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The Historic Haskell Handicap

© Greg Melikov

The horse racing industry has been in trouble before. In fact, tracks that sprang up in the latter half of the 19th Century turned belly up at an alarming rate - especially in the New York-New Jersey area.

For example, Monmouth Park, which opened on July 4, 1870, at the start was a big success and offered the highest purses in North America. By 1890, it was completely rebuilt.

But anti-gambling forces would doom the track along the Jersey shore. A year later, Monmouth Park had to move its meeting to Jerome Park in New York because of repressive legislation against gambling. It reopened for two years, but anti-gambling legislation in 1893 forced the track to close.

It would stay shuttered for more than half a century.

In 1939, Amory L. Haskell of Red Bank, N.J., led a successful fight to legalize pari-mutuel wagering in New Jersey. He launched efforts to build a new Monmouth Park facility, but World War II delayed completion of the track until 1946.

The Haskell Handicap was named for the first president and chairman of the Monmouth Park Jockey Club, who served from opening day until his death on April 12, 1966.

Ironically, he was vice president in charge of General Motors' export division after serving in the Navy during World War I. The $1 million stakes has been known as the Buick Haskell Invitational since 1996, when it was won by Skip Away.

There have been some pretty good three-year-olds who captured this race since the mid-1980s: Touch Gold, '97 Belmont Stakes winner; Serena's Song, '95, the first filly to triumph; Holy Bull, '94, Horse of the Year; Forty Niner, '88; Bet Twice, '87; and Skip Trial, '85.

The 30th running on Sunday, Aug. 9, only had a six-horse field because of the injury to Kentucky Derby-Preakness winner Real Quiet and defections to Aqueduct's $250,000 Jim Dandy the same day, which included the winner, '97 juvenile champion and Horse of the Year Favorite Trick.

A record Haskell crowd of 40,405 saw Coronado's Quest stalk the pace, take the lead going into the far turn and defeat Belmont Stakes winner Victory Gallop by a length, covering the 1 1/8 miles in 1:48 3/5.

By the way, the winner's sire is Forty Niner.

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