Haskell Invitational Handicap
| Grade I race | |
| Location |
Monmouth Park Racetrack Oceanport, New Jersey, U.S. |
|---|---|
| Inaugurated | 1968 |
| Race type | Thoroughbred - Flat racing |
| Website | www |
| Race information | |
| Distance | 1 1⁄8 miles (9 furlongs) |
| Surface | Dirt |
| Track | left-handed |
| Qualification | Three-year-olds - invitation only |
| Weight | 122 lbs. Non-winners of a triple crown race allowed 2 lbs; Non-winners of a Grade I at a mile or over in the same calendar year allowed 4 lbs |
| Purse | $1,000,000 |
| Bonuses | The owner and trainer of any Triple Crown race victor which starts in the Haskell receives a $25,000 bonus per Triple Crown race victory. A $10,000 trainer's bonus is awarded for each horse starting in the Haskell that is a Grade 1 winner and has not won a leg of the Triple Crown. |
The Haskell Invitational (formerly known as the Haskell Invitational Handicap) is an American Grade I race for thoroughbred horses. In 1968, the Board of Directors of Monmouth Park Racetrack in Oceanport, New Jersey honored its former President and Chairman Amory L. Haskell (1893-1966) with the Amory L. Haskell Handicap, a race for older horses. In 1981, the race was made an invitation-only stakes for 3-year-olds at 1 1⁄8 miles. It has been run under allowance weight conditions beginning with the 2006 running. In 2011, Resorts Casino Hotel in Atlantic City, New Jersey became an official sponsor of the race. In 2016, the official sponsor became betfair.com.
A major race for three-year-olds in between the U.S. Triple Crown series and the Breeders' Cup, it currently offers a purse of US$1,000,000 and awards one of the most prestigious trophies in U.S. thoroughbred racing in the Haskell Invitational Trophy.
In 1968, Monmouth Park inarguarated the Amory L. Haskell Handicap to honor its former president, Amory L. Haskell. In 1981, the race became an invitational handicap for three-year-olds. In 2006, the race was changed from a handicap to allowance weight conditions.
In 1997, the purse for the race was increased to $1,000,000 and has since remained at that level with two exceptions. In 2002, the purse was increased to $1,500,000 due to the presence of War Emblem, winner of the Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes. In 2015, the purse was increased to $1,750,000 as it featured American Pharoah in his first race since winning the Triple Crown. The 2015 running attracted a record New Jersey crowd of 60,983.
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