NEWS
Musket Man headed to Haskell
Posted: Thursday, May 21, 2009 5:33 PM
MUSKET MAN
Four Footed Fotos
After finishing third in the Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (G1) and BlackBerry Preakness Stakes (G1), Musket Man will receive a short vacation before targeting the Haskell Invitational Handicap (G1) on August 2 at Monmouth Park.
His trainer, Derek Ryan, is based at Monmouth.
“We’ll let him chill out on the farm for two or three weeks,” Ryan said. “He’s tired of traveling, and so am I. The Haskell has always been our summer goal. I want to make sure he’s ready.”
Ryan said the Tampa Bay Derby (G2) and Illinois Derby (G2) winner had to check hard between the half-mile pole and three-eighths pole in the Preakness, where he finished 1½ lengths behind Rachel Alexandra.
“He had a real chance to win the Preakness,” Ryan said. “If he doesn’t get stopped, he would have been two lengths behind the filly when he made his run in the stretch, and would have had a chance. But instead, he checked and fell back ten lengths behind her. He made the same move he always does, but he was too far back by then. She got the jump on us.”
