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Mindframe turns heads on debut March 30 at Gulfstream Park (Coglianese)
Lynne Snierson/Monmouth Park
OCEANPORT, N.J.— Mindframe, the Belmont Stakes runner-up by only a half-length in his last effort, will attempt to give trainer Todd Pletcher his fourth victory in the $1 million, Grade 1 NYRA Bets Haskell Stakes on Saturday at Monmouth Park.
Owned by the partnership of Repole Stable (Mike Repole) and St. Elias Stable (Vinnie Viola), Mindframe has been installed as the 9-5 morning line favorite and is one of three top class 3-year-olds entered in the field of eight by the Hall of Fame trainer on Wednesday.
The Haskell is a “Win and You’re In” designated race for the $7 million Breeders’ Cup Classic on Nov. 2 at Del Mar.
Repole Stable’s Fierceness, the 5-2 co-choice second favorite with Belmont winner Dornoch, and 9-2 early pick Tuscan Sky are the other two from the Pletcher barn.
Nevertheless, all three Pletcher trainees may not make it into the Haskell starting gate. The ownership interests of Fierceness and Mindframe presented a dilemma at entry time.
“We’ve been preparing as though Fierceness is going to run in the Haskell,” said Pletcher, who has the Florida Derby winner also under consideration for the Grade 2 Jim Dandy at Saratoga Race Course one week later. “With common ownership and Mike Repole owning 100 per cent of Fierceness and 50 percent of Mindframe, I suppose that’s going to play into the equation.
“Mike’s going to have to look at it and decide and decide if he wants to run them against each other or split them up. We’ve been preparing with both options in mind.”
The final plan may not be determined with any immediacy.
“The idea at this time is to buy as much time as possible to make that decision,” said Pletcher, whose previous Haskell winners include Verrazano (2013), Any Given Saturday (2007) and Blue Grass Cat (2006).
Either way, Pletcher is convinced that Fierceness, who in his last outing endured a troubled trip and finished 15th in the Kentucky Derby on May 4, is ready to redeem himself.
“He’s been breezing really, really well. Right after the Derby the first thought was that we were going to take a look at the Belmont but it seemed like it took him a couple of weeks to get over the Derby and get back to himself,” Pletcher said. “I’m glad that we passed the Belmont and gave him the extra time. It’s paid dividends in terms of him putting on some good quality weight and training like he does when he’s at his very best.”
Mindframe will break from post seven under regular rider Irad Ortiz, Jr., who has won five Eclipse Awards as Outstanding Jockey and makes his first Haskell appearance.
The son of Constitution out of the Street Sense mare Walk the Stars is making his fourth career start and second straight try in Grade 1 company. He won his first two races by a combined 21¼ lengths.
“On one side I was elated with his effort in the Belmont and on the other I was a little disappointed he didn’t win. At the eighth pole he had a big chance,” Pletcher said. “One of our concerns going into the Belmont was he was running against horses with a lot more experience. We hoped that his lack of experience wouldn’t compromise his chances. I think that little bit of greenness he showed in the mid-stretch when he veered out may have cost him the win. I couldn’t be disappointed in his effort but I was disappointed we couldn’t get the job done.”
Dornoch, who is trained by Danny Gargan and owned by the partnership of West Paces Racing, R.A. Hill Stables, Belmar Racing, Two Eight Racing, and Pine Stables Racing, drew the rail and his regular rider Luis Saez gets the return call.
“I think he’s training better now going into the Haskell than he was going into the Belmont,” said a confident Gargan. “He’s gotten better with age.”
Dornoch, who is by 2018 Haskell winner Good Magic and is a full brother to 2023 Kentucky Derby winner and Haskell runner-up Mage, had a terrible trip in the Kentucky Derby. He was shuffled back and had to check hard when stuck down on the inside from Post 1.
“In the Derby he got eliminated early. Other than that, he’s been flawless,” said Gargan. “We’re not really happy with the one-hole, so we’re going to have to make a decision if we’re definitely going to run from it. If you’re in the one hole, obviously, you have to show speed. We don’t have to be on the lead. We don’t want to get stuck inside and checked.”
Timberlake, trained by two-time Haskell winner and two-time Eclipse Award winner Brad Cox, is the other Grade 1 winner in the Haskell field. In his last effort he finished fourth in the Grade 1 Arkansas Derby on March 30 and Cox took the son of Into Mischief off the Triple Crown trail.
“He came out of that race with a little bit of a setback. It kind of maybe explained a little bit why he ran the way that he did,” said Cox, who saddled Cyberknife and Mandaloun to Haskell wins in 2022 and 2021, respectively. “We gave him the time he needed and here we are. He’s training straightforward with the freshening. We zeroed in on this race once he started back working because he’s doing so well. We know he’s a Grade 1 horse. He proved that last year when he won the Champagne (at Belmont Oct. 7).
“I would say he’s pretty cranked right now. I think he’s good enough to get the job done. I really do,” Cox added. “It’s going to be a tough task off the layoff, but I think he’s a very, very good horse. I’m looking forward to the challenge on Saturday.”
Flavien Prat, who was aboard Cyberknife and Mandaloun, will be in the irons on Timberlake in Post 4.
Spendthrift Farm’s Tuscan Sky was the 6¾-length runaway winner of the Listed Pegasus Stakes, the final local Haskell prep race here on June 15 under Javier Castellano. With Castellano back aboard, the son of Vino Rosso departs from Post 3.
“His only career loss was in the Wood Memorial (Grade 2). We were scratching our heads after the Wood because he’d been so impressive in his first two races,” said Pletcher. “Being a Vino Rosso, we thought stretching out to a mile-and-a-half was going to be to his benefit. He never fired at any stage of the race. We regrouped and decided to breeze him with blinkers, which seemed to really focus him. He made his first start with blinkers made a difference.”
Pletcher said Tuscan Sky’s big effort over the track and the fact he’s also handled the travel from his Saratoga base can only work to the colt’s benefit.
“This is a different race and there is a lot of quality in it, but he’s shown he can compete,” said Pletcher.
Holly Crest Farm’s Sea Streak, the locally-based winner of the Long Branch Stakes here two starts back and then fifth behind Tuscan Sky last out; Parx invader Just Step On It, and Jasper’s Pride, who is stabled on the Monmouth backside, complete the field.
Sea Streak and Jasper’s Pride are looking to become only the second New Jersey-bred to win the Haskell (Thanks to Tony 1980 is the only one so far).
The field, from the rail out with riders and odds: Dornoch, Luis Saez, 5-2; Jasper’s Pride, Jomar Torres, 30-1; Tuscan Sky, Javier Castellano, 9-2; Timberlake, Flavien Prat, 8-1; Fierceness, John Velazquez, 5-2; Just Step on It, Florent Geroux, 30-1; Mindframe, Irad Ortiz, Jr., 9-5; and Sea Streak, Jairo Rendon, 20-1.
The Haskell will be the 12th of 14 races on the card and post time is approximately 5:45 p.m. NBC Sports will televise the race and the Grade 2 United Nations Stakes from 5 to 6 p.m.
A total of 142 races, including three alternates, are entered for the 14-race card.
The Grade 3 Monmouth Cup, the Grade 3 Molly Pitcher – headlined by reigning champion Older Mare Idiomatic – and the Grade 3 WinStar Matchmaker complete the Haskell undercard. First race post time is noon.
