Bob Baffert owns the Haskell Invitational.
The Hall of Fame trainer won the $1 million race a record fifth time when Coil unleashed a last-to-first rally and beat Preakness winner Shackleford by a neck at Monmouth Park on Sunday.
The Haskell featured a matchup of Shackleford against Belmont Stakes winner Ruler On Ice, but it was Coil who played the role of spoiler. It wasn’t easy.
Breaking last out of the No. 1 post, Coil dropped way back in the field of eight 3-year-olds, and Baffert figured his colt had no chance to make up the lost ground. He was wrong.
Jockey Martin Garcia didn’t panic. He allowed Coil to settle and gather momentum as the field went into the final turn. Coil was still last rounding the turn but began picking off horses through the stretch, collared Shackleford for the lead and edged away in the final strides.
Ruler On Ice finished third, followed by J J’s Lucky Train, Pants On Fire, Joe Vann, Astrology and Concealed Identity. The winning time for 1-1/8 miles was 1 minute, 48.20 seconds.
The result leaves the 3-year-old division wide open. Either Shackleford or Ruler On Ice would have been at the head of the class with a win, but with Coil’s victory coupled with Stay Thirsty’s win in the Jim Dandy at Saratoga on Saturday, there is no clear-cut leader. Kentucky Derby winner Animal Kingdom is out for the year because of an injury.
Baffert is 5 for 5 at the Haskell, and his frequent trips from California to the Jersey Shore have been a blast. He won with Point Given — the sire of Coil — in 2001, War Emblem in 2002, Roman Ruler in 2005 and Lookin At Lucky last year. Coil was not in the same class as Baffert’s other Haskell winners, but he moves up in stature with his first Grade I victory.
"When he straightened out for home and he was digging in and moving on Shackleford, it was unbelievable what I was seeing,” Baffert said. “We were hoping for an effort like this, but I was pretty surprised he did what he did. It’s just great to be back at Monmouth Park.”
Coil, sent off as the second betting choice at 3-1, returned $8.40 on a win bet It was his fourth win in his past five starts. His only loss was by a head in the Swaps at Hollywood Park on July 9.
Shackleford was the 3-2 favorite.
“We got a great trip,” said Shackleford’s trainer, Dale Romans. “He took the lead turning for home, and dug in once Baffert’s horse came up. It looked like he was digging in very gamely in deep stretch. I thought that he was going to come back and win it.”
Look for the first three finishers to show up at the Travers at Saratoga on Aug. 27, the next big race for 3-year-olds. Stay Thirsty is set to be there, too, and if all the leading contenders show up then, the winner would move to the head of the class.
“On to the Travers,” said Kelly Breen, Ruler On Ice’s trainer. “They just kind of quickened going to the third quarter, and it took him a while to get going.”
