Speed will be on full display Saturday when a field of seven three-year-olds, led by disqualified Kentucky Derby winner Maximum Security, enters the starting gate for the 2019 Haskell Invitational at Monmouth Park. Six of the seven 2019 Haskell horses in the 1 1/8-mile race prefer to be first or second in the early going. Only the Dale Romans-trained Everfast typically comes from off the pace. Despite the abundance of speed, Maximum Security is the favorite in the current 2019 Haskell Invitational odds at 8-5. The Bob Baffert-trained Mucho Gusto is right behind Maximum Security on the 2019 Haskell odds board at 2-1, while the Todd Pletcher-trained King for a Day is 5-2. The other four 2019 Haskell Invitational contenders are 10-1 or higher. Post time is 5:47 p.m. ET. With so much speed in the race, you'll want to hear what SportsLine's Jody Demling has to say before making any 2019 Haskell Invitational picks of your own.
A fixture in the horse racing world who has been writing about, talking about and betting on races for years, Demling scored big last year in the Haskell. Not only did he nail Good Magic winning at Monmouth Park, but he also called Bravazo taking second, winning the exacta with ease. He hit his trifecta and superfecta too, and anyone who followed his advice scored big.
In January, he nailed the superfecta at the prestigious Pegasus World Cup -- a $678 payout on a $1 bet. The following month, he hit the superfecta at the Robert B. Lewis Stakes and correctly picked War of Will to win the Risen Star Stakes.
In April, Demling scored the exacta and trifecta in the Santa Anita Derby, Blue Grass Stakes and Wood Memorial on the same day. One week later, he hit the same bets in the Arkansas Derby. The following week, he nailed the exacta, trifecta and superfecta in the Dixiana Elkhorn Stakes.
In May, he scored his exotics in the Black-Eyed Susan Stakes, turning a $50.40 investment into $208.57. He's also hit nine of the last 11 Oaks-Derby doubles at Churchill Downs, meaning he's held a ticket with the winners of both races all but twice in the last 11 years. Anyone who has followed him is way up.
Now, Demling has analyzed the entire 2019 Haskell lineup and released where he says every horse will finish.
One surprise: We can tell you that Demling is fading King for a Day even though the colt is one of the top Vegas favorites. In fact, Demling says King for a Day barely hits the board. King for a Day has three wins and one third place finish in five career starts. He has won two straight races, including the Pegasus Stakes at Monmouth Park in which he upset the highly favored Maximum Security.
However in the Pegasus, King for a Day was able to hound Maximum Security from the outside all the way around the track. In Saturday's race, with King for a Day in the No. 1 post position and Maximum Security outside, the former is unlikely to get the chance to employ that same tactic. To win, he'll need to lead from wire-to-wire with other speed horses hounding him or work a trip from the rail, neither of which is an ideal scenario.
Demling is also high on a underrated horse who's primed for a breakout at the 2019 Haskell Invitational. He's putting him in his exactas, trifectas, and superfectas, and so should you. He is only sharing which horse it is, along with his entire projected leaderboard, over at SportsLine.
Which horse wins the Haskell Invitational 2019? And which underrated horse is a must-back? Check out the latest Haskell Invitational odds below, then visit SportsLine to see Demling's picks for the Haskell Invitational.
Maximum Security (8-5)
Mucho Gusto (2-1)
King for a Day (5-2)
Everfast (10-1)
Joevia (10-1)
Spun to Run (15-1)
Bethlehem Road (20-1)