2015 Haskell Cheat Sheet

American Pharoah headlines Sunday's $1-million Haskell Invitational Stakes at Monmouth Park. (Photos by Eclipse Sportswire unless otherwise noted)
The $1-million Haskell Invitational Stakes marks American Pharoah’s first start since capturing the Triple Crown with his impressive Belmont Stakes victory. Record crowds are expected during Monmouth Park’s three-day Pharoah Phan Phestival leading up to the race, and though American Pharoah will be a very heavy favorite, there is some graded stakes-winning competition looking to upset the champ. Get the lowdown on each horse expected for the Haskell below. Horses are in alphabetical order until the post position draw.
American Pharoah

Photo by Benoit Photo
Jockey: Victor Espinoza
Trainer: Bob Baffert
Owner: Zayat Stables
Career Record:  8 starts - 7 wins, 0 seconds, 0 thirds
Career Earnings:  $4,530,300
Earnings Per Start: $566,288
Pedigree: Pioneerof the Nile - Littleprincessemma, by Yankee Gentleman
Color: Bay
Running Style: Pacesetter
Notable Achievements and Interesting Facts: American Pharoah’s reputation precedes him. Last year’s champion 2-year-old won the 2015 Kentucky Derby, Preakness Stakes and Belmont Stakes to become the first Triple Crown winner in 37 years and arguably the most well-known horse on the planet. He rides a seven-race win streak into the Haskell and according to Bob Baffert, “keeps getting stronger.” His owner, Zayat Stables, also bred him and raced his sire, Pioneerof the Nile. Baffert and Zayat partnered to win the Haskell in 2012 with Paynter.

Competitive Edge

Jockey: John Velazquez
Trainer: Todd Pletcher
Owner: Nancy Favreau, Kathy Psoinos and Michael Tabor
Career Record:  5 starts - 4 wins, 0 seconds, 0 thirds
Career Earnings:  $427,280
Earnings Per Start: $85,456
Pedigree: Super Saver – Magdalena’s Chase, by Cape Town
Color: Bay
Running Style: Stalker/pacesetter
Notable Achievements and Interesting Facts: A son of 2010 Kentucky Derby winner Super Saver, Competitive Edge was undefeated until an inexplicably poor effort in the Grade 2 Woody Stephens Stakes in June. His recent workouts indicate he’s back in the top form that gave him wins in last summer’s Grade 1 Hopeful Stakes and the Grade 3 Pat Day Mile Stakes in May. Leading trainer Todd Pletcher has won the Haskell three times, trailing only Baffert for most wins by a trainer.

Keen Ice

Jockey: Kent Desormeaux
Trainer: Dale Romans
Owner: Donegal Racing
Career Record:  9 starts - 1 win, 0 seconds, 3 thirds
Career Earnings:  $310,395
Earnings Per Start: $34,488
Pedigree: Curlin – Medomak, by Awesome Again
Color: Chestnut
Running Style: Closer
Notable Achievements and Interesting Facts: Though he has only one win to his credit, Keen Ice was most recently seen finishing third to American Pharoah in the Belmont Stakes, and his two other third-place efforts were also in graded stakes. Trainer Dale Romans and owner Donegal racing will be looking for their first win in the race.

Mr. Jordan

Photo by Equiphoto
Jockey: Paco Lopez
Trainer: Eddie Plesa Jr.
Owner: David Melin, Leon Ellman and Laurie Plesa
Career Record:  6 starts - 4 wins, 2 seconds, 0 thirds
Career Earnings:  $253,095
Earnings Per Start: $42,183
Pedigree: Kantharos – Miss Skeetd, by Cloud Hopping
Color: Gray
Running Style: Stalker/pacesetter
Notable Achievements and Interesting Facts: Mr. Jordan has never finished worse than second but hasn’t faced this level of competition before. He enters the race after winning his first graded stakes and a local prep for the Haskell, the Grade 3 Pegasus Stakes in June. Mr. Jordan will be running over his home track as he lives at Monmouth Park and trains there every day.

Tekton

Photo by Equiphoto
Jockey: Alex Cintron
Trainer: Anthony Dutrow
Owner: Shortleaf Stable
Career Record:  6 starts - 2 wins, 1 second, 0 thirds
Career Earnings:  $79,647
Earnings Per Start: $13,275
Pedigree: Bernardini – Touch Love, by Not For Love
Color: Bay
Running Style: Stalker/pacesetter
Notable Achievements and Interesting Facts: Tekton enters the Haskell off a second-place finish to Mr. Jordan in the Pegasus Stakes and a runaway victory in an allowance race at Pimlico in May. The colt was a $190,000 yearling purchase and may be rounding into top form in time for his stiffest test yet. Jockey Alex Cintron and trainer Anthony Dutrow are both looking for their first win in the race.

Top Clearance

Photo by Equiphoto
Jockey: TBD
Trainer: Wayne Catalano
Owner: Gary and Mary West
Career Record:  4 starts - 2 wins, 2 seconds, 0 thirds
Career Earnings:  $72,520
Earnings Per Start: $18,130
Pedigree: Majestic Warrior – Sweet Beat, by Tiznow
Color: Bay
Running Style: Closer
Notable Achievements and Interesting Facts: Top Clearance has won two races in a row but this is his first start again stakes competition. The Gary and Mary West homebred is based at Monmouth Park and has the advantage of training over the track daily.

War Story

Jockey: TBD
Trainer:  Jeffrey Radosevich
Owner:  Loooch Racing Stables and Glenn Ellis
Career Record:  7 starts - 2 wins, 2 seconds, 1 third
Career Earnings:  $268,600
Earnings Per Start: $38,371
Pedigree: Northern Afleet – Belle Watling, by Pulpit
Color: Chestnut
Running Style: Closer
Notable Achievements and Interesting Facts: War Story will be making his second start for new trainer Jeffrey Radosevich after the gelding went through the sales ring in July. He went unsold when his reserve wasn’t met so owners Loooch Racing Stable and Glenn Ellis elected to keep racing him. War Story placed in three graded stakes this spring on the Kentucky Derby trail before a 16th-place finish in the Derby. A fourth-place finish in the Ohio Derby marked his first start for Radosevich.