When the field for the $1 million Haskell Stakes (G1) was drawn July 15, it conjured thoughts of the Preakness Stakes (G1).
Which isn't a bad thing at all.
As you might recall, the Preakness is the early leader for the year's most dramatic race as Journalism bulled his way between horses at the top of the stretch and then made up five lengths on Gosger in the final furlong to win going away by a half-length and become one of the sport's brightest stars.
Now, July 19 at Monmouth Park in the 58th Haskell, Journalism and Preakness runner-up Gosger will meet again with Goal Oriented, who was fourth in the Preakness after taking a hard bump in the stretch melee, also on hand for the 1 1/8-mile test for 3-year-olds.
"I wouldn't mind a replay of the Preakness," said Michael McCarthy, who trains Journalism. "But hopefully everyone gets a little cleaner trip this time."
Whether there will be as much drama Saturday remains to be seen. The morning-line odds, which pegged Journalism as a 4-5 favorite from post 2 in a field of eight, say it should be an easy time for the son of Curlin who ran in all three legs of the Triple Crown and was second to Sovereignty in both the Kentucky Derby (G1) and Belmont Stakes (G1). Yet Journalism nearly lost as an even-money favorite in the Preakness, illustrating to McCarthy how nothing can be taken for granted in a grade 1 stakes.
"Sometimes things don't work out like people think," McCarthy said.
The Haskell, a Breeders' Cup Challenge Series: Win and You're In event providing the winner a free spot in the Breeders' Cup Classic (G1) at Del Mar, begins a second half of the year campaign for Journalism in which the connections are hoping he can find a way to eclipse Sovereignty and capture the 3-year-old male championship. Owned by Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners, Bridlewood Farm, breeder Don Alberto Stable, Robert LaPenta, Elayne Stables Five, and the Coolmore partnership, Journalism will be making his first start since suffering a three-length loss to Sovereignty in the Belmont Stakes.
"It's nice to get him going again and see where he takes us. Everybody is certainly excited," McCarthy said about the $825,000 buy at the 2023 The Saratoga Sale, Fasig-Tipton's select yearling sale. "He came out of the Belmont in very good order. He's a horse who thrives on training and competition. Not much that he does at this point surprises me. For him to give us all the signs that he is ready to get back to work was just a reflection of the type of horse that he is."
Harvey A. Clarke Racing Stables' homebred Gosger (9-2, post 6) has not raced since the May 17 Preakness, a loss that still stings trainer Brendan Walsh.
"It was a good run, but we got beat by a very good horse. Nine times out of 10, you do what he did and you win, but it took a great effort from an exceptional horse like Journalism to beat us," Walsh said. "Gosger didn't stop running."
The son of Nyquist, who won the Lexington Stakes (G3), has been training forwardly in recent weeks.
"We were able to give him an easy time for a week or two after the Preakness. He's been working good and looks like he can improve off the Preakness, and if he can, he shouldn't be too far away," Walsh said. "It's a grade 1 and there's not many of them left just for 3-year-olds, so you bump into good horses. Hopefully, this time around it will be our time."
Trained by nine-time Haskell winner Bob Baffert, Goal Oriented (post 8, 4-1) was fourth by 6 3/4 lengths in the Preakness, though Baffert views it from a different perspective.
"He was fourth, a half-mile back," Baffert said.
The Preakness was just the third career start for the son of Not This Time , who was coming off allowance and maiden wins for "The Avengers" ownership group headed by SF Racing, Starlight Racing, and Madaket Stables.
As lightly raced as he was, he received a gritty education in what can happen on a racetrack. He broke slowly, then was fourth on the backstretch when he was expected to be closer to the pace, and finally was soundly bumped when Journalism surged between horses in the stretch.
"Everything that could go wrong, went wrong," Baffert said about the Preakness. "But he got so much out of that race."
Since returning to California following the middle leg of the Triple Crown, Goal Oriented has matured in Baffert's eyes.
"He came out of the Preakness well. He's a big, strong horse, and he's tough. He's really matured and is moving forward, so he should run well," Baffert said. "But Journalism is definitely the horse to beat."
Whitham Thoroughbreds' Burnham Square (5-1, post 4) gives the field a second grade 1 winner. The Blue Grass Stakes (G1) victor was sixth in the Kentucky Derby and then came back with a second in the June 8 Matt Winn Stakes (G3).
"He's doing good. He's a trooper. He keeps getting better with each race," trainer Ian Wilkes said about the Liam's Map gelding. "We ran in the (2017) Haskell with McCraken and got beat a head. I'd like to do a little better than that this time."
The field also includes BBN Racing's Bracket Buster (10-1, post 1), a son of Vekoma who was second in the Lexington and a seven-length winner of the June 14 Pegasus Stakes at Monmouth for trainer Victoria Oliver.
Also entered are Wildncrazynight (30-1, post 3), who was second in the Pegasus; National Law (20-1, post 5), the fourth-place finisher in the Pegasus; and Kentucky Outlaw (15-1, post 7), who captured the Long Branch Stakes at Monmouth Park May 10.
Post time is 5:45 p.m. ET for the Haskell, which will be aired on NBC.
Monmouth Park, Saturday, July 19, 2025, Race 12Entries: NYRA Bets Haskell S. (G1)
PP Horse Jockey Wgt Trainer M/L 1 Bracket Buster (KY) John R. Velazquez 119 Victoria H. Oliver 10/1 2 Journalism (KY) Umberto Rispoli 122 Michael W. McCarthy 4/5 3 Wildncrazynight (NJ) Isaac Castillo 119 Dan Ward 30/1 4 Burnham Square (KY) Brian Joseph Hernandez, Jr. 122 Ian R. Wilkes 5/1 5 National Law (KY) Irad Ortiz, Jr. 119 Jorge Duarte, Jr. 20/1 6 Gosger (KY) Luis Saez 119 Brendan P. Walsh 9/2 7 Kentucky Outlaw (KY) Florent Geroux 119 Felissa Dunn 15/1 8 Goal Oriented (KY) Flavien Prat 119 Bob Baffert 4/1
