AUTHENTIC, a son of Into Mischief, was installed as the 4-5 morning line favorite to extend trainer Bob Baffert’s record for victories in the $1 million TVG.com Haskell Stakes following Wednesday’s post position draw for Monmouth Park’s showcase race.
A field of seven will contest the 53rd edition of the Haskell on Saturday, July 18. Authentic drew post position 2 for the mile and an eighth Grade 1 race.
Unbeaten in his first three career starts, Authentic was second to Honor A.P. in the Grade 1 Santa Anita Derby in his last start on June 6.
The colt was originally co-owned by Toronto’s JOHN FIELDING but recently several co-owners sold their racing rights to Spendthrift Farm which will stand the colt following his racing career. Sol Kumin’s Madaket Stables still owns Authentic in a partnership with Starlight Racing and Spendthrift Farm.
Fielding still owns part of CHARLATAN, who was recently disqualified from his win in the Arkansas Derby (G1) due to a positive test.
Charlatan is also off the Kentucky Derby trail due to filling in an ankle.
Baffert has won the Haskell a record eight times, doing so in 2015 (American Pharoah), 2014 (Bayern), 2012 (Paynter), 2011 (Coil), 2010 (Lookin at Lucky), 2005 (Roman Ruler), 2002 (War Emblem) and 2001 (Point Given).
Dr Post, trained by Todd Pletcher, was made the 5-2 second choice by Monmouth Park oddsmaker Brad Thomas. In his most recent start, Dr Post finished second in the Belmont Stakes on July 20. The son of Quality Road-Mary Delaney by Hennessy drew post position 1.
An interesting horse in the race is LEBDA (Raison D’Et), trained by cancer survivor CLAUDIO GONZALEZ.
Gonzalez, who started at the bottom in the barn of fellow Chilean Juan Serey in 1995 and had a short stint with Gary Contessa before joining the operation of Monmouth Park mainstay Ben Perkins, Jr., will send out Euro Stable’s Lebda in the Haskell. The two-time stakes winner in Maryland this year finished sixth last time out in the Grade 3 Ohio Derby.
“In his race in Ohio he went the first quarter in :22 and he got tired,” said Gonzalez, who could have a banner day as he will also run Harper’s First Ride in the Grade 3 Monmouth Cup at a mile and an eighth on the main track, one of five stakes races on the undercard. “But he came back good. He’s been learning all the time and he keeps moving forward. The horse is doing great and has been training very well and that’s why we decided to come to the Haskell. He’s a classy horse.”
Even if he doesn’t visit the Monmouth Park winner’s circle after either race Gonzalez is already a proven winner. He beat testicular cancer in 2008.
Through his surgery, treatment protocol and recovery, he was unable to work for six months. He was terrified he wouldn’t be able to support his wife and family, but Perkins, his wife, Susan, and those who owned horses in the barn treated him just like family. Their compassion, emotional support and financial support were lifesavers.
“Benny told me right away that no matter what, they would take care of me,” said Gonzalez, who is married with three children. “They said right away that they wanted to help me. They never said no. They always said yes, even before I had symptoms. They paid me every single week. There are not too many people who would do that for someone. All the time, they brought the check to me. They never missed even one week.
“For all the rest of my life I have to say thank you to Benny and the owners who helped me. They are special.
“Every time I see Benny, his wife, and every one of the owners I go over and say thank you again. They are the nicest people and they are very good people.”
When Gonzalez recovered and went back to work for Perkins, he decided to try going out on his own with five horses he would take care of early in the mornings before and late in the evenings after his regular job. His second starter was a winner on Nov. 14, 2012 at Laurel, and he got his first his first stakes win in September of 2013 in Monmouth Park’s Jersey Girl Handicap.
Now in his ninth year as a trainer, he heads into the Haskell with 793 career victories and almost $22 million in earnings through July 15.
“This is very exciting,” said Gonzalez, whose sole graded stakes score came in the 2017 Frank DeFrancis Memorial Dash with former two-time New Jersey-bred champion Chublicious.
Lebda, who was purchased for $100,000 by Euro Stable’s Valter Ramos and is one of seven horses he has with Gonzalez, is a longshot in the Haskell, having been installed at 20-1 on the morning line.
But don’t count Gonzalez out. After all, the once-jobless immigrant teenager who showed up on the backside and the cancer survivor has already beaten the odds. Twice.
In a first for the race, the Haskell will offer points for the Kentucky Derby, with 100 going to the winner, 40 to the runner-up, 20 for third and 10 for fourth. In addition, The Haskell has been designated as “Win and You’re In” race for the Breeders’ Cup Classic.
BetMakers, in partnership with Monmouth Park, is also sponsoring a $1 million bonus for any horse that wins the Haskell, the Kentucky Derby (re-scheduled to Sept. 5) and the Breeders’ Cup Classic on Nov. 7.
First race post on Haskell Day, which includes the Grade 1 United Nations, is noon. NBC will televise the Haskell Day card from 5 to 6 p.m. as part of the “Breeders’ Cup Challenge Series Win and You’re In – presented by America’s Best Racing.”
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