By John Spinelli
OCEANPORT – It was a vibrant picnic day Saturday, July 22, when eight horses took to the starting gate to vie for the 2023 $1 million TVG.com Haskell Stakes at Monmouth Park Race track. Geaux Rocket Ride held off Kentucky Derby-winner Mage to take home the prize.
The meet marked the 56th anniversary of the annual summer tradition; since 1968, the Haskell has attracted elite thoroughbreds from across the country and the world.
Bruce Springsteen’s “Born to Run” played on the speakers as the horses walked out of the paddock for the race. For the crowds, it would be an unexpectedly exciting 11/8 miles. As the bells went off, 61-1 longshot Awesome Strong and the even odds favorite Arabian Knight jumped into the lead. But Geaux Rocket Ride and Mage made strides on the outside, catching up to trainer Bob Baffert’s Arabian Knight near the home stretch. Ultimately, the two passed the race favorite and the 12-1 contender Geaux Rocket Ride, ridden by Hall of Fame jockey Mike Smith, won on the inside, followed by Mage and Arabian Knight in third. Smith, at 58 years old, added another crown to his résumé. This was his first Haskell victory since 2020 when he rode Kentucky Derby champion Authentic and his record fourth overall, making him the most successful jockey in Haskell history.
“When Arabian Knight went out to the front I was very happy that the two horse (Awesome Strong) went out there with him,” said Smith in a release from Monmouth Park. “He wasn’t getting away with anything easy and on his own, which I wasn’t going to let happen if someone else didn’t do it.
“But I was glad someone else did the dirty work and I was able to tip out and just relax. I always felt like I had a lot of horse left, but you don’t know. When you get to them, they might, too, so I was just happy.”
Geaux Rocket Ride has a backstory of hard work. Both the winning horse and trainer Richard Mandella traveled to the East Coast from California earlier in the week to bring home the title.
“He was the right horse for the right race at the right time,” said the Southern California-based Mandella, who won the Haskell with Dixie Union in 2000 in his only other appearance in the race. In addition to the million-dollar purse, Geaux Rocket Ride’s victory also scored the team an invite to the Breeder’s Cup this November at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, California.
Two River owners made some notable appearances in some of other 13 races held that day, which made it a fun-filled event for the over 35,000 in attendance, a notable increase from only 22,000 a year ago.
Colts Neck Stables earned a fourth-place finish in the sixth race of the day with Subrogate ridden by Luis Saez and trained by Jorge Duarte Jr. In the Wolf Hill Stakes that same local team placed fifth with the 6-year-old Nothing Better. Following the Haskell, in the 14th race, Ocean Township-based trainer Greg Sacco scored a third-place effort with Just Beat the Odds.
In the Grade 3 Molly Pitcher Stakes, Monmouth Park local jockey Paco Lopez, riding the underdog Shotgun Hottie, won the $500,000 purse by a neck over Chilean horse Le Da Vida. The 4-year-old from Kentucky upset a number of highly rated 3-year-olds.
The Grade 1 United Nations Stakes turf race was founded to honor the international horseracing community and world peace. During the race, 55-1 long-shot So High led easily until the final turn, when five more horses caught up to him. The favorite Catnip, ridden by local jockey Joel Rosario, led for a few seconds but ultimately couldn’t stay with Javier Castellano on Therapist and finished second.
Betting on Haskell Day hit a record $21,359,642.
This year there were some new attractions added for the fans, including a visit from some New Jersey Devils players. The hockey tent had Brick Township native and 1995 Stanley Cup champion Jim Dowd and Canadian right-winger Grant Marshall signing autographs and posing with fans for pictures. Other activities included music from Thunder 106 and 107.1 The Boss, and a concert by rock band The Cliffs.
The article originally appeared in the July 27 – August 2, 2023 print edition of The Two River Times.
