Haskell purse bumped to $1.75 million.
 

Whoa baby.

Can someone explain why they would wait until today to announce the increase? I would have thought if they announced it a few weeks ago that some others may have come.

To make sure that American Pharoah was definitely coming. And they announced it today in the afternoon, after AP's plane landed and after entries were already closed for the Jim Dandy too (w/ the WV Derby and Curling being drawn the other day).

Seems that they wanted a couple more to run and entice them by $$ for 2nd, 3rd, and g1 black type for running behind AP.,who wants to ship to WVA ?


OCEANPORT, N.J. – Late Wednesday afternoon, shortly before Triple Crown winner American Pharoah arrived at Monmouth Park, track management raised the purse of Sunday's Grade 1 Haskell Invitational from $1 million to $1.75 million.

The purse increase comes less than 24 hours before entries were to be taken for the Haskell. There are four stakes for 3-year-olds in the East this week, and the competition for horses has been intense.

The $100,000 Curlin Stakes will be run Friday at Saratoga. On Saturday, the Grade 2, $600,000 Jim Dandy will be run at Saratoga and the Grade 2, $750,000 West Virginia Derby will be run at Mountaineer. On Sunday, American Pharoah tops the Haskell. All four stakes are at 1 1/8 miles.

Some horsemen have been on the fence regarding which race to choose. The hope of Monmouth management is that the extra $750,000 in purse money for the Haskell will help them make up their minds.

"It's a great purse, and hopefully we get an extra horse or two," said Mike Dempsey, the director of racing at Monmouth Park.
spiketoo is online now

It was done to lure Upstart, Here's hoping that Upstart upsets The Pharaoh