3 Best Bets to Win the 2026 Haskell Stakes

Key Takeaways:

• The Haskell is the summer's first major proving ground for Triple Crown horses. With a Breeders' Cup Classic berth on the line, it offers sophomores a chance to establish themselves for the second half of the season.
• A tactical trip should be the key to victory. Monmouth typically favors horses with early position, making pace and stalking ability critical in this year's field.
• Napoleon Solo gets an ideal setup to build on his Preakness win. His tactical speed, favorable distance, and Paco Lopez's outstanding Monmouth form make him a logical top choice.
• The Puma has the class to make an immediate impact off the layoff. His Florida Derby form stacks up well, and the switch to Luis Saez could help him stay closer to the pace.
• Baby Vino offers the best longshot appeal. His dominant Pegasus Stakes win and stalking style suggest he can outrun his odds if he handles the class jump.

The Grade 1, $1 million Haskell Stakes is the flagship race of the Monmouth Park summer horse racing meet, and it’s coming up Saturday, July 19. The 1 ⅛-mile race is the first major target of classic horses since the Triple Crown series. And, in addition to the million-dollar purse, horses are also competing for an automatic bid to the Breeders’ Cup Classic – the only Win, and You’re In berth available in a race restricted to sophomores.

The 2026 edition of the Haskell drew a field of seven, including some of the leading contenders from the Triple Crown races. Those include Preakness 1-2 finishers Napoleon Solo and Iron Honor, Blue Grass (G1) and Matt Winn Stakes (G3) winner Further Ado, Florida Derby (G1) runner-up The Puma, and Kentucky Derby third-place finisher Ocelli. A pair of long shots from the local prep, Baby Vino and Star Sweeper, also try the biggest stage for the first time on Haskell day.

The 14-race card at Monmouth begins at noon EDT on Saturday, with the Haskell Stakes post time set for 5:45 p.m. EDT. The Haskell is one of seven stakes races on the card, including four graded-stakes races. So, make plans to watch and wager all day with FanDuel!

Picks for the Haskell Stakes

Here is a closer look at the three best bets in the 2026 edition of the Haskell Stakes:

1. Napoleon Solo (2026 Haskell Stakes odds: 5-2)

Napoleon Solo had a lot to prove in the Preakness Stakes, and he proved everything he needed to: he proved he had trained on at age three, he proved he could rate and rally against good horses, and he proved he could go two turns. It took a few starts for him to his stride at age three, but he did it in the Preakness and the Haskell looks like a perfect return race. The race was Plan A for trainer Chad Summers, basically as soon as Napoleon Solo got out of the Preakness, and it’s always a good thing when Plan A comes to fruition.

Monmouth rewards horses with speed – winners don’t have to be pacesetters, but unless there’s a serious pace collapse, closers don’t tend to be winners. Napoleon Solo is fast enough to be forward in a race where a pace collapse looks highly unlikely, but also proved in the Preakness that he can find a stalking gear. The distance of the Preakness looked like it was near the upper limit of his ability to stay, but the Haskell is a sixteenth of a mile shorter, a cutback that should suit him nicely. And, finally, jockey Paco Lopez – Napoleon Solo’s regular rider, anyway – has been riding Monmouth like no one else this year. He is winning almost half the time, with 43 wins in 94 starts, leading into the current race week. This all adds up to one very live runner.

2. The Puma (2026 Haskell Stakes odds: 7-2)

The Puma shaped as a major Kentucky Derby contender, but was scratched the day of Churchill Downs’ signature race. Though that didn’t go according to plan, his connections announced fairly soon after that scratch that the Haskell would be his return spot, and it’s good to see that plan is coming together.

His form on the Kentucky Derby trail was strong: he beat likely Haskell chalk Further Ado in the Tampa Bay Derby (G3) and was just nosed out by Commandment in the Florida Derby. Commandment has shaken out to be a good one – he had a troubled trip when seventh in the Kentucky Derby and bounced back with a good second to Golden Tempo in the Belmont Stakes. The Puma made it back to the worktab in early June, has worked six times since then, and though the easy six-furlong work is a little more typical Gustavo Delgado than the bullet five right before the race, it’s still a positive sign coming off the layoff.

Pace is the biggest question for The Puma, since a pace collapse is unlikely, and Monmouth rewards speed. However, Gulfstream Park also rewards speed, and The Puma closed into a downright pedestrian pace to miss by a nose in the Florida Derby. That suggests he is less pace-dependent than the average closer. Furthermore, he gets a switch to jockey Luis Saez – it was an unplanned change, as usual, jockey Javier Castellano was injured in a spill at Saratoga, but Saez’s more aggressive style could be a perfect fit for Monmouth.

3. Baby Vino (2026 Haskell Stakes odds: 15-1)

In a race stratified between well-known Grade 1 types and up-and-coming horses, a good strategy for finding a price is asking if any of the new faces can run a race competitive with the big-name horses. Baby Vino might be able to, and at boxcar odds, he has enough upside to be worth a look.

Class is, of course, the question with Baby Vino. The Lindsay Schultz trainee needed five starts to get off the mark at Oaklawn this winter and spring, but finally put it all together closing weekend. He stepped right from that to stakes company in the Pegasus Stakes, the 1 1/16-mile local prep for the Haskell. He was well bet that day, though not the favorite, 5-2 in a nine-horse field, and then won by 10 ½ lengths in stalk-and-pounce fashion. In a race without a likely pace collapse, that running style is exactly the one likely to play well once again.

The biggest question is whether Baby Vino can run back to, or even improve upon, that Pegasus effort. He’ll need to at least run back to it in order to get a share, and he’ll need to take a step forward from that already career-best race in order to be a win candidate. Still, he’ll be a long enough price to take that gamble.

New to FanDuel Racing? Place your first bet of $10 on any race at any track & get $50 back in Racing Bonus. See here for full terms and conditions. Learn about today’s other offers at FanDuel Racing Promos.

Sign up for FanDuel Sportsbook and FanDuel Daily Fantasy today!

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.