BackTrack: Forty Niner Prevails in 1988 Haskell

Despite humid weather with temperatures soaring to the high 90s, some 23,000 fans turned out for the 21st Haskell Invitational Stakes (G1) at New Jersey's Monmouth Park. Those expecting a close battle between two sons of Mr. Prospector (a son of deceased Raise a Native) were not disappointed. Favored Forty Niner defeated Seeking the Gold by a nose after a stirring stretch battle.

A field of five went to the post in the nine-furlong, July 30 race, which carried a purse of $500,000 guaranteed. Forty Niner was the odds-on favorite, with Seeking the Gold and Private Terms the co-second choices, each at 3-1. Forty Niner and Private Terms each carried 126 pounds, one pound more than Seeking the Gold carried.

For excitement, the stretch drive of the Haskell was reminiscent of last year's renewal, in which classsic winners Bet Twice and Alysheba met major winner Lost Code. Bet Twice defeated Alysheba by a neck, with Lost Code another neck back in third. The Haskell crowd last year picked the first three finishers in order.

Another one-two-three finish for Haskell bettors' selections appeared imminent at the top of the stretch, but Private Terms faded to finish fourth. Forty Niner and Seeking the Gold. however, put on a tremendous show, with two veteran jockeys Laffit Pincay Jr. (Forty Niner) and Pat Day (Seeking the Gold) working in earnest, calling on everything in their arsenals of knowledge and experience.

Claiborne Farm homebred Forty Niner, showing the gameness that has characterized much of his career, never relinquished the lead after regaining it from outsider Teddy Drone at the three-quarter mark. Forty Niner had taken his first lead in the run to the clubhouse turn.

"I figured he might be on the lead," said the colt's trainer, Woody Stephens, "but I didn't prefer it. I think he's better coming from behind, and I was happy when that other horse (Teddy Drone) took the lead from us.

The lead change took place before the half was completed in :47 3/5. Jockey Julie Krone, who had won four stakes on the card, split horses with Teddy Drone to gain the advantage. Teddy Drone's run at the front was short-lived, as Forty Niner snatched the advantage back for good and Ogden Phipps' Seeking the Gold charged from third to join the battle on the outside.

Forty Niner covered the 1 1/8 miles in 1:47 3/5, four-fifths of a second slower than Spend a Buck's 1985 track record and three-fifths of a second slower than the stakes record. The stakes mark was set by Majestic Light in 1976 and equaled by Bet Twice last year.

Finishing third in this year's race was Tartan Stable's Primal, which captured the Spend a Buck Stakes at Monmouth by seven lengths on July 12. He was followed under the wire by Locust Hill Farm's Private Terms, running for the second time while being treated with the bleeder medication Lasix, and S K S Stable's Teddy Drone.

Forty Niner's $300,000 share of the Haskell purse raised his career earnings to $1,339,880. Champion 2-year-old male of 1987, the colt has won nine of 15 lifetime races and has captured four of nine races this year.

"He's a late foal, and he has a license to improve," said Seth Hancock, president of Claiborne. "But like Woody says, he's the toughest when horses come to him. No horse fights harder when another horse tries to pass him, as he clearly demonstrated today."

Forty Niner opened his 1988 campaign in Florida, where he won the Fountain of Youth Stakes (G2) and finished second in the Florida Derby (G1) and Hutcheson Stakes (G3). At Keeneland in Kentucky, he won the Lafayette Stakes by five lengths before finishing second to Risen Star in the Lexington Stakes (G2).

Competing next in the Triple Crown, Forty Niner completed the series' first two legs. He finished second to filly Winning Colors in the May 7 Kentucky Derby (G1), then ran seventh in Risen Star's May 21 Preakness (G1), fading after battling for the early lead with the Derby winner.

Forty Niner did not race again until July 16 at Monmouth, when he prepared for the Haskell in a one-mile allowance race. In oppressive heat and humidity, Forty Niner sizzled, setting a track record of 1:33 4/5 and winning by 71/4 lengths. His rider that day was Krone.

Seeking the Gold had disappointed in his only classic appearance, running seventh in the Derby, but he came into the Haskell from consecutive victories in the Peter Pan (G2) and Dwyer (G1) stakes at Belmont Park. Both those wins were scored with Day in the saddle.

"I think the bumping on the first turn cost us the race," said Day after the Haskell. "I had to come off Forty Niner's heels. It had to affect us, because the winner had a smooth trip. But my horse still ran a big race, the biggest."

Seeking the Gold's trainer, Claude R. (Shug) McGaughey, also was pleased with the colt's effort.

"We get beat a nose with a pound shift in the weights, and after getting knocked back into the middle of the track (by Teddy Drone)," McGaughey observed. "Pat had to gather him up and go with him a little sooner than he probably would have. It was a big race."

Krone said she felt "very bad and is embarrassed" that Teddy Drone had bothered Seeking the Gold in the Haskell's first turn. She explained that she had a strong hold on Teddy Drone going into the turn, but that "he broke the hold and ran off with me."

Forty Niner and Seeking the Gold are scheduled to start next in the Aug. 20 Travers Stakes (gr. I) at Saratoga Race Course.

"They said after the Preakness that I killed my horse (Forty Niner). Didn't look like it today, did it?" Stephens remarked. "I think he'll kill them the rest of the year, starting in the Travers."