3 Best Bets to Win the 2025 Haskell Stakes

Key Takeaways

• Journalism is the clear horse to beat, bringing pace versatility, proven Grade 1 class, and a stellar record into a field of 3-year-olds without his toughest rival, Sovereignty.
• Burnham Square gets a better setup than last out, and Brian Hernandez's decision to ride him over a Grade 1 filly at Saratoga speaks volumes about the colt’s live chances.
• Gosger has upside with a slight cutback in distance, and if the Monmouth track favors speed, his tactical stalking style could give him a key edge over deeper closers.

The Grade 1, $1 million Haskell Stakes happens Saturday, July 19, at Monmouth Park. The 1 ⅛-mile race is the first of the prestige summer events for the three-year-old dirt routers. Featuring a mix of familiar faces from the Triple Crown as well as later bloomers trying for a foothold amid the divisional leaders, the race not only offers a seven-figure purse but also a bid to the Breeders’ Cup Classic, the only chance to earn one while facing straight sophomore company.

The Haskell drew eight entrants. Leading the way is Journalism, who won the Preakness and was the runner-up to Sovereignty in both the Kentucky Derby and the Belmont Stakes. Three others in the field contested Triple Crown races: Burnham Square makes his second start since a troubled sixth in the Kentucky Derby, while both Gosger and Goal Oriented race for the first time since chasing Journalism home at Pimlico.

The field also features four newer faces, trying to gain a foothold among the top horses in their class. They include the top two finishers from the Pegasus, Bracket Buster, and Wildncrazynight. National Law comes out of a fourth-place finish in the Pegasus, and Kentucky Outlaw attempts to bounce back from a defeat as the Delaware Derby favorite.

Post time for the Haskell is at 5:45 p.m. EDT, with the first post on the card being noon EDT. The 14-race card features five other stakes races, including four at the graded level. The card is one of the biggest horse racing events of the summer.

For now, it is time for a closer look. These are the best bets for the Haskell Stakes:

1. Journalism (2025 Haskell Stakes odds: 4-5)

Michael McCarthy has a reputation for being cautious yet shrewd, and he proved on the biggest stage with Journalism in the Triple Crown series that he is also not afraid to keep running a horse when that horse is in great form. After about a month and a half off, Journalism returns to action for the Haskell, and he appears well placed. The only nut he hasn’t been able to crack yet this year has been dual classic winner Sovereignty—with that foe staying at Saratoga Race Course for the Jim Dandy, Journalism won’t have as tough a test at Monmouth Park as he did in his last three starts.

It won’t be trivial, of course. Both Burnham Square and Gosger have found excellent efforts in Grade 1 races, Goal Oriented comes out for prodigious Haskell winner Bob Baffert, and there is always some chance one of the new faces could step forward. However, Journalism’s usual day at the office is fast enough to force anyone else in the field to find their absolute best to have to beat him. And, with several horses in the field likely to show early speed, Journalism’s ability to settle and then find a sustained run gives him an advantage.

In short, sometimes the favorite just looks like the goods. And, in the Haskell, Journalism is just that good: he has never been out of the trifecta, he hasn’t been out of the exacta since his debut, and he is a fast, pace-versatile horse who can run his race at any track, from any post position. This all adds up to a contender who has earned a strong place in all Haskell Stakes wagers.

2. Burnham Square (2025 Haskell Stakes odds: 5-1)

The Blue Grass (G1) winner comes into the Haskell off of a runner-up finish in the Matt Winn (G3) at Churchill Downs. The Matt Winn was a somewhat odd case—it scratched down to just a field of four left to compete. East Avenue used his early speed to good effect, but Burnham Square ran a tenacious second, beaten just half a length, in a race that did not set up as well for him and was also just on the short side for him.

This race sets up better than the one he lost last out. Burnham Square stretches back out to 1 ⅛ miles, the distance at which he won the Blue Grass back in April. Instead of a lone speed situation, he’ll get a contested one: Bracket Buster and Wildncrazynight should dispute terms like they did in the Pegasus last month. Gosger and perhaps even Goal Oriented could also help make things lively up front. That difference in pace setup means Burnham Square should make a sharp late run.

It also stands out that Brian Hernandez heads to Monmouth Park to ride Burnham Square in the Haskell. Hernandez is very much Kenny McPeek’s jockey, and McPeek has Take Charge Milady in the Coaching Club American Oaks (G1) at Saratoga Race Course, fresh off her defeat of champion Immersive last out. And yet? Hernandez doesn’t go to the Spa, he decides to visit the Jersey Shore to ride Burnham Square, trained by Ian Wilkes. That reads as a big vote of confidence.

3. Gosger (2025 Haskell Stakes odds: 9-2)

Gosger won the Lexington (G3) in his graded-stakes debut, then looked like the upset winner of the Preakness Stakes until Journalism made an improbable late run to catch him. Still, it was an excellent effort in his first time in graded company, and his first time stretching out to a classic distance. Now, Gosger has that experience and fitness underneath him. He also dials back a half-furlong, something that could give him some more upside at this point in his career.

In terms of pace, he will be near a lively one, which is reason to demand a price. But, especially with Journalism and Goal Oriented in the mix, he should be enough of a price to be interesting for price seekers. His stalking ability should keep him out of the worst of the pace battle, and he stands to get an early run. Especially if Monmouth is playing favorably to forwardly-placed horses on Haskell day—something that isn’t unheard-of for the track—it could work out well for him that he gets the jump on later-running foes like Journalism or Burnham Square.

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