Sky Mesa to Make Next Start in Haskell Invitational

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Trainer John Ward, believing that Funny Cide will be vulnerable in his first start since the Belmont, has opted to run Sky Mesa against the Kentucky Derby and Preakness winner in the $1 million Haskell Invitational on Aug. 3.

"If you plan to go against a Triple Crown horse, the time to get him is his first race back," Ward with said in regards to Funny Cide. "But he has came back and worked well."

Ward has first-hand knowledge of what it takes to run a horse through the grueling Triple Crown, having saddled Kentucky Derby winner Monarchos in all three races in 2001.

"That opened my eyes on how much the Triple Crown takes out of an animal," Ward said. "If there's a time when a horse is vulnerable, now is the time to do it."

Ward also mentioned Point Given as an example of a horse who was vulnerable in his first start back after the Triple Crown. Following his brilliant victories in the Preakness and Belmont, Point Given returned in the Haskell and was all out to hold off the lightly raced Touch Tone by a half-length.

Sky Mesa was undefeated at 2, winning the Hopeful and Lane's End Breeders' Futurity before suffering ankle injury that kept him out of the Breeders' Cup Juvenile. In his first start back this year, he finished third in the Dwyer Stakes, faltering at the quarter pole, then coming back in the final furlong.

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