Monmouth Park: Haskell next stop for Golden Soul

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - Golden Soul, the longshot runner-up in the Kentucky Derby, was withheld from the Virginia Derby on the grass at Colonial Downs last weekend to run instead in the July 29 Haskell Invitational at Monmouth Park.

Trainer Dallas Stewart said early this week before leaving Louisville for Saratoga that he did not want to risk a second straight subpar race for his stable star. The colt ran ninth in the June 8 Belmont Stakes in his only start since the Kentucky Derby.

“I decided I just wanted to wait for the Haskell instead of trying something new and maybe having another bad-looking race on his past performances,” said Stewart. “We know what we’ve got with him on the dirt and I want to give him another chance to prove himself there.”

Golden Soul arrived Monday at Saratoga from Churchill Downs and is scheduled to have his first workout there Saturday or Sunday.

The 1 1/4-mile Virginia Derby, won by War Dancer in a three-horse photo, would have marked the turf debut for Golden Soul.

“He’s got the pedigree for the grass and he wants the distance,” said Stewart. “We’ll get to that one day.”