The road to a 3-year-old championship will travel through New Jersey for Kentucky Derby (G1) winner Mage as his connections announced July 18 they will enter the son of Good Magic in the July 22 Haskell Stakes (G1) at Monmouth Park.
The $1 million, 1 1/8-mile test for 3-year-olds will be the first start for Mage since a pace-compromised, third-place finish in the May 20 Preakness Stakes (G1) concluded his run through the Triple Crown. The Haskell is part of the Breeders’ Cup Challenge Series: Win and You’re In—providing an automatic, paid berth into the Nov. 4 Breeders’ Cup Classic (G1) at Santa Anita Park.
Owned by trainer Gustavo Delgado’s OGMA Investments, Ramiro Restrepo, Sterling Racing, and CMNWLTH, Mage has won two of five starts with earnings of $2,288,700.
With the Aug. 26 Travers Stakes (G1) at Saratoga Race Course the main target for any 3-year-old male with an eye toward becoming the division’s Eclipse Award winner, the connections opted for the Haskell for his next race rather than the July 29 Jim Dandy Stakes (G2) at Saratoga or training up to the Travers.
“Since the day after the Preakness, we have been targeting the Travers as our summer jewel and we’ve identified the Haskell as the best route to get him ready for the Travers,” Restrepo said. “We look forward to competing in our fourth consecutive grade 1 and putting forth a quality effort.”
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Entries for the Haskell will be drawn July 19, with Mage joining Arabian Knight , Geaux Rocket Ride , Tapit Trice , Extra Anejo , and Salute the Stars as leading threats.
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