Calumet Farm's Preakness Stakes (gr. I) winner Oxbow arrived at Saratoga Race Course at noon on July 9 and will make his next start in the $1 million William Hill Haskell Invitational (gr. I) July 28 at Monmouth Park, Hall of Fame trainer D. Wayne Lukas said.
The son Awesome Again —Tizamazing, by Cee's Tizzy, had his first work since his second-place finish in the June 8 Belmont Stakes (gr. I) July 6, breezing five furlongs in 1:02 at Churchill Downs. He is scheduled to work again this coming Saturday, July 13.
"He couldn't be doing any better," Lukas said. "We have a chance at the 3-year-old championship, and possibly Horse of the Year, so we'll go for the million-dollar purse and grade I win in the Haskell and then come back in the Travers (gr. I) and try to beat those other two (grade I Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands winner Orb and Belmont Stakes winner Palace Malice )."
Oxbow and Orb competed in all three legs of the Triple Crown, while Palace Malice skipped the Preakness after setting suicidal fractions in the Kentucky Derby. The Haskell will be Oxbow's eighth start this year. He won the Lecomte Stakes (gr. III) by 11 1/2 lengths at Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots and finished second by a head in the Rebel Stakes (gr. II) at Oaklawn Park.
Likely opponents for Oxbow in the Haskell include Verrazano and possibly Micromanage from the Todd Pletcher barn, as well as Power Broker, who will attempt to give Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert a record seven Haskell victories. Baffert has won the last three runnings with Lookin At Lucky , Coil, and Paynter .
