Haskell 2022: Bob Baffert goes for 10th Haskell win, as storylines abound on Haskell Day at Monmouth Park
OCEANPORT – Can trainer Bob Baffert win his tenth Haskell?
Will trainer Chad Brown, with a chance to win five stakes races, dominate the narrative?
Or can Cyberknife give owner Al Gold, a long-time Jersey Shore resident, a dream victory?
There are no shortage of storylines at Monmouth Park Saturday on Haskell Day, after issues like the COVID-19 pandemic and a controversial whip rule have impacted $1 million TVG.com Haskell Stakes in recent years. The result is the return of a sense of normalcy on the track's most important afternoon of the summer.
So while the heat baked the trackside apron outside the grandstand, it was not hot enough to have the races postponed until evening like three years ago on Haskell Day.
Instead, the focus turned to racing and one of the most competitive cards in recent memory, featuring a Haskell with four Grade 1 winners entered, believed to be the first time that’s ever happened in the race’s 55-year history.
And it anchored a lineup with five graded stakes races, including the Grade 1 United Nations.
Brown, among the nation’s top conditioners, entered nine horses in all, with a chance to win all five graded stakes races. And some of the top jockeys in the nation have mounts throughout the afternoon.
More:Haskell betting guide with expert picks, analysis.
The national spotlight has been focused on trainer Bob Baffert, recently returning from a 90-day suspension for Media Spirit’s post-race positive drug test after winning the 2021 Kentucky Derby. Baffert looks to win the Haskell for the 10th time.
More:Cyberknife making Jersey Shore native's racing dreams come true
In many ways, it’s a much-needed return to normalcy for a racetrack seeking to move forward after its last two meets were impacted by the pandemic.
More:As Monmouth Park welcomes Bob Baffert, industry grapples with embattled trainer.
Check back later at app.com for complete coverage of this year’s Haskell, with post time set for around 5:45 p.m., with television coverage on CNBC from 5-6 p.m.
This article originally appeared on Asbury Park Press: Haskell 2022: Can Bob Baffert win 10th Haskell with Taiba?
