Above, Roman Ruler runs away from Sun King to win the Haskell Invitational at Monmouth Park on Sunday. Below, fans pack the stands prior to the race, while at left, legendary jockey Jerry Bailey is all smiles after guiding Roman Ruler to the win. OCEANPORT — Bob Baffert joined the ranks of Haskell Invitational elite Sunday as Fog City Stable’s Roman Ruler gave the trainer his third victory in the $1 million centerpiece of Monmouth Park’s season.
Roman Ruler, sent off as the 11-10 favorite in the mile-and-an-eighth Haskell, thrilled the crowd of 43,769 as he ran down Sun King to win going away by a length and a quarter. Park Avenue Ball, the local hero, was third, two lengths behind Sun King and one length in front of a late-closing Chekhov.
Palladio, the Canadian invader, was fifth, followed by Papi Chullo and Joey P. in the field of seven 3-year-olds.
Roman Ruler, who tuned up for the Haskell by winning the Dwyer Stakes at Belmont last month with Jerry Bailey aboard for the first time, ran like he was back to the brilliant form that brought him two graded stakes victories as a 2-year-old, before foot problems compromised his effectiveness late last year and into this season.
PHOTOS BY CHRIS KELLY staff The son of Fusaichi Pegasus raced the nine furlongs in 1:49 1/5 with Bailey up, and paid $4.20, $3 and $2.40 across the board. Sun King returned $4 to place and $3 to show, and completed the $16 exacta. Park Avenue Ball paid $2.60 to show.
The race was simplicity itself. Sun King outgunned Joey P. for the lead and held stoutly into the stretch. Roman Ruler tracked the leaders down the backstretch, and then asserted himself in the stretch as he reeled in Sun King in midstretch and drew off with some urging from Bailey.
The colt gave Baffert his third Haskell win, tying him with Hall of Famers Sonny Hine and Warren A. “Jimmy” Croll. The trainer won in 2001 with Point Given, who went on to be named Horse of the Year, and in 2002 with War Emblem, the 3-year-old champion.
“This was my most gratifying Haskell,” Baffert said. “Roman Ruler had to prove he was that kind of horse — could he step up to win a Grade 1? It was his ‘coming out’ party, to show that he could do it. All I told Jerry was that the horse was better today than he was last time. I told him he was ready today. That’s all you tell a jockey like Jerry.”
For his part, Bailey said he had a very pleasant trip.
“Bob led me to believe he’d [the horse] be a little keener today,” the jockey said. “He broke well and I was able to tuck in around the first turn. He took to the track well. I could have waited and been a little farther back, but he was going so well, there was no reason for that. He tugged me up to the leader, and it was pretty simple from there.
“I think he’ll go on from this,” Bailey added. “He seems to me to be very versatile. He’s a better horse now then he was in the Dwyer. He waited a little bit when he got to the lead, the same as he did in the Dwyer. I waited until the 3/16ths pole before I asked him, and I was very confident that I’d reel in Sun King.”
“This horse has natural talent, from the day he was broken, and a great pedigree to go back it up,” Baffert added. “He had foot problems, and it took us the whole winter to get them straightened out, but now he looks right.”
Javier Castellano, who rode Sun King for trainer Nick Zito, said, “I had a perfect trip. He made the lead easily and relaxed on the backside. When I asked him to go, he responded, but Jerry had a lot of horse left.”
Jim Ryerson said he thought Park Avenue Ball ran well despite being shut in on the rail.
“He ran his race, but he was stuck down inside most of the way,” the trainer said. “I think he tensed up a little bit. He ran well, though.”
This was the fourth graded stakes victory and first Grade 1 score for Roman Ruler, who was taken out of training in March so Baffert could care for the colt’s foot problems. Roman Ruler made a triumphant return to the races in the Dwyer on July 4, and put an exclamation point on his comeback in the Haskell.
“I was hoping he would step up today,” Baffert said. “When they turned for home, I said to myself, now we’ll find out what kind of horse he is. He showed it. He has a great kick, a great burst of speed.
“Today was a big test to see if he could go a mile and an eighth the right way. I think he’s gotten back to the place he was last year before his feet started giving him trouble.
“We’ll wait 10 days or so to see how he comes out of this,” the trainer said. “He’ll go up to Saratoga. But we’re going to enjoy him and not do anything stupid with him. There’s no urgency now. The owners let me take my time. Now he’s got the Grade 1 under his belt, and we can think about going for the Breeders’ Cup Classic.”
Just 12 hours after posting his win in the $1 million Haskell Invitational at Monmouth Park on Sunday, Roman Ruler was on a van headed for Saratoga as Baffert weighs his options with his now Grade 1 winning colt.
“He came out of the race just fine,” said Baffert. “He left this morning for Saratoga. I’m not sure what his next race will be — maybe the Travers, maybe something else. I haven’t made up my mind yet.
“The ultimate goal is the Breeders’ Cup Classic and we’ll map out a plan to get there.”
Sunday’s crowd of 43,769 was the fifth highest in Monmouth history and produced on-track betting of $3,699,825. The day’s total handle of $12,129,836 was the third highest in track history.
Track notes … Bailey certainly had a busy day on Sunday, even before riding Roman Ruler to the Haskell win.
Bailey rode First Samurai to win the third race at Saratoga before flying down to Monmouth.
“It took quite some time,” he said. “We were supposed to fly into Monmouth County [Executive Airport in Wall Township], but there was a problem over there, so we wound up flying to Teterboro. From there, I got a helicopter that got me here.”