Baby Vino takes inside route to Haskell stunner
Trainer Schultz is first woman to win Haskell
Frank Vespe
July 18, 2026
Jorge Vargas, Jr. gambled on the inside route and came up with a royal flush.
Vargas, aboard 28-1 outsider Baby Vino, zipped through an inviting opening along the rail, and his mount outgamed Napoleon Solo to the wire to win Saturday’s $1 million, Grade 1 Haskell Stakes by a half-length.
Those two were 3 ½ lengths ahead of show horse Iron Honor, who was a neck better than The Puma. Further Ado, the post time favorite, finished fifth. Star Sweeper and Ocelli rounded out the field.
This article contains affiliate links. If you click and buy, we may earn a commission at no extra charge to you.
Pick up reliable and rewarding tickets for major events!
Baby Vino survived a stewards’ inquiry after a contentious stretch drive that saw both horses initiate bumping.
Napoleon Solo, Preakness winner, showed his customary early zip, seizing control of the nine-furlong Haskell in the first sixteenth of a mile. Rider Paco Lopez opted to keep Napoleon Solo well off the rail, and the duo doled out leisurely fractions of 24.15 seconds for the opener and 48.29 for the half-mile.
As the field approached the far turn, Vargas gunned Baby Vino through along the inside to reach virtually even terms with the leader rounding the far turn. Those two quickened away from post-time favorite Further Ado, the Grade 1 Blue Grass winner, rounding the turn and through the lane.
“This horse can make a run from anywhere, and we thought the way it would set up, there would be a lot of speed, and he would sit in behind,” said winning trainer Lindsay Schultz. “But there wasn’t as much speed as we thought, and I think, you know, [Vargas] made that call early in the race to get him up into it and take advantage of that.”
They covered six furlongs in 1:12.01 and reached the finish line in 1:50.18 over a sloppy, sealed main track.
Baby Vino, a three-year-old colt by Vino Rosso, took five tries to break his maiden, finally doing so May 1 at Oaklawn Park. In his next start, in Monmouth’s Pegasus Stakes, he obliterated the field, winning by 10 lengths. He is owned by Cosmo Stables and Delta Squad Racing LLC.
That led to today, in which he faced his sternest test yet. In addition to the Preakness winner, his rivals included Blue Grass winner Further Ado, Florida Derby runner-up The Puma, Preakness runner-up Iron Honor, and Kentucky Derby show horse Ocelli.
But Baby Vino passed the test with flying colors. Baby Vino paid $58.00 to win and topped an exacta that returned $153.40 for a one-dollar wager.
In so doing, he earned a spot in the Breeders’ Cup Classic, gave Vargas and Schultz their first Grade 1 wins, and made Schultz the first female trainer to win the Haskell.
“I feel so thankful to be here,” Schultz said. “With [the ownership] and our whole team, getting the horse to this point, it’s awesome to do it at Monmouth Park.”
NOTES In other graded stakes action on the Haskell undercard, Knightsbridge spread-eagled the field in the Grade 3 Monmouth Cup, winning by 10 1/4 lengths and finishing 38 1/4 lengths ahead of the fourth-place finisher. Flavien Prat was up for Bill Mott… Splendora routed her rivals in the Grade 2 Molly Pitcher, winning by 5 1/2 lengths as the 3-10 favorite with Prat up for Bob Baffert… Grayosh rallied late to win the Grade 3 Matchmaker on the turf for trainer Chad Brown. Tyler Gaffalione was in the irons… Brown and Prat teamed up as multiple Grade 1 winner Program Trading won the Grade 2 United Nations… Of the day’s seven stakes, five of the winners were odds-on, the exceptions being Baby Vino ($58.00) and Grayosh ($19.60)…
Pick up reliable and rewarding tickets for major events!
LATEST NEWS
