On Saturday at Fair Grounds, the featured race is the $1 million Louisiana Derby. Restricted to three-year-olds, the Grade 2 event offers points towards a spot in the Kentucky Derby and will be run at a mile and an eighth on the main track.
Topping the competitive field of eleven colts and geldings as the morning line favorite at odds of 5-2 is Mo Tom for trainer Tom Amoss. A dark bay colt from the first crop of champion Uncle Mo, he was purchased for $150,000 as a yearling and has won half of his six starts. He won the LeComte Stakes (G3) at Fair Grounds in his first start of the year and was last seen finishing third in the Risen Star Stakes (G2). Corey Lanerie will be aboard and they will break from post position six.
Second choice at morning line odds of 3-1 is Gun Runner for trainer Steve Asmussen. A chestnut son of Candy Ride (ARG), he has won three of his four starts and will be trying to earn his second consecutive graded stakes victory. He was last seen winning the Risen Star Stakes (G2) in his first start of the year in a game effort from just off of the pace. Florent Geroux will be in the irons and they are scheduled to break from the rail.
Also in the field at morning line odds of 7-2 is Greenpointcrusader for trainer Dominick Schettino. A dark bay son of Bernardini, he was purchased for $575,000 as a yearling and has been on the board in four of his five starts. He was a Grade 1 winner as a juvenile and will be making his second start of the year after finishing second in the Holy Bull Stakes (G2) last time out. John Velazquez will be aboard from post two.
The field is set for the $1 million Haskell, where Nyquist will be trying to re-stake his claim as the top three-year-old in the country.
On Sunday at Monmouth Park, the featured race is the $300,000 United Nations Stakes. Scheduled to be run at a mile and three-eighths on the turf, the Grade 1 event has drawn a field of ten colts and geldings.
On Sunday at Monmouth Park, the featured race is the $150,000 Pegasus Stakes, a key prep race for the Haskell Invitational (G1). The Grade 3 event will be contested at a mile and a sixteenth and has drawn a field of seven three-year-olds.
With five grade 1 races and a grade 2, the undercard for the June 11 Belmont stakes could be the best single day of racing on the calendar outside of the Breeders’ Cup.
Haskell Invitational Picks for Monmouth Sunday
29 July 2016The field is set for the $1 million Haskell, where Nyquist will be trying to re-stake his claim as the top three-year-old in the country....
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