On a weekend when most racing fans were directing their attention to the Haskell Stakes at Monmouth and the Shuvee Stakes at Saratoga, the most remarkable performance in the sport occurred in a $30,000 claiming race for Iowa-breds at Prairie Meadows.

Topper T, a well-traveled 7-year-old, won that race with a stunning Beyer Speed Figure of 110, the third-highest such figure of the year. Cody’s Wish tops the list with the 112 he earned winning the prestigious Metropolitan Mile.

Here we go. The first summer Saturday with both Saratoga and Del Mar rolling, and it’s Haskell Day in New Jersey – a horseplayers’ bonanza.

Haskell

Is it just me, or is this the most interesting, deepest Haskell in years?

Handicapping the horses is difficult enough. Handicapping the weather adds another layer of complexity. If all the rain comes that’s supposed to come, grass stakes in New York, New Jersey, Maryland, and Delaware are going to be contested on soft or yielding ground or moved to dirt. Let’s see if that creates opportunities.

Diana

I touted and bet In Italian at an extremely generous 8-1 when she won the 2022 Diana. A year later, you either pass the race or get wild and try to beat In Italian at something like 3-5.