The Lead:
Monmouth Park gears up for its July 19 signature day of summer with this Saturday's Haskell Preview Day card. Not only will the $150,000 Pegasus Stakes prepare the 3-year-olds for the Haskell Invitational, but 5 divisional stakes are stuffed into the Haskell Preview program. The Grade 3 $150,000 Salvator Mile goes as Race 10 of 12 and is part of those 5 consecutive stakes to wrap up the day's action. It serves as a prep for the Iselin next month.

​Field Depth:
Grade 2 winner TRADEMARK and Grade 3 winner BISHOPS BAY have the field's signature victories. Stakes winners TUSCAN SKY and NELSON AVENUE also own Grade 3 placings. OFFALY COOL and VITALITY are additional stakes winners. TRADEMARK, TUSCAN SKY and BISHOPS BAY have the strength of schedule edge.
​​
Pace:
The speed figures to come from posts 7-8-9 as NELSON AVENUE is most likely to show first with AWESOME RUTA and BISHOPS BAY certainly preferring to be in the mix; the latter the faster of the pair. OFFALY COOL has the ability to be in the hunt if that's the rider intent. The pace looks average for a mile stakes.

Our Eyes:
Here are my horse-by-horse notes.

#1-ANTIGRAVITY: Monmouth specialist has 5 local wins and is 0-27 out of town. Last year's third-place finisher in the Iselin has lost 6 in a row despite a previous drop in class and would be a surprise wakeup at age 7.

#2-TRADEMARK: $1.1 million earner ran third in this race 2 years ago before a narrow runner-up in the 2023 Iselin and later won the Grade 2 Clark at Churchill to close that big season. But nothing went right in 2024 for the Vickie Oliver trainee, going 0-6 and last seen sixth in the Fayette at Keeneland in October. Not the easiest spot for the comeback, traveling from Keeneland base off a series of works.

#3-TUSCAN SKY: Last year's Pegasus Stakes winner on this same card at age 3, the gelded son of Vino Rosso takes his game to the elder ranks in his return bid. Seeks his first win of 2025, but did run third in Gulfstream's Grade 3 Ghostzapper to top-class White Abarrio in March. Turf experiment in the Fort Marcy last out didn't produce, so Todd Pletcher brings this one back to a familiar track and surface. John Velazquez pilots this legit contender.

#4-OFFALY COOL: Parx-based stakes winner exits a comfortable allowance win May 27 at his home track. Jacinto Solis trainee has traveled with some success, a runner-up in Laurel's John B. Campbell Handicap and a couple of Monmouth second-place finishes, including the 2023 Long Branch Stakes. Respect a horse 13-for-18 in the exacta lifetime. He has pace versatility to be in the mix.

#5-SURFACE TO AIR: First start of 2025 for well-traveled horse claimed for $30,000 off a Keeneland maiden win 14 months ago. Trainer Panagiotis Synnefias got massive improvement out of this one at the end of 2024. No threat seventh in the Monmouth Cup on this card a year ago over 9 furlongs.

#6-VITALITY: Canada's Prince of Wales winner to close his nation's Triple Crown in 2024, new trainer Joe Orseno wintered him at Gulfstream and returned May 11 with a 1-turn mile allowance victory. Street Boss gelding makes his first trip to Monmouth, but notably won the second start of his form cycle last season while also moving from 1-turn to 2-turn racing. Two local works for this.

#7-NELSON AVENUE: Jorge Abreu brings the expected early speed from New York and exits a deep resume primarily of 1-turn races. Outstanding wet-track form if rain is a factor and does own a 2-turn allowance win at Horseshoe Indianapolis 13 months ago. Abreu takes over for Wayne Potts for the first time.

#8-AWESOME RUTA: Third off the layoff in a sprint-sprint-route form cycle, this Dan Ward trainee could be sitting on a breakout race. Won a 2-turn mile allowance at Monmouth last summer and has been top-3 in all 5 starts since coming to this barn. Isaac Castillo has combined for a 22% win rate with Ward locally.

#9-BISHOPS BAY: Clear-cut favorite has won 3 straight and is 9: 6-3-0 for high-powered connections of Brad Cox and Flavien Prat. Has won around 1-turn and 2 during his current streak and over multiple racetracks. Speedster could get hung wide with a short run into the first turn, but may be superior and able to give away the ground loss.

Most Likely Exotics Contender:
BISHOP'S BAY is 9-9 in the exacta and brings class and top form to the party.

Best Longshot Contender:
AWESOME RUTA is going to be a solid price and this form cycle hints at a huge effort.

Sending it in ($100 bankroll):
$45 exacta part-wheel BISHOP's BAY with AWESOME RUTA and VITALITY ($90). $10 win AWESOME RUTA.