Gosger Hopes To Make The Grade In The Haskell Stakes
Report card time can represent some anxious moments. Do you have the numbers to be considered one of the good ones in your class? School is still in session for the three-year-old Thoroughbreds and a big test is coming up for one runner in particular at the Haskell stakes on July 19.
Gosger is a beautifully marked son of Nyquist that made himself well-known with a courageous run in the Preakness Stakes. Under the masterful conditioning care of Brendan Walsh, this powerful striding colt came within a neck of shocking the world at odds of 15-1 in the second leg of the Triple Crown series. He may have not gotten the A+ he was looking for at Pimlico, but a stellar performance in just his fourth career start was still something to behold.
'He absolutely ran great in the Preakness', says Walsh. 'We think he ran a winning race, we just unfortunately were up against a fantastic horse in Journalism that overcame a lot and just refused to lose.'
In the 150th Preakness, Walsh's charge broke beautifully under jockey Luis Saez and stalked a solid pace (23.16 opening quarter, 46.66 half mile). Turning for home, this grandson of Tapit took the lead and rolled clear while Journalism was trading paint with a pair of runners five lengths behind. As the wire drew closer, Gosger saw his lead diminish as the powerful and far more experienced Journalism dug deep. Eclipsed at the shadow of the finish pole, this youngster lost his cigar to a run for the record books. The final sixteenth of a mile turned in by Journalism is said to perhaps be the fastest in Preakness history.
Prior to his heroics at old Hilltop, Gosger had given the wily Walsh all the signs he was ready for a big test. After a second-place finish in his only start at two, this Kentucky-bred won his three-year-old debut at Gulfstream Park in February, then aced the graded stakes exam with an impressive score in the Lexington Stakes at Keeneland.
'We have always thought highly of him', says Walsh, a native of Cork, Ireland. 'He was bred to be a good horse but we just had to be a little more patient with him. Illness and a big growth spurt set him back just a bit, but we like what he is doing now'.
The performances at Keeneland and Pimlico, along with recent works have the Gosger team excited about a run in the Haskell Stakes. Contested at Monmouth Park in New Jersey, this mile and an eighth run over the Oceanport dirt offers $1 million in purse money and an automatic berth in the Breeders' Cup Classic. Facing another stellar field with Luis Saez back aboard, Gosger will have a chance to prove he belongs at the top of this class of three-year-old males.
'Luis was eager to get back on him for this race and we are very excited for this opportunity', says Walsh. 'Gosger has not always been the best work horse but recent efforts in training have been very good. He always shows up on race day and we hope to see him continue to move forward.'
The grade 1 Haskell Stakes will be run on July 19 as the centerpiece of a card that features six Stakes races. Gosger currently has two wins and two second place finishes in four lifetime starts with career earnings of $692,200.Gosger aced the Lexington Stakes test on April 12
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