The Triple Crown might be wrapped up, but man, the 3-year-old competition is absolutely heating up, and it's all focused on Saturday's Grade I Haskell at Monmouth Park. Get this: Further Ado, the Gun Runner colt who was the post-time favorite for the Kentucky Derby and then completely flamed out to an 11th place finish, is back as the favorite for this $1 million, "Win and You're In" race for the Breeders' Cup Classic. Talk about a comeback arc!
The Haskell Showdown: Can Further Ado Rebound Big?
Remember Further Ado tearing it up, winning the Grade I Blue Grass by a ridiculous 11 lengths? That's the horse everyone thought was going to crush the Derby. He was a lukewarm favorite, sitting at just above 5-1 odds, and then... he ran 11th. What even happened there, right? But he didn't just disappear. He bounced back strong, winning the Grade III Matt Winn for fun. Now he's staring down the Haskell, and this race is no joke. The field is stacked. Seriously, all but one of the seven entries competed in at least one Triple Crown prep. We've got Napoleon Solo and Iron Honor, who went 1-2 in their last start, the Preakness. The Puma skipped the Derby after finishing a photo-finish second by a nose in the Florida Derby. And Baby Vino, one of the local runners, took five tries to get his first win at Oaklawn, but then exploded to win the Pegasus Stakes by 10 3/4 lengths. Whoever takes this Haskell, especially if it's Further Ado or Napoleon Solo, both already Grade 1 winners, could seriously challenge Kentucky Derby and Belmont Stakes winner Golden Tempo for division leadership. The stakes could not be higher.Beyond Monmouth: Big Races Across the Track
While all eyes are on the Haskell, there's some other crazy action happening. Journalism, the 2025 Preakness and Haskell winner, hasn't won a race since that Monmouth Park score a year ago. He's been grinding in tough heats, finishing second, fourth, third, and third in the intervening 12 months. Now, he's looking for a path back in Saturday's $300,000 Grade II San Diego Handicap at Del Mar. Can he find that old form? Then there's Skippylongstocking, who's got just five rivals in Saturday's $350,000 Grade III Monmouth Cup. And we've got the ladies too, with Distaff Splendora, last year's Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint champ, leading a field of seven in Saturday's $500,000 Grade II Molly Pitcher at Monmouth Park. Splendora is on a heater, winning six of her last seven races, including stretching to two turns last start to win the Grade II Shawnee. And finally, on the sprint side, Book'em Danno, the reigning Eclipse Award male sprint champ, is the odds-on favorite in Friday's $100,000 Mr. Prospector. This 5-year-old gelding won four of five last year, including the Grade I Forego. He means business. This weekend is absolutely stacked, folks. Every race means something right now. You absolutely cannot miss Saturday's Haskell to see if Further Ado can make a definitive statement for the Breeders' Cup, or if one of these other contenders snatches that "Win and You're In" spot. Get ready!This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Seattle On Tap editorial staff. Always verify information with official team sources.