Monmouth Picks: Haskell Stakes Day, 7/18/26

Key Takeaways:

• Haskell Day delivers one of Monmouth Park's strongest cards of the year, with five graded stakes supporting the marquee Grade 1 and offering betting opportunities throughout the afternoon.
• Weather could be a major factor, with possible storms making scratches, surface changes, and wet-track form important considerations before wagering.
• Knightsbridge (Race 4): His tactical speed, route-friendly pedigree, and proven ability on wet tracks make him the horse to beat in the Monmouth Cup.
• Dry Powder (Race 6): Comes off a confidence-building prep win, has room to improve at the distance, and reunites with red-hot local rider Paco Lopez.
• Disco Ebo (Race 10): Versatile running style, proven wet-track form, and an ideal pace setup give her upset potential at attractive odds.

Saturday, July 18, is the flagship day of the Monmouth Park horse racing meet. The anchor of the 14-race card is the Grade 1, $1 million Haskell, a race that drew some of the top three-year-olds in the country to run for not only a seven-figure purse but a free ticket to the Breeders’ Cup Classic. With marquee three-year-olds in the field like Napoleon Solo, Further Ado, and The Puma, all eyes will be on Monmouth.

However, the Haskell is not the only big race on the Jersey shore Saturday. The 14-race card features seven stakes races, including five at the graded level. In addition to the Haskell, graded-stakes races include the 1 ⅜-mile United Nations (G2) for older turf routers, the 1 ⅛-mile Monmouth Cup (G3) for older dirt horses, the 1 1/16-mile Molly Pitcher (G2) for distaffers, and the 1 1/16-mile Matchmaker (G3) for fillies and mares on the lawn.

Racing gets underway at noon EDT, and you can be a part of the action by wagering all day long through FanDuel. Don’t forget to check the weather and the scratches on race day and adjust things accordingly: there is a chance of storms on Saturday afternoon at Monmouth, meaning pace and class balances could be affected, and races may or may not stay on the turf course.

These are best bets in three of the undercard races on the Haskell day card at Monmouth Park:

Monmouth Park Best Bets

Race 4 - Monmouth Cup (G3), 1 ⅛ miles on the dirt - Knightsbridge, Money Game

FanDuel odds: 7-5 and 5-2

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The top of the market will be defined by Knightsbridge and Skippylongstocking. Both are legitimate win contenders in the race, but Knightsbridge (7-5) is a more likely winner. Perhaps he kept doing seven-furlong races and one-turn miles because he was good enough at them to justify sticking to what worked. However, now he’s trying a two-turn real route distance for the first time, and it’s about time. Being by Nyquist out of a Bernardini mare, he has the pedigree for the extra distance. His speed should play well at Monmouth – but he can also win from just off the pace, as he showed in the Gulfstream Park Mile (G3) this year. He’ll be closer to the early pace than Skippylongstocking will be. And, if the possible rain actually happens, Knightsbridge looked good winning in the Aqueduct mud last fall.

Among the new-shooter types, Money Game (5-2) has significant upside. From the barn of trainer Brad Cox, she is undefeated in four starts: he broke his maiden in March of last year at Oaklawn, has methodically advanced through three allowance levels, and now makes his stakes debut. Though he rallied from the clouds after a slow break on debut, he has been closer up in his next three, and last out, he showed a true stalking gear at Saratoga when he won at 1 ⅛ miles, the distance of this race. That was his first time stretching out to that distance, and he ran on gamely to win. Irad Ortiz keeps the faith this time around. Money Game has been able to handle the rail before, and if it rains, the win in the slop is another positive sign.

Race 6 - Molly Pitcher (G2), 1 1/16 miles on the dirt - Dry Powder, Splendora

FanDuel odds: 6-1 and 3-2

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Dry Powder (6-1) battled much of the way around in the Lady’s Secret on June 21, the local prep for this race, and got the money. She will need to take a step forward for this, but her back races suggest that she has plenty of room to improve off of that effort, and therefore plenty of upside. The stretch out to 1 ⅛ miles suits her, and it’s a good thing to see 46% Monmouth Park rider Paco Lopez – who rode her in the Lady’s Secret – back in the irons for the Molly Pitcher. And, if the rain falls? Even though she was fourth in her only previous try over a rain-affected track, that was good dirt at Belmont. She deserves another shot at it, being by 20% wet-track sire Gun Runner out of a Broken Vow mare.

Splendora (3-2) looked like a horse who was better at one turn than two, but the five-year-old mare from the Bob Baffert barn is coming around to being a serious two-turn horse this year. She wired the Beholder Mile three back, and then last out, she showed tactical speed when winning the 1 1/16-mile Shawnee Stakes (G2) at Churchill Downs. Immersive has already franked that form by coming back to win the Fleur de Lis. Splendora’s tactical speed should play well at Monmouth, and the outside post position should help her get a clean trip.

Race 10 - Regret Stakes, six furlongs on the dirt - Disco Ebo, Kilwin

FanDuel odds: 8-1 and 2-1

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This race drew a big field of 11, and many of the runners do their best work on the lead. But, this is Monmouth, and there’s a good chance of wet weather on Saturday. All this bodes well for Disco Ebo (8-1) as a live upset candidate. Though she has sharp early speed, she has been able to win from a stalking spot as well – something she did over this distance in the Laurel mud last year in the Primonetta Stakes en route to a one-length victory. That kind of trip could be the right one: let a couple really go at it, get first run, and try to hold off the likely lone closer. Sprints at Monmouth can also play pretty fairly to outside gates, allaying the fears about the 10 hole. And, he gets a jockey change to Paco Lopez, who is having a career year this year and has made Monmouth in particular his playground.

The aforementioned likely lone closer is comebacker Kilwin (2-1). Sometimes she doesn’t start great, but as long as she can get past the start, she won’t be relegated to the clouds like she was in the Test (G1) last year at the Spa – a race she won despite that bad start. If she can work out a trip more like what she did in the Leslie’s Lady last year at Churchill Downs – her only other dirt start – she should be making a big run in the lane. Jockey Edgar Morales was in the irons for that race, so it’s nice to see him back in the saddle for this one. The big question is the layoff, since she hasn’t raced since last September at Kentucky Downs. But, she has been back on the tab regularly since May and has been able to pop fresh, making this look like a quality comeback spot. She’ll get pace, she’ll make her one bid, and it may well be enough.

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The above author is a FanDuel employee and is not eligible to compete in public daily fantasy contests or place sports betting wagers on FanDuel. The advice provided by the author does not necessarily represent the views of FanDuel. Taking the author's advice will not guarantee a successful outcome. You should use your own judgment when participating in daily fantasy contests or placing sports wagers.