Preakness Stakes winner Journalism and the Bob Baffert-trained Goal Oriented, the top two morning line favorites for the $1 Million, Grade 1 NYRA Bets Haskell, arrived on the backside at Monmouth Park shortly after 6 p.m. Tuesday in advance of Saturday’s contest.

The two contenders shared a flight from their home bases in Southern California to Newark International Airport and quickly adapted to their new surroundings after being unloaded from a van.

“It was an uneventful trip for Journalism, which is always good. It seems like he traveled well. He has good energy,” said Justin Curran, the assistant to trainer Michael McCarthy, after he got the 4-5 morning line Haskell favorite bedded down in his stall.

Said Roberto Luna, who was overseeing things for 4-1 second choice Goal Oriented pending the arrival of Baffert’s top assistant, Jimmy Barnes: “He shipped good. He’s doing fine. Everything is good.”

Both Journalism and Goal Oriented, who ran fourth in the Preakness last in his last effort, are scheduled to go out to the racetrack early Wednesday morning for some light exercise and to get a feel for the Monmouth strip. They each completed their serious work at Santa Anita earlier.

The Haskell headlines a 14-race that features six stakes races (five graded stakes). First race post time Saturday is noon. NBC will televise both the Grade 2 United Nations and Haskell from 5 to 6 p.m.

The complete Haskell field with rider and morning line odds from the rail out: Bracket Buster, John Velazquez, 10-1; Journalism, Umberto Rispoli, 4-5; Wildncrazynight, Isaac Castillo, 30-1; Burnham Square, Brian Hernandez, Jr., 5-1; National Law, Irad Ortiz, Jr. 20-1; Gosger, Luis Saez, 9-2; Kentucky Outlaw, Florent Geroux, 15-1; Goal Oriented, Flavien Prat, 4-1.

Story by Lynne Snierson

Monmouth Park Publicity Staff