Expert Pick of the Week: 2024 Haskell Stakes

Jul 18, 2024 John Mucciolo/TwinSpires.com

A classy cast of eight will go postward at Monmouth Park on Saturday in the $1 million Haskell S. (G1). Pegasus S. victor Tuscan Sky picked up his initial black-type win with an impressive tally on the course last time out, and the talented colt will look to add a Grade 1 victory to his resume.

Trained by Todd Pletcher, the son of Vino Rosso was unveiled on January 13 at Aqueduct and powered home to a strong, 5 1/4-length sprint victory while earning a hefty 97 Brisnet Speed figure in the process. The gray went a route of ground in an allowance tilt at Fair Grounds second time out and was impressive once again, defeating the talented Nash by two lengths under the wire.

It was an impressive debut for the son of Vino Rosso, Tuscan Sky, on Saturday at Aqueduct.

The @PletcherRacing trainee is worth keeping an eye on for the Road to @KentuckyDerby 150.

Click the link below to add him to your TwinSpires Stable Alerts ⤵️ https://t.co/kDJ84e0n2r pic.twitter.com/y7bv693Bgr

— TwinSpires Racing 🏇 (@TwinSpires) January 16, 2024

Tuscan Sky didn’t show a whole lot following a slow break in the Wood Memorial (G2) in his third attempt, but he rebounded in a big way with a facile triumph on this surface leading up to Saturday. The Spendthrift Farm color bearer did benefit from being on the rail in the Pegasus, but he still performed in a big way and is coming up to this endeavor in good fashion, as well. I expect him to track the pace from second or third early, prior to edging clear in the stretch with Javier Castellano in the silks.

Mindframe, also from the Pletcher shedrow, has rapidly ascended up the three-year-old ranks in a short period of time. The son of Constitution was a superb debut winner at Gulfstream, he followed that up with a superb allowance triumph at Churchill Downs, and then the colt was a game runner-up in the Belmont S. (G1) while making his third career start. Bred in the Bluegrass State and purchased for $600,000 as a yearling, the ultra-talented sophomore has obvious room to grow with just a trio of starts under his belt, and he likely got a lot out of his last while being challenged for the initial time, as well. Regular pilot Irad Ortiz, Jr. will be in the silks once again.

Expert Pick

An exacta with #3 Tuscan Sky on top of #7 Mindframe in the 2024 Haskell Stakes is the Best Bet of the Week.