Haskell prep: $150,000 Long Branch stakes

[The_Knight_Sky]

Handicapping a field of six for this group is akin to being sent to AAA ball.

Score is definitely kept. You will find yourself on the official leaderboard
if you post your plays in the official thread here.

Good luck to all players swinging for the fences.

[Dahoss9698]

Seems counterproductive to run this race 3 weeks after the Pegasus and on the same weekend as the Barbaro. Half of the field is cross entered in the Barbaro.
Also, where are all of the 3 year olds?

[Robert Goren]

[QUOTE=Dahoss9698]Seems counterproductive to run this race 3 weeks after the Pegasus and on the same weekend as the Barbaro. Half of the field is cross entered in the Barbaro.
Also, where are all of the 3 year olds?[/QUOTE]Sent to stud because of injury.

[Rutgers]

Originally Posted by Dahoss9698

Seems counterproductive to run this race 3 weeks after the Pegasus and on the same weekend as the Barbaro. Half of the field is cross entered in the Barbaro.
Also, where are all of the 3 year olds?

Doesn't the winner also get an automatic invite to the Haskell?

[The_Knight_Sky]

Originally Posted by Rutgers

Doesn't the winner also get an automatic invite to the Haskell?

Trappe Shot rides wins streak into first stakes
By Mike Farrell

OCEANPORT, N.J. - Trappe Shot tops a field of six for the $175,000 Long Branch Stakes for 3-year-olds on Saturday at Monmouth Park.

The Long Branch offers berths in the biggest race of the meet as the first two finishers are traditionally extended invitations to the $1 million Haskell on Aug. 1.

Trappe Shot, an impressive allowance winner on the Belmont Stakes undercard, figures to be favored in his stakes debut, following three straight dominant wins.

Like Trappe Shot, Southern Ridge also will be making his stakes debut. The Southern Image colt trained by John Forbes has run only twice, posting his maiden win most recently June 5.

http://www.drf.com/news/article/114545.html

I was hoping for Laus Deo to be entered in this one. Instead he's staying at Delaware. That doesn't instill much confidence for his future plans.

[Dahoss9698]

Originally Posted by The_Knight_Sky

I was hoping for Laus Deo to be entered in this one. Instead he's staying at Delaware. That doesn't instill much confidence for his future plans.

He's stabled at Delaware. The race at Monmouth is only worth an extra 50k. What exactly is the incentive to ship and how does it impact the confidence level on his future plans?

[Cardus]

Originally Posted by Dahoss9698

He's stabled at Delaware. The race at Monmouth is only worth an extra 50k. What exactly is the incentive to ship and how does it impact the confidence level on his future plans?

It's self evident: its Monmouth, and what else matters?

[Rutgers]

Originally Posted by Dahoss9698

He's stabled at Delaware. The race at Monmouth is only worth an extra 50k. What exactly is the incentive to ship and how does it impact the confidence level on his future plans?

It could be argued that the invite to a $1 million race for winning or placing has some value. Of course, if you do not feel your horse can be competative in the Haskell, it has less value to you.

[Dahoss9698]

Originally Posted by Rutgers

It could be argued that the invite to a $1 million race for winning or placing has some value. Of course, if you do not feel your horse can be competative in the Haskell, it has less value to you.

Don't you think winning the Barbaro would earn him an invite also? Or, it's possible the Haskell isn't even on their radar.

[Rutgers]

Originally Posted by Dahoss9698

Don't you think winning the Barbaro would earn him an invite also? Or, it's possible the Haskell isn't even on their radar.

It might, but will running second there get him an invite? again it might.

Win or place in the Long Branch you'll defintely get an invite.

Since they are not running in the Long Branch, I would say it is highly possible they aren't interested in the Haskell.

But the point of my post, was that if the connections were thinking Haskell, the Long Branch offers more than just the purse. But if they were not, the invite offers no additional value to them.

[alhattab]

Originally Posted by Dahoss9698

Seems counterproductive to run this race 3 weeks after the Pegasus and on the same weekend as the Barbaro. Half of the field is cross entered in the Barbaro.
Also, where are all of the 3 year olds?

Agree. This made no sense when they released the stakes schedule, and it makes less sense now.

Next year I move the LB to Belmont Day and make it worth $100k or so, add the Pegasus @$200k to a big card that also features the Salvator Mile and UN (or to the next day to couple up with the Jersey Shore), then the Haskell. 4 weeks between each of the 3YO route races.

[the little guy]

Laus Deo is, conservatively, 100:1 to win the Haskell.

[The_Knight_Sky]

The results are now official
More free action this weekend here: here.