Classic Empire will not run in Haskell at Monmouth Park
The 50th betfair.com Haskell Invitational suffered another blow Sunday morning with the news that Preakness runner-up and last year’s Breeders’ Cup Juvenile winner Classic Empire will not run in the race.
Trainer Mark Casse, told the Daily Racing Form he doesn’t feel the horse, who had to withdraw from the Belmont Stakes three days before that race because of an abscess on his hoot, will be ready for the Haskell, to be run on July 30 at Monmouth Park.
That leaves Monmouth Park without a horse some consider the best 3-year-old, or any of the three Triple Crown race winners. In addition, trainer Bob Baffert, who has won the Haskell a record eight times, will not be entering a horse this year.
``Bob reached out to me (Saturday) night after the race and he is wishes he could just doesn't have one feels worthy of the Haskell,'' said Bob Kulina, president of Darby Development LLC, which operates Monmouth Park.
``But the field right now is still very competitive and a good very race, and hopefully one of the leaders of the division emerges from our race. We are still two weeks away, and I wouldn't be surprised if anything happens.''
Injuries to his foot and back have resulted in Classic Empire missing training time, Casse told the DRF.
“He trained well this morning (Sunday), but I just don’t feel comfortable breezing him yet, and you can’t go into a race like the Haskell not getting to do everything you want to do for the race,’’ Casse said
The horse is currently at Saratoga. He shipped to Saratoga from Churchill Downs in Louisville last week. He had been galloping over Saratoga’s Oklahoma training track, Casse told the DRF.
“I really needed to work him tomorrow (Monday) if we were going to run, but he hasn’t been as aggressive the last few mornings as he had been prior to leaving Kentucky, and I want him to tell me when he’s ready to breeze, not the other way around,’’ Casse said.
“I think his back is bugging him a little again, which happens whenever he hurts his foot, and it’s something we’ll have to address.’’
Casse said he hopes to run Classic Empire in the Travers Stakes at Saratoga on Aug. 26.
A foot injury caused Classic Empire to miss some training time earlier this year. He won the Grade I Arkansas Derby on April 15 after a 10-week layoff off a disappointing third-place finish in the Grade 2 Holy Bull behind Irish War Cry.
He then was fourth with a troubled trip in the Kentucky Derby and second by a head to the Chad Brown-trained Cloud Computing in the Preakness after he led by three lengths in the stretch.
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In addition to Classic Empire's defection, Kentucky Derby winner Always Dreaming and Cloud Computing will likely run in the Grade 2 Jim Dandy at Saratoga on July 29.
Belmont winner Tapwrit, also trained by Pletcher, will train up to the Travers, which means the Haskell will be without the winner of a Triple Crown race for the first time since 2014.
It will be the first time Baffert has not shipped a horse from California for the race since 2009. Baffert told the DRF Friday that American Anthem, who won the Grade 2 Woody Stephens at seven furlongs at Belmont on Belmont Stakes Day, will run in the Grade 1 Allen Jerkens at Saratoga on Aug. 26 and not the Haskell.
West Coast, who is also trained by Baffert, won the Grade III Los Alamitos Derby Saturday at 1 1/8 miles and told TVG after the race the Travers will be that horse’s next start.
The potential Haskell field consists of Belmont runner-up, Wood Memorial winner and Jersey-bred Irish War Cry; unbeaten Timeline, who won the Grade 3 Pegasus at Monmouth on June 18; Dwyer Stakes winner Practical Joke; Kentucky Derby third-place finisher Battle of Midway; Grade 3 Matt winner McCraken; Girvin, who won the Grade II Louisiana Derby earlier this year and was the runner-up by a nose in the Grade 3 Ohio Derby on June 24; Hence, who won the Grade 3 Iowa Derby on July 7 and the Grade 3 Sunland Derby earlier this year and Impressive Edge, third in the Iowa Derby.
Timeline and Practical Joke, who has never won a two-turn race, are both trained by Brown. Practical Joke, who won the Grade 1 Hopeful and Champagne last year, is the only Grade 1 winner in the potential field.