Haskell horses get in workouts

OCEANPORT, N.J. - Several of the contenders for the Grade 1, $1 million Haskell at Monmouth Park on July 27 tuned up on Saturday morning.

Irish You Well and Just Call Kenny, the 1-2 finishers in the Long Branch Stakes, both worked at Monmouth.

Irish You Well went five furlongs in 1:00 for trainer Wayne Catalano.

Just Call Kenny turned in a six-furlong drill in 1:14.

“He started out nice and relaxed,” said Just Call Kenny's trainer, Pat McBurney. “We caught the last three-eighths in 35 4/5. He was just loping along the first quarter. He caught a glimpse of a horse in the lane and went after him, even on the gallop-out. It was good.”

The Long Branch was Just Call Kenny’s first race since capturing the Spectacular Bid Stakes at Gulfstream Park in January. He suffered a condylar fracture in that victory and underwent surgery to insert two screws.

It’s been a scramble to make up for lost time, with the Haskell rapidly approaching.

With that in mind, McBurney might breeze Just Call Kenny once more on Wednesday.

“We’ll watch to make sure he’s doing everything good," he said. "If we send him out, it would be for a slow half-mile, which would have him breathing fire come Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday.”

At Churchill Downs, Medal Count went five furlongs in 1:00.80 for trainer Dale Romans.

The Haskell will be his first outing since running third in the Belmont Stakes.

“I thought he made a really solid effort in the Belmont,” Romans said from Saratoga. “He showed he belongs with the best of them. He’s just starting to get better and better.”

Romans said he will ship the colt to Monmouth sometime midweek.

Things will really be popping here on Thursday when the sensational filly Untapable and Bayern both arrive.

They will both be stabled with Kelly Breen, who also has Encryption, third in the Long Branch, pointed to the Haskell.