Gemologist confirmed for Haskell

Gemologist will be in the starting gate for the 45th running of the Grade 1,

$1 million Haskell Invitational on Sunday.

"He is going to run. He's definite," said trainer Todd Pletcher when reached

by phone at Saratoga on Wednesday morning. "He has been training extremely well

and we are very pleased with how he is coming into the race."

Javier Castellano, the only rider to have been aboard the son of Tiznow in

all six of his starts, will partner with him again in the Haskell.

Gemologist went into the Grade 1 Kentucky Derby with an unblemished 5-for-5

record that includes a win in the Grade 1 Wood Memorial in April and a victory

in the Grade 2 Kentucky Jockey Club as a two-year-old. Although he finished a

disappointing 16th as one of the favorites in the first leg of the Triple Crown,

it was discovered that he had bruised his foot. The Haskell will be his first

race since the first Saturday in May.

Gemologist is giving his connections every indication that he is ready. In

his last two works at Saratoga, he fired bullets and his drill on Sunday morning

was particularly impressive. Working in company with Grade 2 winner Dominus, he

traveled five furlongs in :58 2/5 under Castellano and the move was the fastest

of 43 horses at the same distance.

"I thought he breezed as well this morning as he's ever breezed and he's

always been a good work horse," Pletcher said afterward. "But he was

exceptionally good this morning."

WinStar Farm, which owns Gemologist, and Pletcher won back-to-back editions

of the Haskell in 2006-07 with Blue Grass Cat and Any Given Saturday.

In related Haskell news, Handsome Mike arrived on a flight from California on

Tuesday night and the Doug O'Neill charge was out on the track for a one mile

gallop on Wednesday morning. Also on Wednesday, Dullahan, who arrived in trainer

Dale Romans' barn on Monday night, galloped 1 1/2 miles under his regular

exercise rider.

The other confirmed starters for the Haskell are Paynter, Nonios and

Stealcase. Paynter, trained by five-time Haskell winning trainer Bob Baffert,

and Nonios, conditioned by 1989 Haskell winner Jerry Hollendorfer, are scheduled

to share a flight from Southern California and be on the backside on Thursday.

Stealcase, who will give trainer Mark Casse his first entry in the Haskell, will

be vanned from Saratoga.

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