2011 Haskell Invitational Betting Preview
The 2011 Resorts Haskell Invitational from Monmouth Park in New Jersey will take place this upcoming Sunday, July 31. The Haskell is a grade I stakes race for three-year old thoroughbreds with a total prize purse of $1 million.
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It is contested on a dirt track over a distance of 1 1/8 miles.
The field for this year’s Haskell Invitational boasts some of the top horses in the country that made a name for themselves earlier in the year in the Triple Crown racing season. 
The morning line odds for this race have not been released yet, but the following is a preview of three horses that are guaranteed to be among the favorites come Sunday afternoon.
Shackleford
This colt burst onto the scene with a second-place finish in the grade 1 Florida Derby in early April. Trained by Dale Romans and ridden by Jesus Castanon, he raced to the early lead in the Kentucky Derby, but faded down the stretch to finish fourth at Churchill Downs in the Triple Crown’s premier event.
Shackleford saved enough for the stretch run his next time out with an impressive victory as a 12/1 favorite in the Preakness Stakes.
He completed the Triple Crown season with a fifth-place in the Belmont, making him of the few thoroughbreds to race in all three Triple Crown events this season.
Ruler on Ice
This three-year old gelding raced to a third-place finish in the grade III Sunland Derby in late March to place him squarely on the Triple Crown Trail. Unfortunately, he failed to earn enough graded stakes prize money from that point on to qualify for the Kentucky Derby. Trainer Kelly Breen decided to try her luck by running him in the Federico Tesio Stakes, where he rewarded her with a second-place finish.
This opened a spot for him in the Belmont Stakes where he made the most of the opportunity by winning the race as a 24/1 longshot. [ad-1605881]
Pants on Fire
This Colt, who is also trained by Kelly Breen, wasted little time in making his mark as a three-year with a third-place finish in the ungraded Count Fleet on New Year’s Day. He followed that race up by taking second in the grade III Lecomte Stakes later that month. Pants on Fire sealed a spot in the Kentucky Derby with a victory in the grade II Louisiana Derby in late March.
Unfortunately he finished a disappointing ninth in the Derby and was held out of the next two Triple Crown races. He comes into this race in excellent form with a victory in the grade III Pegasus Stakes at Monmouth Park on June 28.
Narrowing the field to these three horses, stick with Pants on Fire as your winner with experience at this track providing the slight edge over the other two favorites.
Looking for Haskell Lines? The morning line setting and draw for post positions will be today at noon!
