Monmouth offers $1 million bonus for Haskell-Derby-Breeders' Cup Classic sweep

A horse that wins the Haskell, the Kentucky Derby, and the Breeders’ Cup Classic this year will be awarded a $1 million bonus by Monmouth Park, the host track of the Haskell, Monmouth announced Thursday.

The $1 million bonus will serve as an incentive for top 3-year-old horses to run in the Haskell, especially for those horses who are pointing to the Sept. 5 Kentucky Derby. The 1 1/8-mile Haskell is scheduled for July 18, one week after another major Derby prep, the Blue Grass Stakes, which has been rescheduled this year for July 11 during an abbreviated meet at Keeneland Racecourse in Lexington.

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This year, the Haskell Stakes has been designated as a points race for eligibility for the Derby, with 100 points earned by the winner, 40 points to the second-place finisher, 20 for third, and 10 for fourth. The Blue Grass has the same points system in place.

Monmouth Park has offered bonuses as incentives in the past. In 2015, in order to lure Triple Crown winner American Pharoah, the track bumped the $1 million purse to $1.75 million, and also offered the colt’s trainer and his owner a $75,000 participation bonus. Large multi-race bonuses are typically secured by insurance policies.

The Breeders’ Cup Classic, worth $7 million, is scheduled for Nov. 7 this year at Keeneland. The race is run at the Derby distance of 1 1/4 miles.

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