HASKELL COMPETITORS FINALIZE PREPARATIONS; TAKE CHARGE INDY LOOKS TO REBOUND IN MONMOUTH CUP Oceanport, N.J. – Contestants are finalizing their preparations for Sunday’s $1,000,000 William Hill Haskell Invitational... Grade 1 winner Take Charge Indy looks to rebound in Sunday’s Grade 2 Monmouth Cup... Competitors look to win VIP tickets to the Breeders’ Cup in the Haskell Handicapping Challenge. HASKELL RUNNERS MAKE FINAL PREPARATIONS With just hours to go before the 46th running of the Jersey shore classic, contestants are making their final preparations for the $1,000,000 William Hill Haskell Invitational. The following highlights what the nation’s top 3-year-olds are doing to get ready for Sunday’s Grade 1 mile and an eighth event. · Kentucky Derby runner-up Golden Soul went out for a routine 1 ¼ gallop Friday morning at Saratoga on a track rated as fast and trainer Dallas Stewart said that he would do the same on Saturday prior to shipping to Monmouth Park in the afternoon. · Trainer Todd Pletcher texted “all good” after Long Branch stakes winner Micromanage and multiple stakes winner Verrazano put in routine gallops Friday morning at Saratoga. The colts, who run for separate ownership interests, will leave Saratoga early Sunday morning and are scheduled to arrive at Pletcher’s Monmouth barn by mid-morning. · Preakness Stakes winner Oxbow was being vanned to Monmouth on Friday and trainer D. Wayne Lukas said the colt was expected to arrive on the grounds and be settled into his stall by feeding time this afternoon. · Trainer Dale Romans, who remained undecided whether graded stakes placed Pick of the Litter would be sent to Monmouth Park on Saturday afternoon or Sunday morning, sent his charge out for a 1 ½ miles gallop at Saratoga Friday morning. · Easy Goer stakes winner Power Broker arrived from Southern California late on Thursday afternoon and Jimmy Barnes, assistant trainer to Bob Baffert, said that the colt traveled so well that he went to the track for a 1 ¼ miles gallop Friday morning and would school in the paddock before the second race later in the afternoon. · Vyjack galloped 1 1/8 miles at Saratoga and trainer Rudy Rodriguez said the Jerome and Gotham Stakes winner remained on schedule to contest the Haskell and would arrive on the grounds on Sunday morning. TAKE CHARGE INDY LOOKS TO BOUNCE BACK IN MONMOUTH CUP Grade 1 winner Take Charge Indy is set to travel a mile and a sixteenth for trainer Patrick Byrne in the $200,000 Monmouth Cup on Sunday. The Grade 2 event, formerly known as the Meadowlands Cup as the first 32 runnings were contested at the Meadowlands in East Rutherford, will take place for the third time at Monmouth since moving to Oceanport in 2010. After an impressive win two back when he crossed the wire six lengths before the field in the Grade 2 Alysheba Stakes, Take Charge Indy was beaten by 20 lengths last out in the Grade 1 Stephen Foster Handicap at Churchill Downs. Byrne, who started his career at Monmouth and won the Molly Pitcher back in 1998 with Relaxing Rhythm, believes that his colt will return to form this Sunday. “I’m looking forward to coming back,” said Byrne, “and hopefully we can get back on track there. I think that you can put a line through his last race. He’s come back to the barn and trained well so hopefully he takes to the Monmouth track and I don’t see why he wouldn’t. ” A 4-year-old son of A.P. Indy out of Take Charge Lady, Take Charge Indy will carry Hall of Fame jockey Gary Stevens in the Monmouth Cup, as regular rider Rosie Napravnik rides Ponzi Scheme for trainer Jorge Navarro. “We’ve got a top jock in Gary Stevens,” Byrne said. “He’s riding very well right now so we’re happy to have him on board.” Take Charge Indy will face tough competition in fellow Grade 1 winner Hymn Book in the Monmouth Cup, which will go as the 9th race on a 14-race Haskell card on Sunday. HASKELL CHALLENGE BOASTS BREEDERS’ CUP TICKETS AS GRAND PRIZE Handicappers will compete for a round-trip flight to California and VIP tickets for the 2013 Breeders’ Cup in this year’s Haskell Handicapping Challenge. Competitors will choose one horse in each of Sunday’s 14 races for their imaginary $2 win, place, and show bet. The contestant with the highest bankroll at the end of the day wins the Grand Prize, while second and third place finishers will win cash prizes of $500 and $200, respectively. Players must register and have their picks in for the free online contest by 11:30 am on race day, July 28. Fans can register at haskellgame.
Posted on: Fri, 26 Jul 2013 17:54:21 +0000
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