Good Magic was the 6-5 favorite going into the $1 million 2018 Haskell Invitational on July 29 at Monmouth Park, Oceanport, and with good reason.
The 3-year-old finished second in the Kentucky Derby and fourth in the Preakness Stakes earlier this year. He was also well-rested, taking a 10-week hiatus from the Preakness to the Haskell.
Shortly before 6 p.m., Good Magic delivered. On the far side of the track, away from the spectators, he made his move, speeding up and passing Roaming Union, a 10-1 underdog who had sprinted out to an early lead.
Good Magic galloped away from the field, rounded the turn and came down the stretch in front of a crowd of 37,196 spectators. He kept gaining steam and put distance between himself and the other competitors in the field of seven horses.
When he crossed the finish line, Good Magic was three lengths ahead of Bravazo, who was second in the Preakness. Lone Sailor was third. Good Magic finished the 1⅛ mile Haskell in 1:50.01.
Good Magic paid $3 to win, $2.40 to place and $2.10 to show. Bravazo paid $4 and $2.60. Lone Sailor paid $2.60.
Good Magic is owned by Bob Edwards and Barbara Banke. After his win, Good Magic walked to the winners’ circle, and his owners and his trainer, Chad Brown, were awarded the golden Haskell trophy. The trio smiled and posed for pictures.
“In the first turn I was so happy. He was right where we wanted. He’s just a great horse,” Brown said. “We felt really good coming into this race because we let him get fresh after the Preakness. After a couple weeks he started to get his weight back, his strength back. His last workouts in particular were very sharp.”
“He was a heavy favorite, but he still had to run the race and show up, and he did,” Edwards said.
“It was awesome,” Banke added. “We’re very proud of him.”
Good Magic’s jockey, Jose Ortiz, planned his horse’s late surge and said, “When I asked him to push the button, he was there for me. It was a really easy trip. He made it easy for me.”
After their press conference, Edwards, Banke, Brown and Ortiz retreated into a private room for drinks and victory talk. Back downstairs, in the concourse and the Monmouth Park Sports Book by William Hill, people were crowded around TVs, watching baseball.
The biggest horse race of the day was over, but the action still had many hours to go.
“We got the Cubs-Cardinals game tonight,” said Scott Hurley, of Brick Township, referring to the last Major League Baseball game of the day, starting just after 8 p.m.
This is the new Monmouth Park, a haven for horse racing buffs and sports fans alike. The opening of the sports book in June has ushered the park into a new, more lucrative, more cross-generational era. Older adults came for the Haskell. Younger adults came for the sports book.
John Nealon, of Freehold, and John Giovacco, of Ramsey, have been friends for 50 years. They started coming to the Haskell in 2000. About an hour before the race , they were huddled at a table on the concourse, looking over a race book.
“We like Good Magic today,” said Giovacco, referring to the Haskell favorite.
“Yeah, for what he did in the Triple Crown races,” said Nealon.
Hurley and A.J. Esposito, also of Brick Township, are 24 and 25 years old, respectively, or two generations younger than Nealon and Giovacco. By 5 p.m., about 45 minutes before post time for the Haskell, they were focused on their MLB bets.
Hurley and Esposito had already won money. They bet that the Oakland Athletics and Colorado Rockies would score less than 6.5 runs in the first five innings of their game.
The A’s and Rockies combined for four runs in the first five innings. Hurley and Esposito won $40 each.
“We’re here for the book more than the race,” Hurley said. “We’ll bet on more baseball games today, too.”
Esposito was wearing a Tennessee Titans National Football League jersey. He said he will frequent the sports book during the upcoming NFL season.
“I was here on the first day it opened, too. It was much more disorganized. It has already gotten much better,” Esposito said. “I just wish it had electronic betting, or an app.”
Other young fans, who have grown up following sports online, agreed with Esposito.
“I love it here, but I want it to add touch screens,” said Dan Sullivan, of Colts Neck. “It’s harder to go up to the stand. People don’t understand what you want to bet a lot of times.”
The paper system will not stop Sullivan from coming back.
“I came for the race, stayed for the book,” he said, grinning. “I bet on a bunch of baseball games that are still going on.”
