Authentic, Dr Post to Break Alongside in Haskell

Runhappy Santa Anita Derby (G1) runner-up Authentic drew post 2 and was pegged as the 4-5 morning-line favorite July 15 as part of a seven-horse field for the $1 million TVG.com Haskell Stakes (G1) July 18 at Monmouth Park.

One of the favorites for this year's postponed Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve (G1) Sept. 5 at Churchill Downs, Authentic bids to give Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert his ninth win in the 1 1/8-mile Haskell, the richest race on Monmouth's schedule. Baffert has captured the New Jersey staple a record eight times, last taking it in 2015 with Triple Crown winner American Pharoah .

The race came up softer than in years past, with Authentic the only graded stakes winner in the lineup. The 3-year-old son of Into Mischief  won the first three starts of his career, including the Sham Stakes (G3) and San Felipe Stakes (G2) at Santa Anita Park prior to a 2 3/4-length defeat by Honor A. P. in the Santa Anita Derby. He races for Spendthrift Farm, Starlight Racing, and Madaket Stables.

Baffert felt Authentic might not have been at his best in the Santa Anita Derby.

"Well, he had sort of a rough trip. He didn't break well and he broke out a couple lanes, and ended up getting caught wide, was a little rank," he said Wednesday during a National Thoroughbred Racing Association media conference call. "He came into the race a little bit fresh. I backed off of him because I didn't know when they were going to run the Santa Anita Derby. We like to make excuses for our horses because they are like our children. You know, he was a little fresh coming into there and he got tired and he was wide and the winner, Honor A. P., ran a great race, went by him."

Authentic's leading challenger is Dr Post, the 5-2 second choice, who breaks from post 1.

Like Authentic, he comes off a second-place finish, running 3 3/4 lengths behind Tiz the Law in the June 20 Belmont Stakes Presented by NYRA Bets (G1) for trainer Todd Pletcher. The 3-year-old son of Quality Road  owned by St. Elias Stable has won two of four starts, winning a maiden race and the Unbridled Stakes at Gulfstream Park this year before his start in the Belmont.

Joe Bravo will ride Dr Post, and Mike Smith will be in from California for the mount on Authentic.

Due to COVID-19 health restrictions imposed by the New York Racing Association, which is not permitting its jockey colony to return to Saratoga Race Course after riding out of town, no jockeys based in New York this summer are coming to New Jersey to ride in Saturday's Haskell.

Besides Authentic and Dr Post, the only other stakes winner in the field is Euro Stable's Lebda, who captured the Miracle Wood Stakes and Private Terms Stakes at Laurel Park this year before running sixth following a layoff of more than three months in the June 27 Ohio Derby (G3) at Thistledown.

"He was off for a long time. He had a lot of vacation, and that's why we're going to run back in the three weeks," trainer Claudio Gonzalez said. 

The Raison d'Etat  colt recorded a bullet half-mile breeze in :47 3/5 July 10 at Laurel under regular rider Alex Cintron.

"Alex breezed him that day, and when we talked he said he was feeling good and did everything right, and he had a lot of horse," Gonzalez said. 

The Haskell will be the fourth graded stakes attempt for Lebda. Besides the Ohio Derby, he ran ninth last year in the Nashua Stakes (G3) at Aqueduct Racetrack and third in the Iroquois Stakes (G3) at Churchill Downs. 

For the first time this year, owing to the Kentucky Derby being rescheduled due to COVID-19, the Haskell is a race on the Road to the Kentucky Derby. It provides qualifying points on a 100-40-20-10 scale to its top four finishers.

The race is also a Breeders' Cup "Win and You're In" qualifier for the Nov. 7 Longines Breeders' Cup Classic (G1) at Keeneland. In addition, BetMakers, in partnership with Monmouth, is offering a $1 million bonus to the connections of any horse who wins the Haskell, Kentucky Derby, and the Breeders' Cup Classic.

Saturday's card at Monmouth also includes five other stakes, four graded. They include the $250,000 Molly Pitcher Stakes (G3), the $300,000 Monmouth Cup Stakes (G3), the $300,000 United Nations Stakes (G1T), the $150,000 WinStar Matchmaker Stakes (G3T), and the $75,000 Wolf Hill Stakes.

The track is permitting limited attendance Saturday. Initial general admission tickets sold out, but the track has been authorized to place an additional 500 tickets on sale on its website Wednesday evening at 6 p.m. ET.

Attendees must submit to a health evaluation consisting of a temperature check and questionnaire. Masks are required to enter and must be worn unless eating, drinking, or smoking.

NBC will broadcast the Haskell in programming from 5 to 6 p.m.

Entries: TVG.com Haskell S. (G1)

Monmouth Park, Saturday, July 18, 2020, Race 12

• Grade I
• 1 1/8m
• Dirt
• $1,000,000
• 3 yo
• 5:46 PM (local)

PP	Horse	Jockey	Wgt	Trainer	M/L
1	1Dr Post (KY)	Joe Bravo	119	Todd A. Pletcher	5/2
2	2Authentic (KY)	Mike E. Smith	119	Bob Baffert	4/5
3	3Jesus' Team (KY)	Nik Juarez	119	Jose Francisco D'Angelo	15/1
4	4Ancient Warrior (KY)	Trevor McCarthy	119	Jerry Hollendorfer	20/1
5	5Fame to Famous (KY)	Jose C. Ferrer	119	John P. Mc Allen	30/1
6	6Lebda (KY)	Alex Cintron	119	Claudio A. Gonzalez	20/1
7	7Ny Traffic (NY)	Paco Lopez	119	Saffie A. Joseph, Jr.	7/2