Further Ado has been installed as the 2-1 morning-line favorite for Saturday's 2026 Haskell Stakes at Monmouth Park, with Gene Menez highlighting a tactical edge in a seven-horse field that should produce a compelling betting race.
The Haskell Stakes is scheduled for 5:45 p.m. ET, and the market has made Further Ado the clear horse to beat after a strong rebound in the Grade 3 Matt Winn Stakes last month. That followed a difficult run in last year's Kentucky Derby, when Further Ado finished 11th as the favorite, but the latest performance has been enough to restore confidence heading into one of Monmouth Park's biggest summer races.
Why Further Ado heads the Haskell market
Further Ado's profile is simple enough to understand. He now has four wins, one second and one third from eight career starts, and the Matt Winn Stakes reminded bettors that the Kentucky Derby result may not be the final word on his quality. In a race like the Haskell, recent form matters, but so does the ability to recover quickly from disappointment.
Gene Menez, who correctly predicted Super Saver to win the Kentucky Derby in 2010 and served as SI's handicapper for the Triple Crown races from 2010 to 2012, views that turnaround as significant. His assessment centres on a tactical edge, which is often exactly the kind of detail that decides a race at this level. In a seven-horse field, position, pace and timing can matter just as much as raw talent.
The race around him
Further Ado is not the only horse likely to attract attention once the gates open. The top five in the field also include Napoleon Solo, Iron Honor, The Puma and Ocelli, giving the Haskell a balanced shape on paper even if the favorite remains the headline act.
That balance is part of the appeal. A small field can still produce a demanding race, especially when the weather is unsettled. Storms in the area only add another layer of uncertainty, which is why the morning line has drawn so much focus from bettors looking for an edge.
Gene Menez's betting form adds intrigue
The Haskell picks are also framed by Menez's recent run of success. Last year he nailed the winner, trifecta and superfecta in the Florida Derby for a $529.60 score, hit the winner and trifecta in the Blue Grass Stakes for a $761.96 jackpot, landed the late Pick 4 on Kentucky Oaks day for $915.48, and hammered the exacta and trifecta in the Kentucky Derby for a $1,045 payout. Earlier this year, he hit the late Pick 5 on Fountain of Youth day for $4,648.
That record explains why his view carries weight entering Saturday's race. Even when the favorite looks obvious, the Haskell still demands judgment, and Menez's recent results suggest he has been reading these big races well.
Further Ado will need to turn the Derby setback into a stronger follow-up, but the rebound at the Matt Winn Stakes showed that is possible. If the tactical setup breaks his way, the 2-1 favorite has every chance to justify the market's faith at Monmouth Park.
