Dorth Vader, Just a Touch top Haskell Day undercard stakes

Saturday is the biggest day at the Jersey Shore, as Monmouth Park will feature the $1 million Haskell (G1) for three-year-olds, and the undercard includes five stakes worth $1.8 million, including a quartet of graded events.

Molly Pitcher (G3)

A 4 3/4-length upset winner of the Ogden Phipps (G1) at Saratoga June 6, Dorth Vader will seek to carry her form forward in the $500,00 Molly Pitcher (G3) for fillies and mares at 1 1/16 miles. John Velazquez rides the five-year-old mare for George Weaver, and Dorth Vader figures to be prominent from the break.

Grade 1 winner Candied, a convincing winner of the Allaire Du Pont at Pimlico on Preakness weekend, merits respect for Todd Pletcher. Irad Ortiz Jr. retains the assignment. Pletcher will also send out Grade 1 winner Leslie’s Rose, who didn’t handle the sloppy conditions in the Ogden Phipps but could be dangerous under fast conditions. 

Chad Brown has a pair of runners entered. Multiple Grade 1 winner Randomized, a close third in the La Troienne (G1) two back, will look to rebound from a well-beaten fifth in the Ogden Phipps, and 2023 Monmouth Oaks (G3) winner Occult will try to improve upon a runner-up finish in the June 14 Lady’s Secret at Monmouth.

Power Squeeze, winner of last year’s Alabama (G1) but winless from three starts this year, will look to factor following an improved effort in May’s Serena’s Song at Monmouth. Lady’s Secret winner Majestic Oops is also part of the fine nine-horse field.

Monmouth Cup (G3)

A romping allowance winner in his first two starts back this year, Just a Touch will take some beating in the $400,000 Monmouth Cup (G3) following a respectable third in a deep Met Mile (G1) at Saratoga. The Brad Cox-trained four-year-old colt tops eight runners in the 1 1/8-mile event, and regular rider Florent Geroux has the call.

His rivals include stakes runner-up Classic Catch, who exits a second-place finish in a Saratoga allowance for Pletcher; Salvator Mile (G3) third-placer Surface to Air; and last-out Monmouth allowance scorer Gran Yaco.

United Nations (G2)

Twelve are entered for the $600,000 United Nations (G2) over 1 3/8 miles on turf, and Redistricting is the probable favorite for Brown following a five-length romp in the June 14 Monmouth S. as an odds-on favorite. Flavien Prat has the call.

Rebel Red, a convincing winner of June’s Chorleywood S. at Churchill Downs, is a contender for Cherie DeVaux. Mark Casse will send out stakes veteran Get Smokin, an earner of more than $2.1 million, and up-and-coming Grade 3 runner-up Corruption. Pletcher is responsible for the Grade 2-winning duo of Grand Sonata and Major Dude.

Matchmaker (G3)

The stakes action kicks off with the $300,000 Matchmaker (G3) for fillies and mares at 1 1/8 miles on turf. Leading contenders in the seven-horse field include Grade 1 winner Sacred Wish, who finished a neck second in this event last year for Weaver, and Grade 2 winners Segesta and Spaliday from the Brown barn.