By doug mckenzie
Staff Writer
The eyes of the horse racing world will be focused on Monmouth Park in Oceanport this weekend, as the $1 million Haskell Invitational Handicap returns to the famed track.
The 35th renewal of the race, which is named for the first president and chairman of the Monmouth Park Jockey Club, Amory Lawrence Haskell, is the richest invitational event held in North America.
With a slew of quality horses already scheduled to compete on Sunday, the Haskell earned even more headlines last weekend when trainer Bob Baffert told Monmouth Park officials that War Emblem, winner of the Kentucky Derby and Preakness, is a definite starter in the race.
"I just received the final go-ahead from the royal family," Baffert said, referring to the Saudi Arabia family of Prince Ahmed Salman, who died suddenly last week. "War Emblem will be shipped to Monmouth Park (today)."
The status of War Emblem, who was given highweight of 124 pounds for the Haskell, was up in the air after the sudden death of Prince Salman, owner of the horse, on July 21. In the days following his death, Baffert said that War Emblem would not compete in the Haskell. However, once the family of Prince Ahmed gave their consent to run the horse, Baffert entered the horse into the line-up.
Baffert and the Thoroughbred Corp. are seeking a repeat Haskell victory after winning the Grade 1 event last year with Point Given.
While War Emblem will enter the race as the prohibitive favorite, several other quality horses are considered strong candidates to cross the line first, including Ohio Derby winner and Preakness runner-up Magic Weisner (trained by Nancy Alberts), Long Branch Breeders’ Cup Stakes winner Puck (trained by William P. White), Alyday Stakes winner and Swaps runner-up Like A Hero (trained by C. Beau Greely) and Easyfromthegitgo (trained by Steven Asmussen).
In addition, a pair of horses were added to the line-up on Sunday. Shah Jehan and Island Skipper are headed to the Haskell, accepting late invitations for the mile and an eighth race.
In 11 career starts, Island Skipper has three wins and three thirds, while Shah Jehan (trained by D. Wayne Lukas), has a lifetime mark of 2-4-0 in 12 starts, and ran fourth in an allowance race at Saratoga on Saturday. Both Island Skipper and Shah Jehan will tote 114 pounds for the Grade 1 Haskell.
Over the years, the Haskell has gained in popularity, boasting record-breaking crowds almost every year.
Last year’s race attracted a crowd of 47,127 people, all wanting to get a look at the nation’s top three-year-old thoroughbred, Point Given.
And the Baffert-trained horse did not disappoint, winning the race by a half-length after going out as an overwhelming 1-5 favorite.
The previous year, a crowd of 41,630 saw Dixie Union top Captain Steve by three-quarters of a length.
Each year, racing fans pack Monmouth Park for what has become a festive event, all in the name of Amory Haskell.
Haskell made his impact on the world of horse racing shortly after World War II, when his lobbying for an amendment to the New Jersey State Constitution helped lead to the approval of a referendum legalizing pari-mutuel wagering for thoroughbred and standardbred racing.
Haskell then organized a group of prominent New Jersey residents to build a modern thoroughbred racetrack in Monmouth County.
Appointed president and chairman of Monmouth Park Jockey Club in 1945, he guided the organization through its opening in 1946 and continued at the helm until his death on April 12, 1966.
In 1968, the Monmouth Park Directors honored his memory with the Amory L. Haskell Handicap, a race for older horses. In 1981, the Haskell name was transferred to a mile and an eighth invitational for the nation’s top three-year-olds.
As a tribute to the man honored by this race, Amory L. Haskell’s daughters, Hope Haskell-Jones and Anne Haskell-Ellis, present the Haskell trophy each year.