Shackleford ready to go again in Haskell

Shackleford hasn't missed a beat along the Triple Crown trail. Now, after a brief vacation at a Kentucky farm, the Preakness winner is ready to run again in the $1 million Haskell Invitational at Monmouth Park.

``He's had a grueling year - the Fountain of the Youth, Florida Derby, all three Triple Crowns, and he's still holding his weight and still looks great,'' trainer Dale Romans said. ``We gave him a two-week break after the Belmont, sent him to WinStar Farm to freshen up and he seemed to appreciate it. His last two works were spectacular. He hasn't shown any signs of being tired.''

Shackleford is the 5-2 morning-line favorite in a field of eight for Sunday's 1 1-8-mile run. The race helps kick off the second season for 3-year-olds, with no clear-cut leader in the division.

Kentucky Derby winner Animal Kingdom is sidelined with an injury, but Belmont Stakes winner Ruler On Ice is among Shackleford's challengers. Also entered are Coil, the second betting choice at 3-1, Joe Vann, Pants On Fire, Concealed Identity, J J's Lucky Train and Astrology.

Shackleford has never been the favorite in any of his eight races, going off at 68-1 odds and then running second in the Florida Derby before finishing fourth in the Derby at 23-1, first in the Preakness at 12-1 and fifth in the Belmont at 6-1.

``I don't think he's going to know the difference, but it's a little different type of pressure for us,'' Romans said. ``He never got the respect he deserved. I thought he would be a shorter price in the Belmont, but he's been training great and we'll see what happens.''

Shackleford would likely move to the head of the 3-year-old class with a victory. The next big race on the calendar is the Travers at Saratoga on Aug. 27, with the ultimate goal the Breeders' Cup Classic at Churchill Downs in November.

``I think we're all even right now,'' he said in reference to each of the Triple Crown race winners. ``I think Animal Kingdom's up against it if one of us goes on and wins another Grade 1, especially here at the Haskell or Travers, then they have to be considered in the lead.''

Ruler On Ice's trainer Kelly Breen doesn't disagree, and he's ready to toss his other entry, Pants On Fire, into the discussion should the colt take the Haskell.

``He's won the Louisiana Derby, he's come back after the Kentucky Derby (ninth) and validated that he's still a top horse and wins at Monmouth Park at Grade 3 (Pegasus), Breen said. ``I've been calling him Rodney Dangerfield - where he gets no respect - around the barn.''

At least Breen and the owners of Ruler On Ice and Pants On Fire, George and Lori Hall, will have the crowd on their side. Breen and the Halls are Jerseyites and winning the biggest race in the state is a big deal.

``I'll be probably about as nervous as I've been in a long time, especially being at my home track,'' Breen said.

Coil comes East from Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert's barn in California, and had a three-race winning streak ended by a head in the Swap Stakes at Hollywood Park on July 9. The colt is a son of Point Given, the first of Baffert's four Haskell winners in four tries in the past 10 years. It will be Coil's first start on dirt.

``We're going to find out a lot about him,'' Baffert said. ``His last race, I'm just going to throw it out. He didn't really run his race. We're still trying to figure out his style. But he's got the blinkers off this time and he's been working really well. He's going to run a big race, but this will be more of class test for him.''

Right now, Romans believes Shackleford is pretty classy, and expects him to be on or near the lead from the start as usual.

``We're not going to take him back at all,'' Romans said. ``We'll just let him break running and see how the race sets up for him. If someone wants to set an unrealistic pace then he has no problem sitting off of them, just like in the Preakness.''