Haskell Day 2025 | Steve Kornacki

All right, welcome into America's favorite library.

We're here at Monmouth Park in New Jersey, ahead of the Haskell

states. Big $1 million Haskell here, of

course. Headline by Journal.

Derby and El Monmouth. Racing Happy Hour We thank you

for hanging out with us on your Saturday.

Hopefully a winning Saturday by the time we get to the races,

Sean. Let's hope so.

Let's definitely hope we get some winners today.

Let's see some great racing. Very excited for journalism

later on in the Haskell my 11 Haskell SO.

Looking forward, I was going to say 11 Haskell's.

You were at the Pharaoh Haskell. I was, yes.

Let's set that one aside. Which has been the best Haskell

otherwise, Honestly? Last year's was great, wasn't

it? Last year's was phenomenal.

Door knock and mind frame. That was a thrilling stretch

drive. I got to give a shout out to my

first one, the one that Byron stole on the lead.

I thought that was really exciting.

It was really exciting going into if untappable being in the

race outside of those, I think the Gervin photo finish was

really fun. I people don't talk about that

one as much, but him and I believe it was McCracken was on

his inside the two of them kind of throwing it down.

Obviously the. Yeah, McCracken, 2025.

How about that that that's good, good news for Burnham Square

coming into the race today. But the also, you know, the the

the weird one was the 2021 one where Hot Rod Charlie knocked

Paco off. I've seen a lot of interesting

races at the Haskell. It's hard to obviously Pharaoh

tops it. I would say last year's was

probably the best race since then.

What's interesting is, you know, I tried to gauge what attendance

is going to be now, if it's based on the parking lot at 9 in

the freaking morning, a lot. But if it's if it's like last

year where it was a cloudy day like we have today where people

are less inclined to head to the shore for the day, I think we

could be looking at a big crowd today.

Yeah, we definitely could be. We're what now?

We're away from first post right now and there's a there's a

decent amount of people we can see walking out the window right

in front of us about the paddock.

All the. Walkers, all of the oxygen tanks

and all of the wheelchairs are here, yes.

They're all right. They're right in front of us

right there. We got them all.

They're all right in front of us.

We have the geese are here. If you if you go look at my

Twitter page, a Pharaoh 12. You can see the flock of geese

walking their way into the track this morning in order to get

themselves set up in the infield for the race today.

So glad to see them here. Glad to see all the fans that

will be here. As well.

Now it's going to be a spectacular one of my favorite.

It's become one of my favorite trips to just this part of New

Jersey is stunningly beautiful. Yes, it it has a a more densely

populated feel of the countryside of Kentucky,

frankly, rolling hills, lots of old forests, a real a real sense

of nature pretty much wherever you are.

It's a really beautiful. Place and I you know this

there's a reason I've been to 11 of these for one it was the

first race I ever attended in person so it's got that special

spot but it's. Also, Haskell Day was the first

time you set foot in a race. Track in a race track Watch that

was the first time ever that 2014 Haskell with Byron and but

you know, it's just I love the atmosphere here.

I've said it before I said it on our Blood Horse Monday podcast

this week this outside of Kentucky Derby day, this is my

favorite race day of the year. There's not a track that I love

outside of church lands. There's not a track that I love

more than Monmouth. There's not a race day I love

more than Haskell Day. This is a trip that I make every

single year. I was at Saratoga this morning.

There's great racing at Saratoga.

I left Saratoga to come here because it's Haskell there

enough. There's nowhere I'd rather be

right now than right here at Monmouth Park for the Haskell.

Just a spectacular day. We should be okay on whether

they're talking like I saw the IT was 1/2 of 1/10 inch of rain

was the forecasted amount of rain.

I looked at my weather app before I walked over here and it

said there was no chance of rain.

But I'm also coming off of a week or a week and a half of

Saratoga where it'll tell you the rain's going to stop in 5

minutes and then it starts hailing for the next 20.

Oh, that's right. So I don't know if I should

believe my weather app, but it looks like we're going to be OK.

The good thing about you, this being your first summer at

Saratoga, is they can't blame the weather on you.

You weren't there when this crap started.

A couple years. Ago exactly, yes.

Well, let's get into some handicapping here, Sean, as we

move throughout the day. An interesting race is the

matchmaker. People don't know what the

matchmaker is. It's literally what I just said.

The top three finishers in this get a one time breeding right at

Winstar to stallion Timberlake. How about that?

Well, Timberlake talk. I'm not going to make an In Sync

joke. I'm not going to do that to.

You he was a Haskell, I believe already.

Yeah, yeah. There you go.

And of course, this is a great through On the Turf for this

one, going a mile and an eighth. There are two, two turf shoots

here at Monmouth Park, one for the route races, which we'll see

for this one in the Wolf Hill, which we'll talk about later on.

That's part of that. Pick 4 there is a secondary turf

shoot just for sprints as well to set up a a longer course

essentially here at Monmouth Park.

This was a tough one for me to navigate here.

Shawn, do you have a strong feeling about any horse in here?

I'm interested and I think my, the one I'm kind of leaning on

here is #4 no MO Candy, 9 to 2. She's coming out of that race at

Churchill with, you know, she was up kind of up close to

Charlene's Dream, who's really good when you let her alone on

the front end and pin up. Betty, who ended up winning that

race, is a phenomenal horse as well.

It was her first start off the layoff.

She hadn't raced since November 8th of last year.

This race was on June 1st. She stalked the pace.

She flattened out a little bit down the lane.

I'm expecting a good bounce back performance from her here.

She's a Grade 3 winner last year, second off the layoff.

I do like her in this spot. We've also been seeing that

Kentucky Forum has been holding up to keep up and leaving and

we've seen quite a few Kentucky winners up at Saratoga already.

It seems like that form is holding up.

So she's kind of my my key horse in here.

I like the nine to two odds on morning line as well.

Kind of a little bit of a longer shot.

I'm looking at it here. I think she's maybe what, fourth

choice, fifth choice, something like that.

So I think that could be a decent, decent one to expect to

improve off of the last start. I like the the Chad Brown that's

not with a rider that lots of us hear about all the time and

that's with Samuel Marine Spalades in here.

The three horse in the matchmaker comes out of the win

here in the Miz Liberty and that's not why I'm excited about

her, but rather because in the Sands Point last year she also

showed this kind of form. So my hope is that she's able to

show it again. But frankly, part of it is that

Miss Liberty last time this horse 2 for two over the course,

right. So she seems to like the course

here. It runs a slightly off the pace

kind of style that it didn't work yesterday.

So it will be interesting to see if it works today.

She's going to have to be closer to the front.

Frankly, last time in the Miss Liberty started slow, but Samuel

Marine was able to move her much, much closer to the pace in

that one. I expect her to do much of that

as well. And it's hard to overlook sacred

wish in this spot. It just is.

She's I think probably face the the best horses of anyone in

this field. You see choice yeah on her.

You see you know a reggia you see a walkathon etcetera.

In her past performances and and an implicated if we go back far

enough that sort of thing did run in that distaffed her mile

last time at Churchill Downs. I think a little bit of distance

here will be just fine. We saw her in the Jenny Wiley

almost get there at a mile and a 16th gets a little added

distance here and I think will really be beneficial for her

under John Velasquez. I'm also interested your four I

think is a fascinating one in normal candy.

I have her third suggest it comes in here.

I wonder how much this 3 to 1 price is brown is irad and Chad

right? How much of?

It I mean that that combo's deadly anywhere they go, right?

It's definitely deadly, I think. You could make the case all

right, yielding turf course in the just a game last time.

I'm going to draw a line through that.

If somebody wanted to do that, I wouldn't argue with.

Them on top of that, look, I mean look at the excellent truth

with second that ratio comes back and wins the Diana, you

have dynamic pricing who was third.

So it was good competition politician there.

Her second start off the layoff, if if you're chopping it up to

the yielding turf course, third start off the layoff for her.

If she gets some firm ground today, you could expect her to

run. Definitely a better race here.

But yeah, I do. I think she's the kind of horse

that I'm not fully confident in and I'd like to take some shots.

Against a horse that if they get their trip, I think can be a

problem here, they just haven't done it.

This year is Five Towns, the six horse in here.

This is a grand motion. I think of him when I think of

East Coast, this part of the country turf racing, especially

Luis Saez gets them out here too.

And this is one that they tried in the distaff turf mile at in

the grade 2 at Churchill Downs. Almost got there, frankly.

And so this is 1 if if Louis can can time the ride here.

I do wonder if A5 Towns wouldn't be, you know, kind of an off the

board play 'cause I think you're gonna get every bit of 6:00 to

1:00 on that horse 'cause there's there's Chad Brown in

this race. There's I rat in this race.

I think you're going to get every bit of the money available

on her in that one. We move on to the Monmouth Cup.

We got a big favorite in this one.

We're going a mile and an eighth on the dirt course there.

So you will see the Haskell course in this race.

It is race six, $400,000 on the line.

It is a Grade 3 and I put this stat up yesterday for you.

We were going to be doing this show together that I love every

year, getting the the unofficial Derby Cup, which has all of the

last place finishers on it if you.

Are plus a couple random names sprinkled in there.

Yeah. And you are, if you are a

Louisville native, is the plastic cup that you find at the

liquor stores or whatever around town that I love.

I love to read those. And my kids use those as, like,

their water cups for dinner, you know, this kind of thing.

And so my kids have a very good knowledge of who's finished last

in the Kentucky Derby. That's why the joke the the the

cup is very funny. But a lot of good horses are on

there, like Whitmore's on that cup, Mendelssohn's on that cup,

like good horses are on there. Well, Justin touches on that cup

from last year. OK.

He's tried to become the first horse since Whitmore.

He finished last in the Kentucky Derby, then win a great at

stakes later in his career. He had a nice career afterwards,

right? He did.

He did a couple. Good.

I've heard of Whitmore. You OK?

Whitmore is the only horse in my life where I didn't have them on

a ticket, but when they won I stood up and applauded.

And that was at the 2020 Breeders' Cup at Keeneland.

I was there. He he is mid pack doing nothing

on a day when that place was complete concrete.

The the front runners won everything, everything down to

authentic. They won everything.

And he was like, you know, I'm going to come from like 9th

place and just dominate this race and he started doing that.

I looked out of my ticket, realized I didn't have it, and I

went, who cares? Who cares?

It's Bleeping Whitmore. What a great horse.

I stood up, I applauded, but just a touch, trying to join

that category. Will he be on your ticket?

Just a touch. Will you be cheering for him

because he's not on your ticket? Which one's it going to be?

Just a touch is a single for. Me today, OK, I look at this

race and just he's I had this conversation with somebody on

the back stretch this morning. He's the kind of horse that.

By the way, found out to Sean who woke up at like 4:00 AM at

Saratoga today and then still made it to do the barn thing

today. Oh yes, at Monmouth.

Because of course you did the barn thing.

Of course, after several mornings of being at Saratoga

every morning at 5:30. But just a touch is that he's

one of those horses and we get one of these every once in a

while where he's great in non steaks company and then you

throw him in steaks company and he he's just not the same horse.

So that concerns me. Or, you know, sometimes I'm a

firm believer that sometimes the horses kind of know their class

against other horses. Like how many times have you

seen horses like when an allowance race in such a fast

time and then they can never reproduce in stakes?

Company. Yeah, it happens a lot because

maybe they just, you know, it's that natural herd element

somewhat that maybe it's just they think that, you know, other

horses are more dominant than them anyway off of animal

behavior theory. But he's just one of those

horses that he concerns me for that reason and he this is a

race I look at and looking at his competition.

If. He doesn't win this.

There's a big problem. This race is set up perfectly

for him to that's. A good statement.

I will definitely he will definitely be my pick in here as

well. This is even though I have those

concerns, this kind of feel. I mean you look at a horse like

classic catch, he's not been running anywhere near against

what just a touch has were. Correct.

And he's, I believe he's the second choice, right?

So this is a race where just a touch should get the lead, I

think should take this thing gate to wire and if he doesn't,

we have to start having some real conversations about what

exactly his talent level. Is just a touch is a reminder

that even for guys like Brad Cox this is a tough game yes right I

mean he. Really is because it's a.

Headset This is a son to justify his his mom's buying.

Tap it like this is. This should be an absolute

$300,000 purchase. This should be the no brainer

of. No brain and you've seen the

you've seen the glimpses of talent before too, But at the

end of the day, he's only three for 8 and he's what O for O for

five and stakes company or something like that that.

So now, to be fair, you know, one of those is the Kentucky

Derby. One of them was, you know, in

the met mile last time out. So it has been good competition.

But we've seen these horses before that are just like him

that are dominant when it's not stakes company and then lay an

egg when it is stakes company. So hopefully he's not that case

for our tickets today, but we'll find out.

I'm here's the problem with this race as far as betting's

concerned, I'm not at all sure you can make a second place case

for any of the long shots. So we've been trying to hit a

good exacti here. I'm not at all sure that it's

there and so I'm going to give out a little pick three play

here. I'll probably you know, I'll

punch it into a banner here. So starting with race with race

5, I'm going to try to use him in a in a little pick 3 here

just to try to get that together.

Oh, you know, I actually wrote it out so I can.

You came prepared. Look at me.

He's got he's got all the numbers on his sheets here,

folks. He came prepared if he can

figure out how to copy. And paste, Oh my gosh, yes, I

have one of these computers that's set to it is set to be,

you know, where they, oh, the, the, the, the cursor goes away.

So it doesn't get in the, the way of what I'm, I need it in

the way I need to know where it is.

I'm an old man. These are sort of things, but

these are the kinds of plays that I love on a day like today

where it's a $10 pick three 'cause I know there's class in a

race. And I think on these big days we

get enamored with the idea that some long shots going to come

flying down. That works in the Breeders Cup

when all fourteen horses are grade one winners or something,

right? That's not what we're dealing

with in this race with just a touch right now.

So I'm going to try to do this. I've got a couple in the next

race. Flavian Pratt's a board a horse

that I really like on the 1 horse in the race after.

But I think if you're going to try to get value on a day like

today, you're going to have to get aggressive and really press

your opinions. And this is where I'm going to

try to do that. In the previous race that I'm

only using Spalla Day and Sacred Wish going ahead and using just

a touch as a single like you said, for what you just

described frankly, which is if it ain't here, when is it going

to be exactly? I mean, and so if it doesn't

happen, there's 40 bucks and I just have to deal with it.

And then if in the next race, John the Beer Man was the horse

I was worried about, Chad's not shipping him.

And so I don't have to worry about the two horse in there.

So I'm going to use the one in three spirit prints in Main

Beach in Race 7 to fill out that pick 3 hanging out with Sean

Collins, Louie Rebeau. We are the duo on blood horse

Monday. You should go find us on that.

But this is of course horse racing happy were presented.

I am wager today. Go check them out right now.

100% deposit match up to $150.00 and they're very, very cool and

very excellent platform over there.

The Wolf Hill is race 9 and we don't have any consequential

super super child's out of this race and I know there are people

that like that horse. What's up, buddy?

I was, I was just when I saw the entries, I was so surprised to

see him turn on the grass. And so the fact that he's

scratched just makes me laugh because I was like, why is he in

the spot on the grass? But I guess maybe they were.

He won his last race off the turf, so maybe that's what.

They, I was going to say, I think sometimes they people

assume they're getting to the turf and then he gets lucky,

frankly, in his case, because he's 4 for five over wet

surfaces. What the it's finished.

They were either hoping this is going to get washed off or that

hey, we've been trying to try the, you know, try the turf

here, man, turf sprints. This looks.

Like it's going to be a hot pace.

Probably a very hot pace. I think this is a a fascinating

race. The same old Marine ridden and,

and excuse me, Grand Motion trained ISU Vungu.

Izi vungu vungu. Do that again.

Izi Vungu Vungu. I got one topic that Breeders'

Cup last year. He's coming.

Back from Maidan and this is one of the toughest handicapping

angles I think in North American racing is how do you come back

from overseas? Yes, that is to me unbelievably

difficult to pick out. If you ask Racing Torrent, no

problem. Yeah, but he's also probably a

Breeders' Cup contender. So like these are this is what

we're talking about. You have to be at that kind of

level to be able to do that. This horse coming out of the

Arabian Peninsula first start back stateside, trust or no?

I trust him more than I probably would in that scenario just

because of the fact that he, you know, this is a South African

champion and he came in from South Africa last year and won

his first start off off the break.

So that does give me a little hope.

It was. It was in the in a.

Black type, by the way. Yeah, in a black.

It was in some allowance. Race.

It was in this type of race that he was able to do that.

Now the problem I have. With and by the way, at Delmar

was part of yeah, the British Cup Sprint like turf Sprint

excuse me and like. Well, and he got, he got kind of

affected a little bit by when Cogburn stopped too, if I

remember correctly. Absolute part of that race was

it's running right behind Cogburn for most of it, yes.

But I love this horse. I love him and I'm, I don't know

if I would pick him necessarily in this spot just because he he

did lay such a dud in Dubai and I don't know how to interpret

that. Was it just things didn't go his

way and now he's back and he's had some?

Straight Sprint. That it's probably.

True, Yeah. I mean, like, I think there's a

lot of stuff that plays into that when you're over there.

I'm drawing a line through that. One I'm I would draw.

It's the travel for me. Yeah, that's the question.

It's not the the performance. It's it's the.

It's the. It's the performance plus the

travel for me. So I I love this horse.

I love cheering for him. I will be cheering for him.

His connections were great last year.

They were so excited to be part of the Breeders Cup last year

when I got to meet them. So I am rooting for him.

I don't at 5:00 to 2:00. If he stays there, I don't

necessarily know I can take him at that price.

I also, you know, I'm, I've always liked nothing better as

well. He's coming off.

Of the seven horse here won this race last year.

Won this race last year. He's coming up.

Actually, is he the two time defending champ or did he did he

win? No, he just won it.

He ran it a couple years ago. But he won this race last year.

He, you know, first start of the year, last time out enlisted

Sticks Company at Aqueduct. He was up on the pace and then

he faded at the end. He finished 9th, beaten 6 and a

quarter. I'll give him, just like I said

earlier with my pick from the last race, second start off the

layoff. I'm willing to kind of give

them, give him the opportunity to redeem himself here.

I know it's, I don't love the three to 1 here either, but I

feel a little bit more hopeful that he's going to kind of

bounce back. Second off the layoff then is

Ivan Guvongu. First off off of the travel.

What's his name? Is Ivan Guvongu.

That boy, I'm fascinated by this.

Nothing better. If you look at who's been riding

this horse and when he gets top mouths, he wins.

Yes, right. When Ruiz is aboard, he's very

good. He's right in those races.

When Dylan Davis is aboard, he wins his races.

I I think, by the way, this was the horse that that nailed the

middle pick 5 for me last year. I love this horse.

Nothing better. It's definitely by handicapping

here. Speaking of wolves, we go to New

York and we add a friend who is what I think of wolves.

This is wolves. There we go, right up the

friggin Steve Kornacki here from New York, the early morning

hours of, of New York City, apparently.

So, Steve, good morning. We're talking Phil here, the

turf Sprint. Are you more of a spreader and a

turf Sprint or is this where you try to get aggressive?

Yeah, I just looking at it, I, I, I would normally spread more

than I am here, but I think I'm going to go a little bit heavy

on, on Bucarito the the one horse here, getting the shot on

the turf, having that inside coaxed and just just going.

All right, so that is a a slap in the face to Frank Angst, who

does not like turf sprinters on the turf for the first time.

And so there you go. That's a slap to to to eat it.

Frank, How about that? I mean Saturday to you.

If he can carry that speed over. No, that's exactly right.

And so Bucarino is in my handicapping for sure.

Steve, I have him third our 4th overall behind the 7:00 to 6:00.

And then I had the three Fearson strong in here.

This is a a Tyler Connor runner here out of the Salvaggio barn.

And I, this one is simply just a winner, Sean.

And once in a while it's in, you know, this is a, a Pennsylvania

bread. When's the alphabet soup before?

This go Pennsylvania. I'm not going to pretend as

though that's the greatest, you know, turf Sprint in the world,

but that's over a yielding course in the the frankly, the

the the the the splits were very, very good in that race.

And I think those that kind of speed can absolutely win here.

One over the good go at Pimlico as well.

Before that tried routing got this one back to spreading seems

to make a lot of sense as well. What do you think about the

three horse in here, Steve? Yeah, No, I was, I was looking

in that, you know the the times in the turf Sprint, the the

buyers have gotten better each time.

You know, sort of the I did What I see though is, is, is 85 kind

of as good as it's going to get for this horse because whether

it's a, a Sprint or a route, And again, like you're saying, it's

a lot of these are Pennsylvania, other bit lesser circumstances

can't seem to get past that 85. So I, I, I ultimately, you know,

looked elsewhere here. There you go.

All right, Steve Kornacki with us, Sean Collins, your bow

hanging out with you. Horse Racing Happy Hour Haskell

preview on Haskell Day here. A cloudy one, but looks like

gonna be a spectacular day for racing here.

We move on to race 10. It is the Mali pitcher.

It's a grade 3. Sean, you were saying before we

came on air. At this point we need to just

acknowledge that the the Mali pitcher is way better than a

grade 3. Yes, between last year with

Idiomatic and Sullivan Angel battling it out, both taking

home championships at the end of the year and then this year's

race, I mean, we got Darth Vader in here coming off a grade one

win. We have, you know, candied who's

been participating at that top level for her her I.

Just want a list of stakes on Preakness day.

And Grade 1 winner at 2:00 and you have randomized Grade 1

winner last year and the year before that.

I mean, this is a grade one quality field.

I feel like we did lose Power Squeeze and Leslie's Rose.

Obviously Leslie's Rose just romped up at Saratoga yesterday,

so great choice. Well.

That's a fascinating one, too. She was 12 to 1 here. 12 to one

in this what? If she had been the one that

upset the card here, yeah, that's fascinating.

So you know, that just shows you the depth of of this field and

this is good one that I, I, I don't know exactly how many

years they have to wait for some of these good races in order to

upgrade the status. I think that should at least be

a grade 2 by next year. And if we keep getting these

kind of horses, we should hopefully see a grade one on

this race in the near future. But for me it's all Dorf.

Vader is 1. OK.

All right. I was going to say 3 and up here

on the Philly and Maris side, mile and a 16th half million

bucks here, Sean, so Darth Vader for you.

Darth Vader for me. I loved her win in the Ogden

Phipps. I thought she she was part of

that interesting first turn in the law Troy Anne that kind of

knocks torpedo Anne off her game, knocked her off her game a

little bit. They were more intent this time

and making sure she's going in a good position.

I know it was a sloppy racetrack, but I think this is

one of those Phillies that or mayor, excuse me now she's 5

year old, but I think she's kind of finally starting to come into

her peak this year. And I thought that the last race

was a good indicator of that and I'm excited to see what she can

do randomize. I just, I haven't liked what

I've seen from her since she won the Ogden FIPS last year and but

she does kind of remind me of search results who Chad Brown

obviously had success with bringing down to this race.

So this seems like the kind of race where she could be

successful, but. That's exactly what he's trying

to recapture, right? Yeah, and but I I need to see

her win before I could get back on her bandwagon.

Steve, what's your opinion on the the Molly picture?

I think this is where you could make.

I think you can make hey today in this race.

Yeah, I, I mean, this is 1 where I changed my mind actually, you

know, after watching that race at Saratoga yesterday, because I

was all set to say randomized in this race.

I I like, you know, speed at Monmouth, forwardly placed

horses. I don't like horses that look

like they're going to have a lot to do.

I thought that that the track profile kind of fits her just go

to the front and and maybe have, you know, have the kind of race

we were seeing from her before. But I've had that reservation

that that Sean was just talking about what we've seen so far

this year and then watching Raging Sea go out out yesterday

and lay another egg. And yeah, you're just looking at

that, that that sort of drop off for both even that lot Troy and

I mean, OK, torpedo Anna, but still you look at the speed

figures for that race. You know, it was that was down a

double digits, I think in the buyer rating from from what she

was doing last year. Why maybe make the excuse last

time. Then I see Raging Sea again

isn't up to it even remotely yesterday.

So now I'm like, I don't yeah, I'm I'm kind of in the same

boat. You know, Sean was just saying,

especially at this price, I, I'm not going to, you know, so I end

up looking at Darth Vader too. One way of saying I agree, but I

think, you know, kind of fits that what I was just saying.

I think we'll be forwardly placed.

We won't have to have the lead, but can inherit the lead.

And I, I think might fit real well here.

I think Candide is a must include.

I want to be clear about that, but I'm really fascinated by

Majestic. Oops, the four here.

Isaac Castillo, local guy gets the mount for Dan Ward and this

is a horse. In previous, Barnes was running

at Century Mile and has made the way down here to to the United

States. Made their first start in the US

at Churchill Downs. Goal in that mile course.

Almost won it under Elvin Jimenez.

Small things. How about that?

Last year, this year alone, seven runs, three wins, 2

seconds. And once in a while in a field

with a bunch of Phillies and mares who don't know if they

want to win or not, it's nice to just pick out a winner.

And she wins in the dig. A diamond at both at Oakland

Park. Comes back here and wins the

Lady's Secret, the listed stakes to qualify for this thing.

Now I know it was in the slop, but Steve just talked about if

you want to be forwardly placed at Monmouth Park, she's going to

be she's going to be in that front group.

And so I do wonder and I know Steve's going to come back with

the speed figures on this, but she has moved up and up and up

high 80s, low 90s. Now we're seeing that

progression Steve that I know after boy, Steve's been hanging

out with me for way too long. I feel bad for the guy, but

after many shows of handicapping with you, you got to like at

least the general trend she's been on I'm.

No, I looked at her and I got what you just said is really it

was it was that she wins. Yeah.

I'm just getting, you know, sort of, you know, you could you

could over analyze the figures and everything and just say this

this horse just might be a horse who's going to do what it takes

to get it done. So I'm, I'm going to use her too

in, in a lot of my, you know, horizontal stuff.

She might be the one, you know, especially if you're if, if

people are setting up their tickets to, to end with

journalism, right? If you're setting that up and

you're trying to find either that there's going to be a true

spread race in here or whatever, she does stand out, frankly,

Majestic Oops as the Oh yeah, the pick four paid this because

and I hit majestic Oops in that in that sequence, right?

She feels like that kind of Philly here.

But no, this one, Sean, I agree with you.

This is a this is a grade 2 field for sure.

And and with idiomatic here last year, winning this thing,

frankly, the winner of this race could actually really determine

what the greatest stakes committee ends up doing with

this race moving forward. Exactly.

Especially if one of the former Grade One winners ends up

winning this race. I think, I think it's almost a

guarantee. At that point, yeah, like if you

know, if I like randomizing here, by the way, a lot.

So I just want to be clear, I disagree with the guys.

I think she could get the lead like she did in in that La Troy

Inn. I think she also showed she was

willing to be part of that kind of that bumping in the the the

action early in the La Troy Inn as well.

So I mean, I don't love what happened there, but I think that

at least with her, it does stand out.

I felt like she should have won that though, with the yeah, fair

enough. The way that everything that

unfolded after that, I felt like she should.

If she had been back now was her first start off the layoff.

But if she had been back to who she was last last year, I felt

like she should have won. We move on to the United Nations

and I'm going to go ahead and be Pollyanna for a second because

this is Sean and you know this, I love this damn race every year

I. You've never mentioned that.

Louie loves the United Nations. It's not like he had brought

that up in our Haskell talk on Monday.

Louie's a globalist. I knew it.

No, but the I the this race I love a race where I so most

times I I diminish what a jockey's role is in a race, but

not in the United Nations. No Dang way.

So last year also, of course, this was my good my my big hit

here, Steve last year was simply hit smoking.

Thank God for him. He has scratched out of this

field, unfortunately, so we don't get a run back of but you

know what that probably did. He probably wasn't going to win

and I was going to have to pay to have him in my tickets

anyway. That's really what was probably

going to. Happen.

What do you mean he was definitely going to win?

Definitely going to win. Steve, where did you land in the

United Nations? Of course, the two Cassie

runners, Corruption and Get Smoking do come out.

And then of course, Hush of a Storm will scratch out as well.

Yeah, yeah, well, I mean, actually those those two

scratches, especially the get smoking scratch just changed my

my take on this pretty significantly.

I'm going to give you the same top pick I had.

I just say though, that like limited liability, I'm now going

to be using on tickets and I I wasn't before, but I just think

that there's the possibility to go to the front and just stay

there. The top pick I'm going to give

you. I mean, I want to just take a

shot here, major dude. And what I, what I kind of, I

mean, this is they've never asked him to do something like

this before. This is, you know, 9 furlongs is

as far as he's gone. He's run well, he's won a couple

times at, at 9 furlongs. I, I think he may want more.

You know, you go back and you look at some of his, what was it

the the Pegasus back in January? I mean, he was in that race late

and he got into a real tight spot that I think cost him some.

I don't know if he would have won, but I just I think that was

a horse who could have that, that might have been deceptively

good in the Pegasus. I think a horse that may do very

well going on more of a marathon distance.

And if you're saying it's going to be anything like 15 to 1, you

know, double digit odds or something, sure, that's, that's

where I'll land. Very, very good. 3rd or 6th

place by three lengths. Excuse me, In the Pegasus World

Cup, the grade one down to Gulfstream did win the Fort

Lauderdale. Before that Sean did major dude

at 15 to one. Do you have a favorite here for

for the United Nations? I I really like Rebel Red.

He's a tough little horse. You know he's missing.

I believe his his left eye that he's missing that, you know, it

can make it difficult sometimes for obviously you can't see any

of any of the horses inside of him.

So that can make it difficult at times.

But I mean, he's such a gutsy horse and I did really like his

when last time out of Churchill in the shore.

Lee Wood highway robber is a really nice horse, especially at

these long distances, and he was able to get him beat by two

lengths. I'm a little concerned about

what the pace is going to look like in this race, whether

that's going to set up for him or not.

He came from 10 lengths back in that spot.

I'm thinking pacesetters would have to come from redistricting

or limited liability. One of those.

Two, I think limited liability is probably going to inherit the

lead in this. Place so so yeah, so I'm a

little concerned about whether or not that is going to impact

his run at the end or not, but I do really like him in this spot.

I'm also really interested in vote no, just stretching out to

a mile and a half last time. And one I remember seeing him

sprinting at Turfway back when he was entering his three-year

old season. So I couldn't believe he was

running in a mile and a half grass race at Delaware Park.

And when he won it, I was shocked.

So I'd love to see if you know if this is maybe maybe I mean,

we all know next when he stretched out to these longer

distances, turned into a different horse.

Maybe he's just been crying out for this distance and we'll see

something from him again. So I'm interested in those two,

but again, a little a little afraid to have the pace is is

going to help them out. And we saw Fernando De La Cruz

win this race last year. Sammy Camacho knows this course

in and out, man, Right. So this isn't, you know,

throwing in a jock that doesn't know this place.

And in a race where you got to go three turns and and the

timing really matters, maybe having the local guy does

matter. And I think those three turns

will help them potentially if the pace doesn't set up for

them. I do think that three turns can

sometimes be the equalizer there.

I think the underrated horse in this is redistricting for Chad

Brown. Flavian Pratt gets them out

here. Did win the Monmouth last time

and we see this once in a while, Sean and and Steve Ware.

Horses run well but they don't win, which is what happened in

that Turf Classic and there were 100 horses at the finish line of

that one. I thought about this at what

when I was going through, Sean, how good the racing was on Derby

Day this year. Oh my gosh, It's just a reminder

because the Turf Classic was certainly part of that.

Finishes 6th, but only by 1/2 length.

Frankly, could have won the race.

Then Chadron decides looking at this race very obviously to run

this horse in the Monmouth, which is a a list of stakes and

the winning in for this about a month ago.

And so to me this was that was a hey, you can do this buddy.

You can get the lead here and go ahead and go do that.

I think between those two redistricting and limited

liabilities, Steve, you're going to have to include both on your

tickets just because, as you said, there's a chance that

either of these gets the lead and just keeps it.

Yeah. I don't know if I'm gonna have

redistrict on my ticket. I am.

I'm gonna just take a shot against, as good as the price

is, I think gonna be well, given what you're seeing there.

The other one, I think, though, from a pay standpoint, what

about starting over? Also out of that Delaware race

who hadn't been going to the front, they seem to change

tactics. Maybe it was just something they

saw that day. Maybe they'll see something

today, but I don't know if if starting over could could factor

into this pace a little bit. I, I, I look at that Chad with

the redistricting and, and yeah, you're saying it's not a lot of

wins. I mean, I didn't beat much last

time. It was a workout, you know, for

this. And I don't know in that turf

classic. I, I, I thought I had a chance

to. I know there were a lot of

cords. It was very blanket there toward

the finish line, but had every chance I think to to do better

than that. It just sort of I think what did

the comments say in the yeah, it flattened is the is the comment.

I think that's right. I think that's what happened.

So that kind of left me feeling especially at the price you're

going to get. Yeah, and that added distance

too. Yeah, well that makes sense to

me. So there you go.

Lots of lots of different spots. I do have Rebel Red on top with

you Sean. So just a heads that the the

winner of the trolleywood there, Luis Saez getting them out here.

I do trust him to get that done as well.

But man, should actually, it really does set up to be this

spectacular race again this year.

Not that I'm totally, horribly biased there, Sean.

Yeah, I don't think you like. I don't think you like the

nation sticks, no bias. I think you hate watching this

race every single year. I think it's one of your least

favorite. Races.

You know what I don't like dinner, man.

I don't like Monmouth. I mean, this place is just.

That's Steve Kornacki guy and. Get him out of here.

I have to work with Sean Collins every week.

It's it's a bummer. Yeah, I know.

Yeah, you're not. You're not living a good life.

Right now it's not good for me at all.

All right, we move on to the the jewel of the day.

So the the Haskell is named after former Monmouth president

Amory Haskell. OK, now as everyone who has

spent more than 5 seconds with me knows, I'm a language nerd.

Do you know what Amory happens to me?

I. Do not.

OK, So what is a more I know that you have you're you're a

young man. You are.

It is love. Well, Amory is actually a term.

It's an old one that means brave leader.

OK, so we like to play a game on these shows.

All right, trying to figure this out.

And So what we're going to do is we're going to play.

We're going to play a game that I like to call and I did not

make. If he can find it.

I didn't even make him. How about that?

We're going to make him. Call I take back my earlier

statement about him coming prepared we're.

Going to play leader or follower, OK, And I think this

one is pretty straightforward. OK, so this is in honor of Amory

Haskell, the leader. If they can win, they're a

leader, and if they cannot, they're like you, Sean.

They're a follower. There you go.

All right, so it's a needless swipe.

And Sean, we will go through no changes here in the Haskell

itself. We'll start with Steve.

Bracket Buster breaks from the one.

This is the winner of the Pegasus, which is the qualifier

for this race. Steve, the local is a bit like

the Tessio for the Preakness. Not exactly a great predictor of

success in this race, but man, Steve, I think a real, real

candidate here to hit the board. Did you use a real candidate to

hit the board? I think so, but leader or follow

for you as far as winning. No, I, I, yeah, If you wanted to

say hit the board, I I'd say leader.

If you want to say win the race, I'd say I'd say follower on this

one. I think last time you just saw

the best of that horse in this, in this, you know, race today it

will won't quite measure up. Yeah.

But maybe can be a graded stakes placed horse by the end of the

day. Bracket Buster, winning leader

or Fowler? Follower.

Follower for you as well. I'm gonna I'm gonna stay in that

same vein as well as we see the horses in the paddock for race

one here at Monmouth Park. They're starting to distract me

here. I'm like, oh, who's that?

He's. Like.

Poor Sean's trying to Hey, why'd you point me towards the window?

Stop. It yeah, right.

Stop making me work. I'm done.

But did win that last time Axel conception in the in the irons

we do get Johnny B It's a bit of an upgrade there for this race.

Journalism comes in as the favorite.

A deserved favorite, of course, is the winner of the Preakness

Comes In here, Sean Leader or follower for journalism.

Let me let me think about this one here for a moment, you know?

Yeah, Leader, OK. Leader for sure.

That would be three grade ones and two second place finishes in

grade ones this year. Does he move closer to

sovereignty in your mind by winning today?

See. It's tough.

Because isn't that what we're doing today?

Well, isn't that what we're doing today?

We're not gonna, we're not gonna give him credit at all for

winning this race. I think that's already set up

for the program, yeah. Well when all three of us were

together on our blood horse Monday a couple a couple weeks

ago where we did our mid season championships.

Check that out YouTube. Yes, I said, I said on that

show, I think journalism is the second best horse in the country

right now and I think sovereignty is the best horse in

the country right now. I don't see it's, it's funny

because I do think that they are both like they're at the same

level for me, but I have to give sovereignty the edge until

journalism beats them. You know, that's just the way

that's the way that is. But I think if you're looking at

journalism taking down the three-year old championship this

year from sovereignty, he has to win this.

Race. Because he has to win this and

then beat Sovereignty in the Travers and then probably beat

him again in the Breeders Cup class.

That's why he he needs to win the Haskell, the Travers and the

Breeders Cup Classic in order to win three-year.

Old I got a text last night from a buddy, Justin.

I think he's watching. Shout out that you know, he was

disappointed Sovereignty wasn't coming because we won't get that

match up again. Yeah, I think we need to be

ready for them not to match up until the Breeders come.

Well, I think this is I think this makes the Travers more

interesting. If they can split apart and both

win their prep race again and just continue to prove that they

are the absolute best in this Division, I think it makes the

Travers and insanely fun and interesting race once again.

Kordaki leader or follower on journalism?

Yeah, yeah, labored long and hard trying to come up with the

answer here. No, I mean leader I, I, I agree,

must win for the, you know, for the three-year old.

Well, and I start to think about it, you know, it would this

improve his position against sovereignty?

And it's like, I don't think in the moment, nobody would unless

if he wins by, you know, 15 lengths or something.

But like, I think in the moment, we're not going to leave the

race saying, whoa, he just took this giant step closer.

But think about how this balloting works, right?

Like it's going to be mid late December.

Let's say he were to win the the classic over sovereignty, have

that win and we're looking at resumes.

What you're going to look back and see is a Grade 1 and you're

not going to. I think voters aren't

necessarily going to be saying, well, it was only Gosser or it

was. I just give him that that

credit. And I think he'll get credit for

shipping too, right, from California, New Jersey, right?

Like he'll get credit for showing up at all, right?

And so I do think that's real. I think the most likely route is

he wins or runs here at least and then wins and then he ends

up if he does in the Pacific Classic.

I I think he's going Travers. You do.

I know, yeah. That's if if you, if if I was

the owner, the Travers. Is did I say that knowing that

journalism isn't going to want that amount of time off either?

Yeah, right. Like he's not going to want to

wait till, you know, they're back to Del Mar again.

I mean like he's. Just I just, I look at it from

the prestige standpoint. I know you have a lot of

Southern California viewers, so close your ears if you're

watching from there. But it's.

Just and connections on the ownership of journalism too.

Don't underplay that part. But yeah, I do.

I do think the Travers is just as as a race, prestige wise is

way above the Pacific Classic. So I would, I would think, even

though I would like to see him against the older horses, I do

think that'd be interesting. I think that's a race he could

win. But I would love to see him come

back for the Travers, and I'd love to see round 3 of

Sovereignty and journalism, see if he can turn the tables this

time. Wild and crazy Night will break

from the three second place finisher in that sloppy, sloppy

stakes coming in. Steve, go ahead and tell us why

he's going to win at 30 to 1 and by the time we get to the gate,

70 to 1. Because you're, you know,

you're, you're in Jersey. I spent the best years of my

life in Jersey. We love Jersey.

So the Jersey bread is going to take it.

That's my best argument. Right, Steve's a liar, but we

love him for it. All right, so we'll go follow

her on the three wild and crazy night.

Burnham Square, Interesting entry here.

Was really happy to see him. Sean, when we started to get

together for the Haskell, frankly, when I saw Burnham

Square and Gozger and goal oriented, I was like, OK, we got

a Haskell. Then obviously we get a

journalism. All right, we really got a

Haskell here. Burnham Square for you.

I know it's a horse you really like.

Yes, you know, I've been high on him since his win in the Holy

Bowl. I think he's the second best

voice in this race for sure. I think if he if journalism

something happens, I do think that Burnham Square is the best

bet to take it. I did like his even though he

lost and he finished second. I did like his comeback race and

the Matt win because I thought obviously E Avenue had

everything his own way, but he was still getting there at the

end. And he's one of those horses

where sometimes he just kind of needs to grind it out.

And he was about to get there when they got finally got to the

finish line and that race. So I did like that first start

past the Derby. I loved his Kentucky Derby run

because he got completely stopped, shuffled all the way

back, and then still came running on when he was sitting a

lot closer than he had been in his previous races.

So he's one of those horses, I've said it many times on our

Blood Horse Monday podcast. He's a type of horse that can

make multiple runs. Unfortunately for him,

journalism can also make multiple runs.

Yeah. And so it'll be interesting to

see how Brian plays this though as far as where he sits in

relation to where journalism. Is what I wanted to ask you

actually. So this thing where journalism,

now, we've seen it twice, let's be very clear, Santa Anita Derby

and the Preakness gets in trouble.

OK. And he's towards the inside in

this race. OK.

And he broke from the two in the Preakness, right?

OK, so similar set up here and and Steve, same question to you

eventually. Is Burnham Square a better

closer than Sandman? And I asked that because if he

is, Sandman's never going to win the Preakness, right?

That was never going to happen. Had Burnham Square been

available and running like that, could he have won the Preakness

as the outside horse? That's what I'm asking because

it's going to have to be that kind of scenario.

Tonight, I think he would have been a little closer at the

point where journalism ran into traffic than Sandman would have.

So I think he would have had a chance, He would have had at

least a chance to end up getting there.

I do think that. How about for you Steve?

I thought Burnham Square was really good in the Matt win last

time too. Yeah, no.

And I definitely a better closer than Sam and I agree.

I but I just what I was saying earlier about when I look at

Monmouth and speed and forwardly slazed horses, I, I just, I

don't know that this is the track and this is the set up to

do what I think he's best at. OK.

Are you follower on him then? I'm, I'm a follower on him,

yeah. OK, All right.

Steve Kornacki, officially a follower on Burnham Square, and

I agree, all right. I don't think, I just don't

think he's built for beating journalism.

I do think he's built for this track.

Though. Interesting.

OK, All right. OK, All right.

Fair enough. And I'm not saying he's going to

be journalism. I'm just saying if journalism

gets body slammed five times, once again, he might be in a

position to benefit from that. I mean, the horse the body

slammed is here, so you never know what could happen.

What if we get that again? What?

Are we going to do? Oh my God, my brain might

actually explode this time. It almost did at the.

Preakness. Really.

If if we got the exact same thing that happened in the

Preakness and he still won at the shorter distance this time I

would I'd lose my mind. Horse of the year.

All right, we move on. Next up is National law.

Irad gets them out for Jose Duarte.

Junior ran 4th in that Pegasus. Another local horse here trying

to make it happen. Steve Irad's aboard, so the the

morning line is lower. I will go ahead and click

follower for Steve so he doesn't have to say mean things about

the local horses. How about for you, Sean?

National law? Let's talk about it this way.

Can Irad get this one up for a good check?

In my mind, no. No, unless he's running on the

outside row. OK, Because we know he likes.

Do you remember what made this horse famous?

Yes. So now I don't know I'd I would

love to see him win just because of the story and what happened

in his maiden win last year. I would love to see him win but

but I, I don't think Irad can now if he wins, you can play

this after the fact. I don't think Irad has enough

magic in him to get a win here unfortunately.

National law a bullet work last out on July 12th going 4

furlongs in 47 and change here at Monmouth Park.

One of my favorite 3 year olds is Gossgar.

He will break from the 6th hole here.

Steve, I think the only question here about journalism winning is

does Gosker take a step forward? Because if he does, then he's

got a shot. He just does.

If he doesn't, then this will be a runaway in my opinion.

Does Gosker take take a step forward for you here, Steve?

I'm with you. He could.

So I, you know, I guess that, that this, I'll put him in the,

the leader category on this one. I, I think there's two horses in

here that that could beat journalism the way I see it.

I I'd say he's one of them, contingent on exactly what

you're saying. Yeah, No, I he would have to

take, I think not just a step forward here, Sean.

And it's crazy to say off of a 97 kind of buyer, those kinds of

speed figures, whatever. And frankly, how well he ran in

the Preakness, that was a winning run.

I mean, in most years in the Preakness for him to have to

take a step forward, those speaks to the top of this 3 year

old class and how good it is. Katie, take a step forward here.

I think so. I think you could take the huge

step forward in this spot. It's yeah, In my mind it's kind

of a three horse race between him.

Well, it's a one horse race. It's journalism.

But if it's not journalism, Burnham Square and Gozger, now

you look at the margin of victory in the Preakness for

journalism compared to, you know, he only beat Gozger by 1/2

length. How much of him being as far

ahead as he was in the middle of the stretch was because of all

the trouble happening behind him?

You know, if journalism had gotten through cleanly, we

probably we might be looking at Goss, who are completely

different. But I do think he's a horse

that's on the improve here. He, you know, I was at his win

in the Lexington, he looked really good winning that race.

I was excited to see him come back in the Preakness even, you

know, we we nailed him. I know we were both high on him

going to the Preakness and we nailed that and.

That Lexington was sneaky good this.

Year and you know he's stepping back down to a mile Nath this

time you know if the Preakness was a mile Nath, he wins the way

that's good point. So I I do really like him.

I think he's going to be in a good position here.

And if something happens, adjourned journalism again with

the shorter distance this time. But now my question for you is,

how much of him getting caught by journalism do you think was

the distance or maybe his immaturity, it only being, you

know, his fourth start at that point?

4th start and by the way, four different jockeys, this is the

first time he's going to have the same jockey in consecutive

races. Luis Saez keeps them out here.

I just think this in the same way that journalism finds

trouble, Gossgar never does. And and what I hear over and

over on these kinds of shows is, oh, well, yeah, it's such an

easy trip. It's or, or maybe he just

doesn't make trouble, like maybe 4 different jocks and you never

get into trouble ever in route races.

I mean, I don't know. That one stands out to me.

I just think Gossgar gives you an honest effort every time.

And I think he's one of those horses that's absolutely going

to be there at the finish. I would be stunned if he loses

by more than two lengths in this.

I think there's just no scenario in my mind where he doesn't run

really well. And this is such a classic.

Brendan Walsh train up, hit the maiden win.

Try that short stretch grade 3 at Keeneland, Get him into the

Preakness where we know, you know, those front runners can

get it done or at least the pressing horses for sure.

And I so I this feels like a Brendan Walsh kind of special.

I'll go leader on him. He is not my top selection, I

want to be clear, but I'm absolutely interested in how he

runs today. I think for sure the upside

candidate on top for me more than goal oriented even.

So, just so people know, Kentucky Outlaw comes in off of

the Delaware Derby. Ran third in that one.

But before that, of course did win the Long Branch right here

at Monmouth Park going multiple turns.

Sean, what's a you about, Kentucky Outlaw?

Well, I ran into his hot Walker this.

Morning. Yeah, you did stretch like into

him. No, like, like, no, we did not.

We did not actually collide or anything like that.

It was a lot cleaner than journalism.

That's bad for our brand. If you start doing that, the hot

one, please don't do that. Yeah, but you know, it's so

maybe I'll take that as a good sign for.

Him OK. On how he's going to run.

It's a great story. Felicidan, the trainer and the

owner here, it's a great story that they're in this race again.

It's just I just think the top end of this race is too strong.

But I do, I do kind of like him in the spot.

He's going to have Laurent Giroux aboard for the first

time. He's one for one here at

Monmouth. So you can't can't complain

about that. And it seems like when he gets

up on the lead. If he breaks, well, he runs box.

His only bad race was when he was in the back of the pack, so

as long as he breaks, well, he could be tough.

If something weird happens, maybe he can stick around

longer. I feel like it's not.

It's not abnormal to see a horse like him end up third or fourth

in the Haskell. Oh, I agree.

Like play into this trifecta superfecta, especially when you

have one of these races where you kind of have those 3 or 4

top horses. There always seems to be like

one of those local horses, sure, somehow sneaks in there.

That always seems to happen in this race.

So it could be him. But yeah, I'm going to be a

follower. Follower for me as well.

And boy, if he breaks like he did in the Tessio, we'll never

hear from him again. No mate, just never hear from

him again. Like he gosh, the horse of the

last race yesterday did you do you weren't here and I don't

know how many people saw this. Instead of going back to the

winner's circle, he just went around the track again.

I've ever seen that's like Kentucky Outlaw.

If he doesn't break, well, he'll be like that.

But it'll still be the race like that.

Yeah, it'll be 2530 or like something like that.

Steve, leader of follower on Kentucky Outlaw.

Yeah, a follower, curious follower.

I, I've, you know, I, I'm just looking at the notes I have from

from all the past races. You're talking about it, but

it's just over and over, you know, steps slow, needs to get

acts together, very green, you know, and I, I've written that

for, you know, 3 races on here, three straight races on here.

So, yeah, burdens on him to show he can, he can.

But the talent, there is some talent there that could make it

interesting. So I did I I did think a little

bit about this one. The horn has blared here at

Monmouth Park for the first race here on Haskell Day.

Sean Collins, Lira Bow and Steve Kornacki hanging out with you as

we roll through the Haskell field.

We're up to goal oriented here on the outside.

I wasn't even looking at this horse until I did a show on

Thursday night with John Lindo, who is in Southern California,

is based there as an owner out of Carlsbad and all of the

things a goal oriented has been easily in his mind the horse

working the best in Southern California.

I don't know what that means for today.

I, I don't, I don't know what to do with that information.

Frankly, I don't know what to do with this horse.

I'm not going to pretend as though I have a damned idea how

he's going to run today. Steve, I will let you go first

on goal oriented because I am very fleeter on this one.

Well, I said a minute ago, I think there's two horses in my

mind, you know, to try against journalism. 1 is Gosker and I

think this is the other one for a couple of reasons.

I've, I've heard the same stuff you're saying about how he's

working. You think back to the Preakness

and that was sort of a they threw him in that race that was

on on two weeks rest. Did Baffert just want to have a

horse in the Preakness? Was there a little bit of that?

I don't know. He had all that trouble.

He was part of everything you're talking about, you know, earlier

with journalism. He was inside where he got into

trouble. I love the outside post here.

I love the outside draw outside, the speed.

I think what you were talking about if, if Umberto gets into a

little trouble with journalism again, as has been his want, I

think this is the horse I could see being kind of forward enough

sitting outside all the trouble and making that move and, and

taking advantage of it. And, and, you know, I know it

and it's Baffert ultimately. And you know, I don't know

price, but something like 4 to one, yeah.

That's right, yeah, we've seen stranger things than Bob Baffert

winning the Haskell. Yeah, a lot of stranger things

have happened. Leader follower on the Baffert

training Follower. Yeah.

Why? I just this year I know

Baffert's always got like his big string of three-year olds

each year. I just felt like as they were

obviously really good as 2 year olds last year he saw Citizen

Bowl win the Breeders Cup. As the year has progressed, it

just seems like his top three-year olds this year have

not kept up with the top of this division.

And I don't consider goal oriented to be in his top tier

of the three-year olds in his barn.

And I, you know, I was interested to see how he did in

the Preakness coming in the two weeks off of that allowance when

he, I mean, to be honest, the only reason he was in that race

was to replace Rodriguez when Rodriguez was not healthy enough

to run in that race. And yeah, but he, you know, I, I

don't know what to think about him.

I just don't trust him as much. And I feel like if he was one of

those top tier Bob Baffert horses, he would have performed

better in the Preakness on that two week turn around like we've

seen so many and jumping from the allowance in the sticks

company. I just now, you know, this is

going to be maybe maybe he's up on the pace this time.

Sitting off the pace didn't work out for him in the Preakness and

maybe that'll help him out. But I just I don't see him as

being in the top of the Baffert barn this year.

And so I I don't like him as much in this spot.

I think Baffert would need a great horse to beat journalism.

I think even to beat Burnham Square, he would need kind of

one of his top tier guys. And then I'm sure I'll be eating

this after the race potentially. But I don't I don't see him as

being one of the top tier. Baffert horses.

Last year before the Oaks, I didn't get the Torpedo and a

Buzz, and in 2025, that sounds so stupid.

OK, it sounds so, so stupid. But I watched the Futures and I

watched the betting on the Oaks, and she was the favorite.

She was the favorite. She was the favorite.

She was not in my top 4 when I handicapped the Oaks last year,

but I put her in all of my bets because everyone else figured it

out before I did. OK, when John Lindo tells me

that a horse is working well in Southern California, I trust

John Lindo. He's just one of those dudes for

me. He's a leader for me here, for

sure. Once in a while, you just have

to trust those people on the ground watching these things in

person. I will go leader there.

I will still pick journalism on top.

Steve, are you sticking with journalism here?

Will you play multiple horses in this Pick 4?

Ultimately, I'm going to figure that everybody's on journalism

and so I'm going to just take a shot.

I'm going to use Gosser and goal oriented and try to make a score

thinking that journalism is probably going to win.

A race, I think that's if you are trying to score today,

that's how you're going to have to do it or you're playing the

$10 pick four with like two horses in the UN and really try

to or $20 pick 4 or whatever it might be leading up to that.

Well, Steve, thanks for jumping on today man.

Happy Haskell day and and good luck with all the wagers man.

Have a have a great day there. I'm a little jealous.

Yeah, we'll catch up with you down the line, too.

Steve Kornacki appearances in two weeks.

That that feels like too much. I know.

Yeah, a little too much. Little Steve Kornacki.

Appreciate him jumping on from New York.

All right, so I can take these off now that I'm not talking to

Steve. All right, so.

Let's see how obvious it was for all the viewers.

No, I couldn't hear Steve though.

You were nodding and people were like, oh, I know, I.

Wonder if I played it off to you.

Let me know if I played it off though enough.

But but today, what it what do you think is the potential grand

take away from today? That we're going to have a very

thrilling match in the traverse once again.

OK, I think journalism, I think we're going to see something

special from journalism today. I do think that he is want and

especially now that he's fresh comparative, we've seen him in

his last couple of reasons, super fresh comparative.

He just he bounces out of races so well and he really seems to

thrive on the work. And so I think, I think we're

going to see something special from him today.

Is it better for what we do? Let's be selfish again?

Let's just say for the first time, no, let's be selfish

again. Is it better if a Gozger wins or

if Baffert wins this thing for our conversations?

Or is it better if it's journalism?

In my mind, it's not close. It's a journalism.

Yeah, yeah, OK. I think the best thing for the

sport is for journalism to win and he, you know, honestly.

I didn't realize until you and I started doing shows together and

hanging out how important it is for our sport that there's a

good three-year old class. Yes.

I mean it's like in just a high end quality 3 year old class and

we've got that. And I mean, there's pressure on

journalism, no question. After the Triple Crown, you

cannot lose to anyone but sovereignty.

I agree you can't lose the sovereignty either, but I mean,

you can't. Lose the freaking goal oriented

whose best win is in in a an optional.

Claimer yeah, that's right, yeah.

But he has to win the the pressure is on him.

He has to win every race that sovereignty is not in.

And I think he's up for that challenge.

And he I just, I really do think sovereignty and journalism are

both kind of two, for lack of a better term, generational

talents that we have in the same class.

And if we can continue to see where they come together, it's

thrilling when they come together, they split apart and

they win and then they come back together and it's thrilling

again. That's what we need, I think,

for the sport. I'll go a different direction.

I think for the Distaff division that, yeah, we could have a

really interesting thing happen if Darth Vader wins today.

And that's I know it's a strange thing to just jump into Darth

Vader talk, but frankly, this is a horse that was, you know,

second in the acorn last year kind of knocking on the door.

Very. Was that two years ago already?

Yeah. Oh my gosh, you're right.

Sorry. You're right.

She's 5. But getting into the Weaver barn

right out of that Yates barn immediately good.

And, and just sort of incrementally getting better.

It's been a theme of this year, watching older horses just

simply get better as well. We see them as four and five

year olds and six year olds even sometimes getting better.

She seems to be on the improve. And if she can win again in this

field, right? Yeah.

I, I think it moves her up in that distaff division, maybe not

to a torpedo and a level quite yet, but certainly elevates her

in a way that we're going to be talking, hey, do we have a four

or five sort of horse field of potential winners of that disk

stuff? I think it would.

It would put her in that place. It would, and you know, we're

looking at after Raging C got defeated again yesterday in the

Shoe V. You know, Leslie Rose is not a

horse I can 100% trust in his division because that was her

first win since the Ashland last year when she took that.

So it would be really interesting to see kind of Darth

Vader continue this growth that we've seen from her.

And because she only raced once last year, she was off for a

long period of time. And to see her come back, if she

can start, if she wins this today, it'll make the personal

lens and I think a lot more interesting as I would assume

she'd be point pointing that direction to match up against

torpedo Anna. All right, so go get with our

friends over at amwageramwager.com as I need to

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at aw.com, especially if you are a new customer.

Sean, thank you so much for jumping in, buddy.

This has been the Horse racing happy hour Haskell preview

edition. Appreciate everybody hanging out

with us. Until next time on the show, we

will see you.