Baby Vino rallies inside for Haskell shocker

Baby Vino toppled several luminaries of the three-year-old division in his graded stakes debut on Saturday in the $1.005 million Haskell (G1) at Monmouth Park.

Although victorious in his previous two starts, Baby Vino was a legitimate longshot in the Haskell. While his main Haskell rivals on May 1 had been preparing for upcoming starts in the classics, Baby Vino was only just graduating, in his fifth attempt, against maiden foes at Oaklawn Park.

Thrown into stakes company in the Pegasus S. at Monmouth on June 13, Baby Vino duly won by 10 3/4 lengths, albeit against soft company. He was sent off at 28-1 in the 1 1/8-mile Haskell.

The sloppy conditions and a soft pace of :24.15, :48.29, and 1:12.01 should have greatly aided Preakness (G1) winner Napoleon Solo.  He did, in fact, easily defeat the other major contenders in the Haskell, but it was not enough to withstand the rail bid of Baby Vino.

Baby Vino and Napoleon Solo hooked up approaching the turn for home and exchanged repeated bumps through the stretch, but Baby Vino found more to pull off the half-length win under Jorge Vargas Jr. Monmouth stewards investigated the stretch run but found no cause for disqualification.

Owned by Cosmo Stables and Delta Squad Racing, Baby Vino paid $58 after covering the course in 1:50.18. He is trained by Lindsay Schultz.

Napoleon Solo finished 3 1/2 lengths clear of Preakness runner-up Iron Honor, who had a neck on Tampa Bay Derby (G3) winner The Puma. Finishing fifth was Grade 1 winner Further Ado, the 11-10 Haskell favorite. 

Rounding out the order of finish was Star Sweeper and the maiden Ocelli, who had previously placed in the Wood Memorial (G2), Kentucky Derby (G1), and Ohio Derby (G3).

The Haskell was the third win in seven starts for Baby Vino, who also secured an automatic bid into the Breeders’ Cup Classic (G1) at Keeneland in October. 

A Kentucky-bred, Baby Vino is by Vino Rosso and out of the stakes-placed Discreetly Grand, by Discreetly Mine. He descends from Grade 1 winner Sugar and Spice, a half-sister to Hall of Famer Alydar and champion Our Mims.