Ruler on Ice and Pants on Fire on course for supremacy for the 3-year-old's division in the Haskell Invitational
The Grade 1, $1million Haskell Invitational has been added with “Fire” and “Ice” in its line-up, as the classic Belmont Stakes winner, Ruler on Ice, and the multiple stakes winner, Pants on Fire, enter the Haskell Invitational on 17 July, confirmed by trainer,
Kelly Breen.
Haskell Invitational will be run on 31 July at Monmouth Park.
The Grade 2 Louisiana Derby's winner, Pants on Fire, already started breezing with four furlongs workout in 49.8 seconds.
Ruler or Ice warmed up to the task with a five furlongs work out in 1 minute and 2.6 seconds.
The George and Lori Hall owned horses entering the Haskell indicate the showdown of supremacy between the Preakness Stakes' winner, Shackleford, and the Belmont Stakes' winner, Ruler on Ice. Both met at Belmont Park last time around.
The 3-year-old division has been left with a big void at the top and somebody has to seize the opportunity to claim their rightful place, and there's no better place to start then the Haskell Invitational.
Pants on Fire’s jockey, Rosie Napravnik, is out injured and will not retain the 3-year-old bay colt.
Instead Elvis Trujillo will hold the reigns of Pants on Fire.
Jose Valdivia Jr., on the other hand, will ride Ruler on Ice and try to come up with a Belmont Stakes classic run in the Haskell as well.
George and Lori Hall have maintained their stable at Monmouth and for them it’s like their home track, with trainer Kelly Breen spending most of his time at the stable.
Kelly Breen would know the important details and he would like to utilise his Monmouth experience to win the biggest race at Monmouth.
It’s a big race indeed as Ruler on Ice’s inclusion in the Haskell was in doubt because of the Jim Dandy Stakes at the East Coast meet in Saratoga, but it was revised and the connections decided to run both of them at Monmouth.
It becomes a big race with Shackleford already being there with other prominent names in the three-year-old division.
Schackleford stayed back at Churchill Downs, where he is training with trainer, Dale Romans. He worked five furlongs in a fast 59.60 seconds.
Astrology, the third place finisher in the Preakness Stakes, is also among the entrants.
Rattlesnake Bridge is on the list, looking to do what he did in Long Beach Stakes at the Haskell.
The powerful sprinter J.J’S Lucky Train, the multiple stakes winning sprinter, is on course for Haskell with Concealed Identity, the Federico Tesio winner.
The Haskell has produced a champion lot of horses for the past five years, horses who have gone on to be Horses of the Year over the previous four runnings.
The likes of Rachel Alexandra , Lookin at Lucky and Big Brown come to mind.
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