By John Spinelli
OCEANPORT – A break in the humidity left many feeling like Saturday was a perfect summer day. For trainer Danny Gargan, it was the perfect day, as jockey Luis Saez rode Belmont Stakes-winner Dornoch to victory in the $1,000,000 NYRA Bets Haskell Stakes. With a talented field of horses, this year’s Haskell Stakes lived up to the pre-race excitement.
The final contest in a day packed with racing came down to the wire, as Dornoch edged Todd Pletcher’s 4-5 favorite Mindframe to win the trophy. This was Dornoch’s second win in a row following a disappointing performance in the Kentucky Derby.
Dornoch is owned by a co-op that includes former Philadelphia Phillies 2008 World Series Champion Jason Werth.
“He’s awesome,” Werth said about the horse. “He’s a cool dude. We love this guy. He’s like a family member.”
Dornoch came out of the gate quickly and Saez picked his spot inside on the rail. Although leading most of the race, he was challenged by Timberlake and the rest of the field at the 3/4th mile. In the last furlong, Mindframe, ridden by Irad Ortiz Jr., pulled up from the outside, making it a two-horse race. However, Dornoch had enough energy to hold his position and race his way into an automatic berth in the Breeders Cup Classic at Del Mar, California, Nov. 2; the Haskell is a “win-and-you’re-in” race for the Breeders Cup. But before that, Dornoch will look for a third straight high-profile victory when he heads to Saratoga for the Travers Stakes.
“If he can win the Travers, he can be the 3-year-old champion. That would mean the world to me,” said Gargan the day after the Haskell win. “It would mean the world for the horse because I believe in him that much. Luis (Saez) believes in him that much. This has been Luis’ favorite horse since the first time he rode him as a 2-year-old.”
Although he didn’t finish in the top three, hometown horse Sea Streak performed admirably, finishing fifth in the seven-horse field. Sea Streak was foaled at Holly Crest Farms in the Navesink section of Middletown.
The first race of the day was a maiden claiming. Different Flame, trained by Kathleen O’Connell, currently the leading female trainer in the United States, won the event.
In the fourth race, Alpha’s Company, another hometown horse out of Colts Neck’s Colonial Farms, ridden by Melissa Iorio and trained by Rory Huston, pulled off the upset. The horse paid $20.40 on a $2 bet.
In the Wolf Hill Stakes, Colts Neck Stables’ Nothing Better, trained by Jorge Duarte Jr. and ridden by Jorge Ruiz, brought home the trophy.
Over the years, the Haskell has become a fan favorite, even for those not as interested in horse racing. Monmouth Park provides a full day of happenings for attendees, including family activities like face painting and pony rides in the picnic area and live music.
Oceanport residents and friends Robert Newland and Rosario Miano said they enjoyed the camaraderie this year.
“This was actually my second time coming to the Haskell,” Miano said. “I’ve lived here only for eight years, but I’m hoping to make it every summer. It’s nice seeing so many neighbors here. I wouldn’t mind skipping a day at the beach for this one day of the year.”
Oceanport Mayor Thomas Tvrdik said he had some luck on Haskell Day, picking Cecile to win in the seventh race. Tvrdik said he liked the horse because Cecile is his daughter’s name.
According to Monmouth Park, this year’s attendance was 38,976, the largest Haskell crowd since American Pharoah’s stop in Oceanport brought a record-breaking 60,983 to see the 2015 Triple Crown winner. The handle for the day set a record for a non-Breeders Cup program of $21.7 million, nearly half a million more than last year.
The article originally appeared in the July 25 – July 31, 2024 print edition of The Two River Times.
