Whithams are hoping Burnham Square can make amends for 2017 in Saturday’s Grade 1 Haskell Stakes. (EQUI-PHOTO)
By Lynne Snierson/Monmouth Park Publicity Staff
OCEANPORT, N.J. – It’s often said that revenge is a dish best served cold. The connections of Burnham Square have waited eight years to dig in.
When the Whitham Thoroughbreds homebred, who is trained by Ian Wilkes and will be ridden by Brian Hernandez, Jr., contests the $1 million, Grade 1 NYRA Bets Haskell Stakes on Saturday, it will mark the first time they have had a runner in Monmouth Park’s showcase race since 2017.
The Haskell, which headlines a 14-race card that features six stakes races (five graded), is scheduled for a 5:45 post, with NBC televising the Haskell and the Grade 2 United Nations from 5 to 6 p.m.
First race post time is noon.
In the Whitham’s last Haskell try, their homebred McCraken appeared to be well on his way to victory before a fast-closing Girvin got his nose down at the wire to win by the smallest margin in the 57-year history of the race.
“I was standing there a little way down in the stretch and McCraken was looking good when he passed me,” said Clay Whitham, who manages the stable founded by his mother, Janis, and his late father, Frank, in the 1970s. “By the time they got to the finish line I couldn’t tell who won. My response was, ‘Did we win?’ and no one could tell me. No one could tell for a while.
“That was, as any time you get caught and lose by a nose, or maybe by a whisker like that day, it’s always tough. Obviously, this is a different year and these are different horses. But I can tell you when we thought about going to the Haskell there was a little bit of `let’s get some redemption.’ That was definitely in mind. It was part of the reason that we ended up going to the Haskell, and so would Ian.”
“We had that race won and we got nailed at the wire. It was a tough loss. Tough,” said Wilkes, who arrived on the grounds Friday.
Burnham Square is by Liam’s Map out of the Grade 2-winning mare Linda and is a third-generation homebred. The winner of the Grade 1 Blue Grass departs Post 4 in the Haskell field of eight 3-year-olds under Hernandez, who has a long-standing and close relationship with the Whithams and Wilkes.
They stood in the 2012 Breeders’ Cup Classic winner’s circle together with the homebred Fort Larned on the rider’s 27th birthday.
“We’ve won a lot of big races with Brian so we’re very comfortable and excited to have him on the horse,” said Whitham. “There’s a lot on the line for us all, absolutely, with the Grade 1, the purse, and the guaranteed Breeders’ Cup Classic berth (the Haskell is a `Win and You’re In’ for the Breeders’ Cup Classic).
“This is a very prestigious race. To win it would be a big deal. We’re familiar with the history of the Haskell and we think the Haskell is a great race. We’re excited to have a runner in there.”
Early in his career it was doubtful that Burnham Square would ever be in the Haskell field to take on dual Grade 1 winner Journalism, Grade 3 victor Gosger, Goal Oriented, Bracket Buster, Kentucky Outlaw, National Law, and Wildncrazynight.
“If he were a colt, he would not be in this position now,” said Whitham. “When they were breaking him and during his early training, he wasn’t easy. He would not do what his handlers wanted him to do in order to get through the program so the decision was made that he needed to be gelded. He was never mean; he just would not pay attention. He would not do what he was supposed to be doing. That’s what happened and it turned out fine.”
In eight outings Burnham Square has a record of 3-2-1 and a bankroll of $1,057,755. He captured the Grade 3 Holy Bull at Gulfstream before taking the Blue Grass. In the Kentucky Derby he encountered a terrible trip where Hernandez had to check twice but he still fought to finish sixth.
He enters the Haskell fresh from the Grade 3 Matt Winn on June 8 when he was beaten by a nose.
“He had a couple of rough trips the last couple of times, but that’s racing. That’s why you run races,” said Wilkes. “You’ve got to create your own luck.”
“Anybody who has a graded stakes-winning horse is always super excited but he’s special,” Whitham said “He’s been a real positive for us this year. He kind of came out of nowhere. We didn’t have him ranked super high (among our foals) and then he came through and showed us how good he is.”
The Whithams have started one other horse at Monmouth Park. Homebred Izarra didn’t care for the sloppy track in the 2007 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies and finished 10th.
“We are looking to breakthrough at Monmouth,” said Whitham.
Janis, now 93, and Frank Whitham are best remembered as the owners of the great mare Bayakoa. During her Hall of Fame career, she won an astounding 12 Grade 1 races in the U.S.
In 1989 alone she won seven top-level events, including the Breeders’ Cup Distaff, and repeated in the 1990 Distaff for Hall of Fame trainer Ron McAnally.
“Bayakoa. She was something else. She was our first stakes winner and what a way to open it up with a bang,” said Whitham. “Going back to my mom and dad, our breeding program goes all the way back to Bayakoa. There were plenty of opportunities to sell her at the time. I remember my dad listening to a few of those offers and then saying no. He thought that this mare would be a great foundation for a breeding program. We’ve kept these mares and these families, and they’ve really treated us right.”
Now Burnham Square has the chance to make his mark with a second Grade 1 victory.
“I think Burnham Square is coming into the race in prime condition. We feel like we have a shot,” said Whitham. “Journalism has done more and there are some other great horses in there. It looks like a very good field. It’s as good of a field as any of the Triple Crown races, other than the Derby. It’s a great field. We’re very excited to be in this race.”
Wilkes concurred about the quality of the Haskell field.
“There are some very good horses in this race,” said Wilkes. “Everything has been going good since the Matt Winn. Our horse is doing well. has trained good and is in a nice rhythm. He seems like he’s peaking at the right time. We hope to get a good trip.”
