Brookdale and Monmouth Medical Center Launch Partnership to Expand Nursing Education and Workforce Pathways
July 14, 2025A Musical Love Story At New Jersey Repertory Company & Upcoming Plays
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GET SMOKIN LOOKING FOR FRONT-RUNNING REPEAT WIN IN SATURDAY’S GRADE 2 UNITED NATIONS
Eight-year-old Get Smokin ready for Monmouth Park on Saturday
OCEANPORT – At the advanced age of 8, Get Smokin will be looking to light up the Monmouth Park turf course once again in an attempt to defend his title in the $600,000, Grade 2 United Nations on Saturday’s NYRA Bets Haskell Stakes undercard.
Get Smokin, who is co-owned by Ironhorse Stable, Blackridge Stables, T-N-T Equine Holdings, and Saratoga Seven Racing Partners, blasted out of the gate in the 2024 edition of the race under jockey Fernando De La Cruz and never looked back as he completed the 1 3/8-mile distance in 2:12.57 on firm footing.
The 72nd running of the United Nations drew a field of 12.
“He went to the front, went fast, and went on with it. We remember Presious Passion (who took the 2008 and 2009 editions gate-to-wire). That is our horse’s game so we’re not going to re-invent the wheel at Monmouth Park,” said Harlan Malter of Ironhorse Racing Stable Stables. “He’s his own horse, definitely. If he had a theme song, it would be ‘My Way’ by Frank Sinatra. He’s going to do what he’s going to so and he’s going to run his race.”
The son of Get Stormy, who is trained by dual Hall of Famer Mark Casse, was bought for $11,000 as a yearling and then was purchased privately after his 4-year-old season. He has banked $2,144,200 from eight wins in 33 starts to date.
Casse entered today one win shy of 4,000 for his career.
“It was a very shrewd purchase,” said Malter, whose syndicate manages about 20 horses and owned Bucchero, the Indiana-bred winner of close to $1 million. “Bucchero, who ran right until his 6-year-old year, was our big horse prior to this one. He was a chestnut with four white socks. The chances of me getting another chestnut with four white socks who would kind of be like him … you don’t think (it can happen twice) to get a horse like this.
“You know, you buy a horse and think that, hopefully, you get a few good races, and he does well. But this horse? Get Smokin has been a dream to own.”
The gallant gelding has also been a welcome member to the barn of Casse, who won the 2016 United Nations with eventual Breeders’ Cup Mile winner and Turf Male champion World Approval.
“Mark has done a fantastic job, an unbelievable job, really an amazing job with him. We really let the horse tell us what he wants to do,” Malter said. “He had two tough races last year where we got some conditions we didn’t like and the setup we didn’t like. He threw in two `under’ performances so you say to yourself `it’s his 7-year old year,’ and then you ask `is he telling you something?’
“But Mark said the horse is doing fantastic and he wants to run. So we listened and ran him in the Valedictory (a Grade 3 stakes at Woodbine at 1½ miles on Dec. 7). It was full on, windswept giant snowflake snow blizzard and he went a mile-and-a-half on the lead in that race and was as happy as he could be. He finished up the year full of run.
“We’ve given him his time and Mark has done a great job bringing him around. He’s 8 but he doesn’t want to do anything but run.”
The partnership is bringing De La Cruz in from his Horseshoe Indianapolis base to ride the gelding, and the United Nations is his only mount on the Haskell Day card where reigning Eclipse Award winner Flavien Prat, Hall of Famer John Velazquez, multiple champion rider Irad Ortiz, Jr, international superstar Frankie Dettori, California mainstay Umberto Rispoli and other big name riders have been retained.
“Fernando is the perfect jockey for him,” Malter said. “He was the jockey for Bucchero and that’s how we wound up together. Fernando won the (Grade 2) Kentucky Turf Cup in 2023 on Get Smokin. He gets along with the horse fantastically.”
Get Smokin will square against off 11 other tough turf runners, including familiar foes Grand Sonata and Tawny Port, the second and third place finishers in last year’s United Nations, respectively. Also in the field is Starting Over, who ran 11th that day; Corruption, another Casse charge; Redistricting; Limited Liability; Vote No; Rebel Red; Major Dude; Lord Eddard Stark, and Hush of a Storm.
“Get Smokin always shows up,” said Malta. “The nice thing about him is that he’s a throwback horse. He’s 8. He doesn’t want to do anything but run.
“We’re thrilled we get to come back and defend the title. Hopefully, he can do it again and we’ll have a fun day.”
$1,000 HASKELL HANDICAPPING CHALLENGE RETURNS SATURDAY; 7+ BCBC SEATS, 2 NHC SEATS, $40,000+ CASH PRIZES EXPECTED
OCEANPORT, . – Coming off a year in which more than 320 players competed for over $160,000 in cash and prizes, Monmouth Park’s $1,000 Haskell Handicapping Challenge returns on Saturday.
In addition to featuring Monmouth’s premier day of racing – headlined by the $1 million, Grade 1 NYRA Bets Haskell and the Grade 2 United Nations – Haskell Day also is home to one of the nation’s biggest handicapping contests.
The Haskell Challenge can only be played online through ADW partners Xpressbet, TVG and 4NJBETS. Players competing through TVG and 4NJBETS must pre-register with tournament director Brian Skirka by 3 p.m. Eastern time on Friday, July 18. Xpressbet players may pre-register with Skirka or sign up directly through Xpressbet up until 12 noon on contest day. Per contest rules there is a maximum of two entries per person.
The 2024 Haskell Challenge – won by New Jersey resident Pete Rogers – saw a record 323 entries. In total, the contest awarded 10 seats to the Breeders’ Cup Betting Challenge (BCBC), two seats to the National Horseplayers Championship (NHC) and $50,000 cash.
This year’s event is expected to attract the same kind of attention amongst contest players.
“A handicapping contest is only as successful as the support it receives from horseplayers,” said Skirka. “I couldn’t be more thankful for the support shown to the Haskell Challenge – and all Monmouth Park contests – by contest players across the country. Haskell Day has always been a premier day of racing which makes it the perfect day to host a major handicapping contest.”
To pre-register, players should contact Skirka at 732-571-6595 or bskirka@monmouthpark.com.
A player’s $1,000 buy-in is broken down into a $500 bankroll and $500 to the prize pool. All players must bet a minimum of five races at $100 apiece. Win, place, show, exacta and doubles are permitted. All Monmouth Park live races make up the wagering menu.
For players looking to win their win into the Haskell Handicapping Challenge, feeder contests are available on www.horsetourneys.com through Friday, July 18.
In total, Monmouth Park will host over 10 handicapping contests throughout 2025. A full list of contest dates and rules can be found at www.monmouthpark.com.
