  Post time for the 2013 racing season is set for 12:50pm ET every day except Haskell Day, when the first post will be 12 noon ET.

Monmouth Park Racetrack Information

Main track (dirt): 1 mile, oval
Width of track: 100 feet
Composition: 12 inches of aggregate sand drainage and 12 inches of crushed traprock screenings. The cushion is five inches of Racetrack B Mix, composed of 83 percent sand and 17 percent loam.

Turf course: 7 furlongs with two chutes - one for five and a half-furlong races, and the other for 1 1/16-mile and 1 1/8-mile races
Length of stretch from last turn to finish line: 990 feet
Width of horse racing track: 90 feet wide its entire circumference, with the chutes each 100 feet wide
Banking: 2 percent on the straightaways and 5 percent on the turns
Composition: Mixture of four kinds of bluegrass and Manhattan 2 rye grass