Further Ado leads Haskell odds, but Gene Menez is looking elsewhere
The 2026 Haskell Stakes field is set at Monmouth Park, with Further Ado the 2-1 favorite and Napoleon Solo close behind.
By Georgia Hale · Staff Writer
3 min read
Further Ado has the inside track on the betting board for Saturday’s 2026 Haskell Stakes at Monmouth Park, but SportsLine handicapper Gene Menez is not rushing to the window for the favorite.
CBS Sports reported that Further Ado is the 2-1 morning-line favorite for the race, which is scheduled for 5:45 p.m. ET. He will leave from post No. 2 in a seven-horse field.
The race offers him a chance to steady his standing among the country’s 3-year-olds after a bumpy spring. According to CBS Sports, Further Ado was the pre-race favorite in the Kentucky Derby two starts ago and finished 11th. He came back last month with a win in the Grade 3 Matt Winn Stakes.
Napoleon Solo, the Preakness Stakes winner, is next on the board at 5-2. Iron Honor is listed at 3-1, followed by The Puma at 7-2 and Ocelli at 6-1.
Menez cools on the favorite
Menez, a former Sports Illustrated reporter and editor, told SportsLine he is wary of taking Further Ado at a short price. He pointed to the horse’s strong Blue Grass Stakes win, but said the Kentucky Derby showed he has not consistently repeated that kind of effort.
According to CBS Sports, Menez said Further Ado may need the race setup to go his way and has yet to put together back-to-back fast performances. Menez did not rule out a victory, but said the 2-1 morning line was not enough to make him a bettor on the favorite.
SportsLine said Menez’s preferred Haskell pick is a runner he believes owns a tactical advantage, though the full selections are being kept behind SportsLine’s betting coverage.
The field and morning-line odds
The Haskell draw, as listed by CBS Sports, puts the runners in this order:
- Post 1: Star Sweeper, 30-1
- Post 2: Further Ado, 2-1
- Post 3: Baby Vino, 15-1
- Post 4: The Puma, 7-2
- Post 5: Iron Honor, 3-1
- Post 6: Napoleon Solo, 5-2
- Post 7: Ocelli, 6-1
Why Menez draws attention
CBS Sports highlighted Menez’s horse-racing record while previewing the Haskell. He covered horse racing among other sports during nearly 14 years at Sports Illustrated and served as the magazine’s Triple Crown handicapper from 2010 to 2012.
His past calls include picking Super Saver to win the 2010 Kentucky Derby, according to CBS Sports.
SportsLine also cited several recent betting scores for Menez. In 2024, he hit the late Pick 4 on Breeders’ Cup Saturday for $5,303. Last year, he connected on the winner, trifecta and superfecta in the Florida Derby for $529.60, plus the winner and trifecta in the Blue Grass Stakes for $761.96.
He also hit the late Pick 4 on Kentucky Oaks day for $915.48 and the exacta and trifecta in the Kentucky Derby for $1,045, according to CBS Sports. Earlier this year, SportsLine said he hit the late Pick 5 on Fountain of Youth day for $4,648.
The Haskell now gives the division another high-profile test, with the Derby disappointment, the Preakness winner and a handful of shorter-priced challengers all packed into one compact Monmouth Park field.
This story draws on original reporting from CBS Sports.