Andy Newton
Every summer, the eyes of the thoroughbred racing world turn to Monmouth Park for the running of the Grade 1 Haskell Stakes.
While modern fans know it as a crucial midsummer showdown for elite three-year-olds and a definitive stepping stone to the Breeders’ Cup Classic.
The race also serves as a living monument to the man who single-handedly resurrected thoroughbred racing in the Garden State: Amory L. Haskell.
Born in 1893 into a prominent New Jersey family-his father was a high-ranking executive at both E.I. du Pont and General Motors-Amory Lawrence Haskell was a quintessential sportsman, master of hounds, and aristocrat.
But his enduring legacy is his role as the savior of Monmouth Park.
After a multi-decade ban on parimutuel wagering had left New Jersey racing dormant, Haskell led a relentless political and social charge in the late 1930s to legalize betting and revive the sport of horse racing in the US.
Amory L. Haskell Died On 1966
When the modern Monmouth Park Jockey Club finally opened its gates in 1946, Haskell was installed as its first president and chairman. A position he held until his death in 1966.
Amory Lawrence Haskell envisioned Monmouth as a resort-style track that could rival the glamour of Saratoga and Del Mar.
To honor his unparalleled impact, Monmouth Park executives created a race in his name just two years after his passing.
With the first running of the Haskell Stakes won by the Morris H.Dixon-trained Balustrade. Winning his share of the $75,000 purse.
The Haskell Stakes History
The race we know today looks vastly different from its inception in 1968.
Originally inaugurated as the Haskell Invitational Handicap, it was initially designed as a race for older horses.
It wasn’t until 1981 that the track flipped the conditions.
In a move that permanently converting it into a 1 1/8-mile event exclusively for three-year-olds to capture the stars coming off the Triple Crown trail.
In 2020, the “Invitational” tag was dropped entirely, cementing its status as the Haskell Stakes.
Over the decades, the race has been won by legendary icons of the turf.
These included Holy Bull (1994), Serena’s Song (1995), Skip Away (1996), Point Given (2001), Rachel Alexandra (2009), and Triple Crown hero American Pharoah (2015).
Where Is Monmouth Park Race Course?
Monmouth Park is one of America’s best-known horse racing venues and is located in Oceanport, New Jersey. Which is around 50 miles south of New York City and close to the Jersey Shore.
Opened in 1870, the historic racetrack has long been a major fixture on the U.S. racing calendar, staging both Thoroughbred racing and some of the country’s biggest summer meetings.
Monmouth Park is best known for hosting the Haskell Stakes, a prestigious Grade 1 contest for three-year-olds that regularly attracts Kentucky Derby, Preakness Stakes and Belmont Stakes contenders, along with many of the sport’s leading trainers and jockeys.
The 2025 Haskell Stakes Renewal
The 2025 running added a highly dramatic chapter to this storied history.
The gritty colt Journalism, trained by Michael McCarthy and ridden by Umberto Rispoli, arrived as the heavy 2-5 favorite after bravely contesting all three legs of the Triple Crown.
After breaking poorly and trailing the field early, Journalism unleashed a furious, wide rally down the center of the Monmouth stretch to run down Gosger and Goal Oriented, securing a thrilling half-length victory in a time of 1:48.15.
The King of the Haskell: Bob Baffert
No individual has dominated Amory Haskell’s namesake race quite like Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert.
Baffert has made the Jersey Shore his personal playground, capturing a record nine victories in the race.
With his most recent Authentic in 2020 (watch below).
His unmatched roster of Haskell champions includes:
- Point Given (2001)
- War Emblem (2002)
- Roman Ruler (2005)
- Lookin At Lucky (2010)
- Coil (2011)
- Paynter (2012)
- Bayern (2014)
- American Pharoah (2015)
- Authentic (2020)
Haskell Stakes Runners 2026 – The Main Players
The 59th renewal of the Haskell Stakes promises a highly competitive tactical battle among the top tier of the current three-year-old division.
The projected pace setup indicates a highly contested lead, with several intriguing contenders aiming for the automated “Win and You’re In” berth to the Breeders’ Cup Classic.
Napoleon Solo: The reigning Preakness Stakes winner enters under new connections following a high-profile post-Triple Crown sale.
Trained by Chad Summers, this tactical presser gets a massive local advantage with Monmouth’s leading jockey, Paco Lopez, booked to ride.
Iron Honor: Representing the powerhouse Chad Brown stable, this sophisticated stalker has been explicitly pointed to this race.
Brown is utilizing a similar blueprint to his previous top-tier middle-distance runners, making Iron Honor a major structural threat if a speed duel materializes up front.
Crude Velocity: The latest weapon from the Bob Baffert arsenal.
Primarily known as a brilliant one-turn specialist, Baffert is stretching this speedster out to two turns for the first time. He projects to flash immense early speed from the gate.
Baby Vino: A dangerous, hard-knocking front-runner trained by Lindsay Schultz.
If left alone on the front end, Baby Vino has the grit to compromise the fractions for the closers, though he faces a severe early pace threat from Crude Velocity.
2026 Haskell Stakes Date, Race Time, Purse, Distance and TV
The ultimate midsummer party on the Jersey Shore is locked into its traditional July slot, anchoring a massive card that features five total graded stakes races.
- Date: Saturday, July 18, 2026
- Track: Monmouth Park (Oceanport, New Jersey)
- Post Time: Approximately 5:45 PM ET (First race of the day starts at 12:00 PM ET)
- Purse: $1,000,000
- Grade:Grade 1
- Distance: 1 1/8 miles (9 furlongs) on the main dirt track
- Television Broadcast: National TV coverage via NBC / Peacock and NYRA Bets
