Monmouth Park will hike the purse for this year's Haskell Invitational by an additional $500,000 if Preakness and Belmont Stakes winner Point Given runs in the Aug. 5 race at the New Jersey track.
In addition to Point Given, the 21 invitees to the race for 3-year-olds includes Preakness and Belmont runner-up A. P. Valentine; Kentucky Derby runner-up Invisible Ink; and Congaree, recent winner of the Swaps who finished third in the Derby and Preakness.
For the past four years, the Haskell purse has been $1-million. "We will add an extra $500,000 to the purse if a winner of one of the Triple Crown races participates," said Bob Kulina, vice president of racing at Monmouth Park. "Point Given won two legs of the Triple Crown and if he runs, the purse will be $1.5 million."
Monarchos, winner of the Kentucky Derby and the only other horse who would fit Monmouth's criteria for boosting the race purse, was not invited to the Haskell because he is out of training until later this year due to an injury.
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The Thoroughbred Corp.'s Point Given, winner of two jewels of the Triple Crown this year, has been assigned highweight of 124 pounds for Monmouth Park's Haskell Invitational (gr. I) to be run Aug. 5.
If Point Given goes in the 1 1/8-mile Haskell, the value of the race will jump $500,000 to $1,500,000, according to Monmouth vice president of racing Bob Kulina.
Monmouth racing secretary Sean Greely assigned Point Given one pound more than Stonerside Stable's Congaree, who is also trained by Bob Baffert. Point Given won the Preakness Stakes (gr. I) with Congaree finishing third, then romped in the Belmont Stakes (gr. I). Congaree, who was also third in the Kentucky Derby (gr. I), won the Swaps Stakes (gr. I) at Hollywood Park last Sunday.
Ol Memorial Stable's A.P. Valentine, seventh in the Kentucky Derby, then second to Point Given in both the Preakness and Belmont, was assigned 121 pounds. Godolphin Racing's E Dubai, who won the Dwyer Stakes (gr. II) at Belmont on July 8 after missing the classics, was assigned 120.
Harold Queen's Burning Roma, who won the Long Branch Breeders' Cup Stakes at Monmouth last week, and John Oxley's Hero's Tribute, winner of the Peter Pan Stakes (gr. II at Belmont in May, were given 119.
The list of weights follows:
Horse Wt.
Point Given 124
Congaree 123
A.P. Valentine 121
E Dubai 120
Burning Roma 119
Hero's Tribute 119
Balto Star 117
Dollar Bill 117
Songandaprayer 116
Win City 116
Windsor Castle 116
First Spear 115
Invisible Ink 115
Thunder Blitz 115
Touch Tone 115
Until Sundown 115
Bayou the Moon 114
Buckle Down Ben 114
Dream Launcher 114
Meetyouathebrig 114
Outofthebox 114
This Fleet Is Due 114
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by Blood-Horse Staff
Point Given, winner of the Preakness (gr. I) and Belmont Stakes (gr. I) earlier this year, continued his quest toward the Aug. 5 Haskell Invitational Handicap (gr. I) with a six-furlong drill Wednesday morning at Del Mar.
Clockers caught the son of Thunder Gulch in 1:11 3/5 as he worked in company with El Corredor, a grade I-winning stablemate. Trainer Bob Baffert, caught Point Given working seven furlongs in 1:24 3/5 and galloping out a mile in 1:39.
"I wanted to get a good, stiff work into him," Baffert said after the move. "It just what he needed."
Baffert said The Thoroughbred Corp. homebred will have one more work before shipping to New Jersey for the Haskell next Thursday (Aug. 2).
The work wasn't without incident. A third horse, from another barn, broke off during the work and at the three-eighths pole, Baffert's horses had to split the horse, with El Corredor going inside and Point Given going wide on the far turn.
Point Given has been given the 124-highweight assignment for next Sunday's 1 1/8-mile Haskell. Monmouth Park management has also added $500,000 to the already $1-million purse if the dual-classic winner starts.
According to Monmouth Park officials, three additional horses have been invited for the Haskell. Added to the list were First Spear, trained by Todd Pletcher; Indygo Shiner, trained by Elliott Walden, and Scorpion, from the D. Wayne Lukas stable.
First Spear, who won the Lamplighter Stakes on turf at Monmouth in his last start, was assigned 115 pounds for the Haskell. Indygo Shiner, second in the Arlington Classic last out, was given 115; and Scorpion, an allowance winner at Belmont most recently, drew 114.
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by The Associated Press
Bob Baffert-trained Point Given, winner of the last two legs of this year's Triple Crown, will likely face five or six rivals in the Aug. 5 Haskell Invitational (gr. I) at Monmouth Park. With Point Given's participation, the purse for the 1 1/8-mile race will be $1.5 million, with $900,000 going to the winner.
Point Given, who won the Preakness (gr. I) and Belmont (gr. I) Stakes, is expected to arrive at Monmouth Park on Thursday. Gary Stevens will be the rider.
Burning Roma, winner of the Long Branch Breeder's Cup Stakes, and Hero's Tribute are expected among the entrants.
Track officials list four other probables: Indygo Shiner, First Spear, Touch Tone and the D. Wayne Lukas-trained Scorpion. Pat Day is listed as rider for Indygo Shiner.
Win City, winner of the Prince of Wales, second leg of the Canadian Triple Crown, is a possibility.
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by Steve Haskin
Belmont and Preakness winner Point Given breezed a sharp five furlongs in :58 4/5 at Del Mar Tuesday morning in preparation for Sunday's Haskell Invitational Handicap at Monmouth Park.
This was the third straight big work turned in by the son of Thunder Gulch, who has not started since his 12 1/4-length romp in the Belmont Stakes.
"He went great," trainer Bob Baffert said. "He looked super. He's ready to go. He'll ship Thursday and I'll get in Saturday night."
Point Given is scheduled to board a Federal Express flight Thursday morning to Newark Airport, after which he'll van down to Monmouth. With the presence of Point Given, the purse of the Haskell will be increased to $1.5 million, with $900,000 to the winner.
Others pointing for the Haskell are Jamaican Rum, Hero's Tribute, Burning Roma, Touch Tone, Scorpion, Indygo Shiner, and First Spear.
Although he is not overly optimistic about the chances of Jamaican Rum beating likely favorite Point Given, trainer Jim Cassidy said he expects a good effort from his horse.
"If we get a good trip, I am looking for good things to happen," Cassidy said. "Point Given only beat him a neck in the Derby and we both had trouble. But if Point Given runs his best and we run our best, we don't have a shot. I don't think anyone can beat Point Given on his best day."
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Classic winner Point Given, the favorite for Sunday's Haskell Invitational (gr. I), arrived at Monmouth Park's Barn 15 at about 5:30 p.m. Thursday after being vanned from Newark Airport.
Larry Damore, trainer Bob Baffert's assistant who rides Point Given in morning gallops, said the colt did not have any problems on the flight from his California base.
Baffert is winless in his three attempts at the Haskell, although those horses each hit the board. Baffert was second in the 1997 Haskell with Anet, third with Forestry in 1999, and Captain Steve finished second last year.
Post-positions for the Haskell will be drawn at noon Friday.
Jamaican Rum, who arrived at Monmouth Tuesday, galloped 1 1/2 miles this morning. Jorge Alvarez, assistant to trainer Jim Cassidy, said the trainer is due in tomorrow and could breeze Jamaican Rum Friday. Corey Nakatani will have the mount on Jamaican Rum for the Haskell, replacing Eddie Delahoussaye.
John Oxley's Hero's Tribute galloped at Saratoga Thursday morning. He will be vanned to Monmouth today, with assistant trainer Yvonne Azeff. Trainer John Ward will arrive Saturday night along with the Oxleys.
Stonerside Stables This Fleet Is Due, who had his final breeze at Saratoga on Tuesday, galloped this morning. He will be vanned to Monmouth Saturday morning, and trainer Bill Mott will be on hand to saddle him for the Haskell.
Peachtree Stable's First Spear, stabled in trainer Todd Pletcher's barn at Monmouth, galloped 1 1/8 miles this morning. His connections will not make final decision on his starting status until entry time Friday.
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Favorite Point Given drew the outside post for the $1.5 million Haskell Invitational (gr. I) on Sunday. The Preakness (gr. I) and Belmont Stakes (gr. I) winner faces five other challengers including Hero's Tribute, Burning Roma, Touch Tone, This Fleet is Due, and Jamaican Rum.
Trainer Bob Baffert said the Triple Crown didn't take as much of a toll on Point Given as it did in his other contenders Silver Charm and Real Quiet, and he's fit and ready for Sunday.
"Physically he is still the Big Red Train," Baffert said. "Mentally, I think he has mellowed out a little bit. I was sort of worried about his quietness, so I schooled him a little bit at Del Mar. We took him into the paddock, and he looked awesome. When we got back to the barn, he was a maniac. He wanted to do something."
Jockey Gary Stevens said his strategy will be allowing Point Given to place himself where he is comfortable.
"I'll just be patient and let him do his thing the last three-eighths of a mile," Stevens said.
John Ward, trainer of second choice Hero's Tribute, said he has been pointing toward the Haskell for some time because he felt Monmouth Park's speed bias would work in his favor.
"It is a good spot to see what he is made of," Ward said.
The a tape-delay telecast of the Haskell Invitational will be aired on ESPN2 from 6-7 p.m.
Post positions and morning lines for the field are as follows:
1 Hero's Tribute, Jorge Charvez , 4-1
2 Burning Roma, Rick Wilson, 5-1
3 Touch Tone, Robbie Albarado, 6-1
4 This Fleet Is Due, Pat Day, 10-1
5 Jamaican Rum, Corey Nakatani, 15-1
6 Point Given, Gary Stevens, 3-5
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By RYAN GOLDBERG
OCEANPORT, N.J. - If there is any omen that Point Given will display his finest to the expected crowd of 50,000 here Sunday in the Grade 1, $1.5 million Haskell Invitational, look no further than the race draw.
Point Given, for the fourth straight race that included starts in each leg of the Triple Crown, drew the outside post in the field of six for Monmouth's premier event. The country's top 3-year-old, Point Given comes into the 1 1/8-mile race with the pressure of retaining his top billing before possibly the biggest crowd in Monmouth Park history. The current record of 43,591 was set in 1962.
Point Given, the Preakness and Belmont Stakes winner, has not raced since winning the Belmont June 9, but the large chestnut colt will surely be on top of his game come Sunday.
The Haskell is carded as the 11th race and probable post time is set for 5:42 p.m.
"Physically, he is still the Big Red Train," said trainer Bob Baffert. "Mentally, he has mellowed out a little bit. He seems to be a very happy horse."
The Haskell, whose purse was bolstered by a $500,000 supplement to lure Point Given, should include a lively pace that Point Given will benefit from sitting behind. Touch Tone, Hero's Tribute, and Burning Roma should all be close to the pace, and Gary Stevens is sure to guide Point Given wide, preparing to pounce on the front-runners near the final turn. According to Stevens, who has been aboard since the Breeders' Cup Juvenile last year, he will let his mount tell him where he wants to run.
"We couldn't have picked a better post," said Stevens. "I will ride him with a lot of confidence. I'll be very patient and let him run his race."
Point Given, owned by the Thoroughbred Corporation, has finished first or second in all but one career start - the Kentucky Derby. That day, he may have been too close to a rapid pace, and finished fifth. If blowout victories in the Preakness and Belmont have not erased that memory, a win in the Haskell surely will. If Point Given is at his best, the rest of the field will be running for second.
"If you see him dragging Gary along at the three-eighths pole, it's all over," said Baffert.
In the Haskell, Point Given will be equipped with a bar shoe for the first time. Baffert stated that it is a rather small bar shoe that will protect an abscess that the colt popped a few weeks ago.
The Haskell is Burning Roma's race to prove he belongs in the top tier of the division. He sat out the Triple Crown trail this year, instead dominating lesser competition in ungraded stakes, winning five out of six starts. Trained by Tony Dutrow, he captured the Haskell prep, the Long Branch, here three weeks ago versus his toughest competition this year. Two starts back, he recorded a Beyer Speed Figure of 114 in the Leonard Richards, equaling Point Given's career-best speed figure in the Belmont Stakes.
John Ward campaigned Monarchos to his upset victory over Point Given in the Kentucky Derby. Ward sends out his stablemate Hero's Tribute to pull off another upset in the Haskell. Hero's Tribute, since the addition of blinkers, has won the Grade 2 Peter Pan and finished third in the Grade 2 Dwyer, his most recent start.
The mystery horse in the field is the Ronny Werner-trained Touch Tone. Touch Tone is lightly raced, having only four career starts, but in that time, he has displayed a tremendous amount of talent. The Haskell will be his biggest race to date, but he is coming off a career-best victory in the Iowa Derby, his first start around two turns. Two horses who should benefit from the expected quick pace are Jamaican Rum, third in the Swaps behind Congaree, and This Fleet Is Due, second in the Long Branch in his first stakes appearance.
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by Ed Schuyler Jr.
A record Monmouth Park crowd got what it came to see -- a victory by Point Given. But it was close.
The strapping chestnut colt, winner of the Preakness (gr. I) and Belmont Stakes (gr. I), was given a run for his money by Touch Tone and Burning Roma on Sunday at the shore.
In fact, the victory by the 1-5 favorite was not certain until he hit the wire. His winning margin was a half-length over Touch Tone, with Burning Roma another nose back in a field of six 3-year-olds.
Point Given took the lead from Touch Tone inside the sixteenth pole.
"He won it on a pure class," trainer Bob Baffert said.
Ridden by Gary Stevens, Point Given racing for first time since the Belmont Stakes on June 9, raced the 1 1/8 miles under high weight of 124 pounds in 1:49.77 to earn $900,000 from a $1.5 million purse and boost his career bankroll to more than $3 million. The purse was increased by $500,000 to lure Point Given east from California.
Point Given paid $2.70, $2.40, and $2.10 to his backers in a crowd of more than 46,000. Touch Tone returned $5.60 and $2.10. Burning Roma paid $2.10. The winning exacta combination paid $14.
Of a show pool of $458,627, $401,348 was bet on Point Given. He had $305,018 bet on him to win.
Completing the order of finish were This Fleet is Due, Hero's Tribute, and Jamaican Rum.
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By RYAN GOLDBERG
OCEANPORT, N.J. - A track record crowd of 47,127 witnessed one of the most exciting runnings of the Haskell in history, as Point Given overcame Touch Tone and Burning Roma to win the Grade 1 $1.5 million Haskell Invitational on Sunday at Monmouth Park.
Point Given, sent off as the .30-1 favorite, came under the whip turning for home, but in the stretch, he moved three-wide with Burning Roma to the inside and Touch Tone on the rail. Point Given lugged in slightly under right-hand whipping, but took the lead near the shadow of the wire with sheer will. Point Given finished one-half length ahead of Touch Tone, who won a head bob with Burning Roma for the place spot. Point Given, the Preakness and Belmont Stakes winner, covered the 1 1/8 mile distance in 1:49.77.
After Burning Roma, the order of finish was This Fleet Is Due, Jamaican Rum and Hero's Tribute.
"I had to rush him to get here," said Bob Baffert, who trains Point Given for the Thoroughbred Corporation. "I wanted to come to the Haskell if we could make it. The $1.5 million purse was attractive. We missed a work, and I thought we might not make it, but we kept training him. He was not as tight and ready today as I would have liked. It was a very gutsy performance by a great horse."
Point Given, who wore a bar shoe for the first time, was reluctant to load into the gate at the start. After the break, Point Given, who broke from the outside post, broke into the fifth spot, while Hero's Tribute and Touch Tone went for the lead. Hero's Tribute, breaking from the first post under Jorge Chavez, went to the lead, but was soon overtaken by Touch Tone around the clubhouse turn. Touch Tone, with Robby Albarado aboard, went through fractions of 22.63, 46.84 and 1:11.29 on the lead, as Hero's Tribute raced nearly two lengths off the leader.
Midway down the backstretch, Gary Stevens moved Point Given three-wide right up to the two frontrunners. Burning Roma stayed within one-half length of Point Given, as This Fleet is Due and Jamaican Rum sat at the back of the pack.
Turning for home, Point Given, who seemed primed to run away with the race, came under the whip while Touch Tone began to get away from the rest of the field. Burning Roma moved three-wide inside of Point Given, and Hero's Tribute dropped back around the turn. When Point Given put in his rally on the outside, he outlasted Touch Tone, who hung on gamely on the inside, and Burning Roma who was right there for second.
Baffert first stated that he believed Stevens may have moved Point Given too soon down the backstretch, but after watching the replay, he stated that the jockey rode the race correctly.
"After watching the replay, I felt a lot better about the way Gary rode," he said. "He did the right thing, and had to move when he did."
"At the 1/8 pole, I wasn't sure we had it," said Stevens. "It was a real tough, hard fought race, and you never know what's going to happen, regardless of what the tote board says."
Point Given paid $2.60 to win and capped a $14 exacta. He improved to 8-3-0 in 12 career starts. Touch Tone, trained by Ronny Werner, was making only his fifth career start, and second around two turns. He was sent off as the longest shot on the board at 13-1.
"What a race he ran," said Albarado. "He's a talented horse, and Ronny decided to take a shot. It all worked out well. I'm very pleased with his race."
Burning Roma, trained by Tony Dutrow, was making his biggest start of the year, and was right there in the stretch, losing the second-place head bob.
"I was very happy with the effort he gave," said Dutrow. "We had a perfect trip. We just lost."
Jamaican Rum, who finished fifth, was pulled up after the wire. Attending physician Dr. Scott Palmer stated that the horse had lameness in the left foreleg, but the injury should not be life threatening.
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By JAY PRIVMAN
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - Point Given was scheduled to head back to California on Tuesday, two days after his victory in the $1.5 million Haskell Invitational at Monmouth Park further secured his lock on the 3-year-old colt championship and increased his chances of being named Horse of the Year.
His victory restored order to a division that was thrown a curve when Congaree, Point Given's stablemate, finished third as the prohibitive favorite at Saratoga in Saturday's Jim Dandy Stakes. He suffered a season-ending knee injury.
Although trainer Bob Baffert has yet to rule out Saratoga's Aug. 25 Travers Stakes for Point Given's next start, he was not leaning toward the Travers before this past weekend, and was eager on Monday to get the colt back to Del Mar and away from the searing heat here. "We'll get back out there and see what he looks like," Baffert said at Saratoga. The year-end goal for Point Given remains the Breeders' Cup Classic, highlight of the World Thoroughbred Championships on Oct. 27 at Belmont Park.
More certain to run in the Travers are A P Valentine, Dollar Bill, E Dubai, This Fleet Is Due, Volponi, and Scorpion, the upset winner of the Jim Dandy. Free of Love, who was second in the Jim Dandy, likely will go to the Pennsylvania Derby, according to trainer Richard Violette. Neither Touch Tone nor Burning Roma, who were second and third in the Haskell, are expected for the Travers.
Over the next few weeks, Baffert has some patching up to do. Point Given was wearing a bar shoe on his troublesome left hind foot, and though Baffert said on Monday that the shoe was merely "protective," it was the first time Point Given has worn a bar shoe in a race.
"It's a real light bar," Baffert said. "We had to cut a whole quarter out after the Belmont. He popped an abscess that must have been in there awhile."
Baffert also needs to mend his relationship with jockey Gary Stevens, who hurled a fusillade of epithets at Baffert following the Haskell. Although they had just won the richest race run in North America this year, Stevens was angry about a prerace incident that Stevens apparently took as an insult.
Point Given has a habit of lugging in at the top of the stretch. He did it when he won the Preakness Stakes, so in the Belmont, Stevens made sure he had the whip in his left hand when he came off the turn, and that helped keep Point Given straight and true.
On Sunday, Baffert forgot to remind Stevens in the paddock to have the whip in his left hand when he turned into the stretch. So, after the horses left the paddock, Baffert phoned Monmouth's stewards and asked if they would relay the message via the outrider.
In what must be considered a remarkable and egregious precedent, the stewards acquiesced to Baffert's wishes. Yet by the time the message passed from Baffert to the stewards to the outrider and then to Stevens, the message had become, "Make sure you have the whip in your left hand leaving the gate."
When Stevens returned to the winner's circle following the race, Baffert asked Stevens, "Did you get my message?"
Stevens exploded. "Don't you ever do that again," is the G-rated version of his reply. Stevens left in a hurry after removing the saddle from Point Given, and was still steaming 20 minutes after the race, while waiting for his car outside the Monmouth Park valet parking area.
Stevens also was aboard Congaree, who injured his left knee in the Jim Dandy. Congaree effortlessly cruised up to the leaders entering the final turn, but was dull the final quarter-mile. He was lame at the barn after the race, and his knee had swelling, but no fracture turned up on X-rays. Congaree had a small chip removed from that knee nearly one year ago.
"He wrenched his knee. We're going to give him some time," said John Adger, the racing manager for Robert and Janice McNair's Stonerside Stable, which bred and owns Congaree. "He's out for the year. Thank God nothing's broken." Adger said Congaree would go to Stonerside's Paris, Ky., farm on Friday. He said Congaree, a son of Arazi, likely will try turf next year.
Stonerside still will be represented in the Travers by the Bill Mott-trained This Fleet Is Due, who closed fastest of all in the Haskell to finish fourth. Pat Day will remain with This Fleet Is Due. Trainer Nick Zito had been considering Day or John Velazquez to replace Victor Espinoza on A P Valentine, and said on Monday that Velazquez would have the mount.
Scorpion likely will need a new rider for the Travers, since Jerry Bailey, who is 4 for 5 on Scorpion, is expected to ride E Dubai. But D. Wayne Lukas, the trainer of Scorpion, is too resilient to care. On Friday morning, the day after Padua Stables removed most of its 2-year-olds from Lukas's care, Lukas was remarking about the chances of Scorpion in next day's Jim Dandy, saying, "I've made my living not running where I'm supposed to."
"If Jerry elects to ride someone else, there'll be some top riders available," he said Sunday.
Scorpion appears to have recovered from the serious injury to his left front hoof that he suffered in the Santa Anita Derby. "Nickel and dime stuff have kept him from getting where he should be," Lukas said.
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