Adding the hardware from Saturday’s $1 million, Grade 1 NYRA Bets Haskell Stakes at Monmouth Park to the trophy case would be a dream realized for any horseman, but it would be a most prized possession for a Jersey Guy.

“It would mean a lot. It would be great to win the biggest race close to us,” said Fair Lawn, N.J., native Scott Clarke, the son of the late noted owner and breeder Harvey A. Clarke, whose racing stable owns Haskell contender Gosger.

Clarke’s mother, Donna, now heads the racing and breeding operation, which includes Gosger, a homebred who is the 9-2 third choice in the morning line for the 58th edition of the Haskell.

The Haskell headlines a 14-race card featuring six stakes races (five graded). First race post-time on Saturday is noon.

In addition to Grade 1 glory and the seven-figure purse, the Haskell is designated as a “Win and You’re In” race, guaranteeing a spot in the starting gate for the $7 million Breeders’ Cup Classic at Del Mar on Nov. 1 for the race winner.

“We’ve come to the Haskell before, but this is the first time we’ve had a horse run in it,” said the 35-year-old Clarke, who has taken over his dad’s A.J. Clarke Real Estate Corporation in New York City and inherited his passion for the sport from his father. “This is very special. The Haskell carries a lot of weight.”

The Brendan Walsh-trained Gosger, winner of the Grade 3 Lexington Stakes in April, is no lightweight in the tough field of eight 3-year-olds that includes dual Grade 1 winner Journalism, the Grade 1-winning Burnham Square, Goal Oriented, Bracket Buster, Kentucky Outlaw, National Law, and Wildncrazynight.

“He’s a half to Grade 1 winner Harvey’s Lil Goil and he’s out of a half to (2012 Kentucky Derby and Preakness winner) I’ll Have Another,” said Clarke. “He’s got a great brain. He’s cool. Nothing bothers him. He’s just a really nice horse.

“This horse is a joy. From the time he was very small we’ve always had high hopes for him.”

Gosger enters the Haskell off a narrow half-length defeat in the May 17 Preakness won by Journalism, the early 4-5 favorite in the Haskell field.

Under Luis Saez, Gosger had opened up in mid-stretch and looked like the sure winner but then gave way grudgingly to the determined Journalism as that rival staged a furious rally.

“He ran a hell of a race in the Preakness,” said Walsh, who was on the grounds on Friday to supervise final preparations. “It took a very good horse to come by us. I think my horse ran an ‘A’ race.”

Now Gosger, who has a record of 2-2-0 in four starts and has earned $692,200, gets a rematch with Journalism in the first start back for both colts. The Preakness was run at 1 3/16^th miles while the Haskell is contested at 1 1/8 miles.

“I think with this race being a little bit shorter it’s going to be a positive for us,” Walsh said. “The Preakness was only our fourth run. I think the horse has been improving physically all through the year and I think he’ll improve again tomorrow, and I think he’ll even improve after tomorrow.

“We’ve got a lot of boxes checked. Whether he’ll be good enough, we’ll find out tomorrow. Obviously, we came here because we think we have a chance tomorrow. Anybody that beats us is going to have to bring their running shoes.”

Goal Oriented has brought his racing plates from Southern California and the stable of Bob Baffert. The Hall of Famer holds the Haskell record of nine wins but his last was in 2020 with the eventual Horse of the Year Authentic.

Goal Oriented, the 4-1 second early pick, breaks from the far outside under reigning Eclipse Award champion Flavien Prat.

“We got a good post. Our horses seem to like this track so I’m hoping for big things out of him,” said Jimmy Barnes, Baffert’s longtime top assistant. “Journalism is tough horse and he’s going to be tough to beat but we’ll give it a try.”

Goal Oriented has only run three times and his last effort was a fourth-place finish in the Preakness. The son of Not This Time is making his second start in a top-level race.

“This horse is lightly raced but he’s a big, strong, beautiful horse,” said Barnes. “He needs to show a lot of improvement, but I think he is improving. He’s moving forward. He’s just getting ready. Some horses need four or five races before they’re actually fit. I really think that we’ve moved up. We put two turns into him a couple of times and he’s training well so it’s time to put him in a big race. We’re excited.”

Story by Lynne Snierson

Monmouth Park Publicity Staff