In The Money Telegraph
Sunday, July 19, 2026 · By ITM Staff
What a Saturday. A local hero shocked the Haskell, our contest push had its big day for a good cause, and there’s a full slate to chase this afternoon. Let’s recap and reload.
Oh, Baby: Baby Vino Shocks the Haskell
The Jersey Shore got its fairy tale. Baby Vino, the local longshot trained by Lindsay Schultz, splashed through the mud to win the Grade 1 NYRA Bets Haskell at roughly 28-1, returning about $58 to win. He and Preakness winner Napoleon Solo dueled the length of the stretch before Baby Vino edged clear by a half-length — a result that survived a stewards’ inquiry into the contact between the two. Iron Honor was third and The Puma fourth, while even-money favorite Further Ado pressed the pace and faded to fifth. It’s the first Grade 1 for the colt and for winning rider Jorge Vargas Jr., and it comes with a “Win and You’re In” berth to the Breeders’ Cup Classic.
A little ITM postscript: both Eric Solomon’s card and PTF’s guide for Sky Sports Racing had landed on Further Ado up top — who didn’t fire — but each had flagged Baby Vino as the one to use underneath in the verticals. If you had him in there, the exotics were very kind. And it capped a monster day for Vargas, who won three on the program.
Thank You: The LRF Cares Contest
We asked you all week to help fill it up, and you delivered. The 7th Annual LRF Cares Horseplayer Contest drew 102 entries on HorsePlayers.com, with every dollar going to support Thoroughbred aftercare — a genuinely great result for the cause. Thank you to everyone who played.
A shoutout to the top of the leaderboard: Aaron Bernstein led the way, followed by jack schwartz, Jay Johns, and Kelly Byrne. Great runs, all — and it was good to see LRF’s own Gary Fenton and Billy Koch in the field, along with ITM’s Jackson Muniz. Two NHC packages were on the line for the day’s best, with the breakage going to charity. Congratulations to all who cashed and to everyone who turned an afternoon of handicapping into support for retired racehorses.
The Rest of a Big Saturday
Haskell undercard. Knightsbridge answered every question about stretching out, romping the Grade 3 Monmouth Cup by more than 10 lengths for Bill Mott and Flavien Prat — with Skippylongstocking back in third, just as Eric Solomon had it. Program Trading gave Chad Brown and Prat the Grade 2 United Nations, and Grayosh added the Grade 3 Matchmaker for Brown. Fittingly, the weekend began Friday with Book ’Em Danno delivering on the day Monmouth honored him.
The Spa. Chad Brown made more history in the Grade 1 Diana, where Kathynmarissa ran down stablemate Segesta to give the trainer his fifth consecutive Diana — and the top three all wore Brown’s saddle towels. PTF had gone looking for the upset with Cathedral in his Sky Sports Racing guide; this time the champ’s dominance held.
By the sea. Out at Del Mar, Journalism looked right at home in taking the Grade 2 San Diego Handicap.
Playing Today
Saratoga. PTF and Mikee P. go through the Sunday late Pick 5 at the Spa (it kicks off in Race 6 at 4:00 p.m. ET), and spotlight the $600 Saratoga Summer Betting Challenge Qualifier on TwinSpires. ▶ Watch →
Woodbine. It’s Woodbine Oaks and Plate Trial day, a major stepping-stone to the King’s Plate, with a stakes-packed card and a player-friendly All-Stakes Pick 3 (Races 8, 9, and 11; $5 minimum, 15% takeout). PTF and Mikee P. have it. ▶ Watch →
Del Mar. Dean Keppler has all 11, with 6-Here on Business (Race 8) his best bet and the Grade 1 winner King of Gosford headlining the Wickerr Stakes (Race 9). Read →
Monmouth. Haskell Week wraps with Eric Solomon’s Sunday card (first post 12:50 p.m. ET), where he sides with the South Florida shippers Racing Driver and Captain Danny in the feature — and, with overnight rain around, handicaps the turf races for both surfaces. Read →
ITM Plus
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