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Haskell Highlights 81st Season at Monmouth Park, Dr. Samaha Named 2026 Virgil ‘Buddy’ Raines Award Winner

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At a press conference and luncheaon held at Monmouth Park Tuesday afternoon, the highlights for the 2026 season were rolled out in advance of opening day on Saturday, May 9. The event was hosted by TDN’s Christina Bossinakis.

Heading the 50-day meet is the $1-million GI NYRA Bets Haskell Stakes, which was won last year by Journalism (Curlin), also the winner of the GI Preakness Stakes.

The 45th running of Pegasus Stakes, for 3-year-olds at a mile and a sixteenth, is the track’s prep race for the nine-furlong Haskell. The top two finishers in the Pegasus Stakes receive a free entry fee and start fees for the Haskell.

Last year’s Haskell Stakes Day card produced an all-sources record handle of $21,999,963, marking the third straight year of a record handle. The crowd of 41,876 was the largest since 2015.

The 2026 Monmouth Park meet will feature 36 stakes races–nine at the graded level–worth $5.85 million.

First race post time on Saturdays, Sundays and holidays is 12:50 p.m. Post time for Friday racing, which begins June 26, is 2 p.m. Live racing at Monmouth continues through Sept. 13.

Also during Tuesday’s press conference, Dr. Chris Samaha, who founded the industry-leading Backstretch Community Assistance Program at Monmouth Park more than 30 years ago, was honored as the 2026 recipient of the Virgil “Buddy” Raines Distinguished Achievement Award.

The 55-year-old Samaha, a sports psychologist, launched a substance abuse program for backstretch workers in 1995 that has since involved into a support system for all types of health issues. The program offers free counseling, as well as health education programs, for licensed stable hands, grooms, hot walkers and exercise riders and offers access to a variety of medical screenings.

“I would have burned out long ago if it was strictly a treatment program, but I have all of the other components that help everyone on the backstretch, whether directly or indirectly,” Samaha said. “I’m passionate about what I do and I would not have stayed in it this long if I didn’t believe this a good industry.”

Dr. Chris Samaha, who runs BCAP (Backstretch Community Assistance Program) was named the 2026 of the Virgil “Buddy” Raines Award at the Monmouth Park Opening Day Press Conference and Luncheon at Monmouth Park | Photo By Bill Denver/EQUI-PHOTO

Delgado tries to “Win it again”

After edging out five-time Eclipse Award winner Chad Brown to earn his first Monmouth training title last year in a career that began in 2017, Jorge Delgado isn’t subtle about his goals for the upcoming Monmouth Park meet.

“Win it again–hopefully,” said Delgado.

This season, Delgado has 60 stalls in Barn 1, with 51 occupied by horses currently on the grounds.

“I’ll use the other 10 to claim horses, he said. “I have some new owners who want to claim so I will leave the stalls open for that.”

In 2025, the 36-year-old came into the meet with 39 horses, growing that total to 45 after claims. It was just enough to edge out Brown, 21-20, for the training title on the final weekend.

“It meant a lot to me, but it also meant a lot to my owners,” he said. “I saw how much it mattered to them, especially the owners who have been supporting me the past five or six years.”

According to Delgado, who has been Monmouth Park-based since 2022, “We have a different group of horses this year. We have more babies and more quality. We’re trying to focus on developing these horses and trying to get them to big races. So we’re trying to develop champions.”

Leon Returns for Second Stint on Jersey Shore

Leon, embarking on his second year at Monmouth, will attempt to overtake Paco Lopez, who will try to collect a record-tying 13th riding title this season. Joe Bravo currently stands alone with 13 Monmouth titles.

“I’m very competitive, I like to win,” said Leon, who guided 80-1 Rich Strike to victory in the 2022 Kentucky Derby. “I try to go into every meet thinking I can be leading rider. It’s not going to be easy beating Paco. But I know more people at Monmouth Park now so we’ll see if I can use those connections to have an even better year than last year [fourth in the Monmouth standings].”

As for the long-time leader, Lopez said he will maintain the same schedule as he had last year, splitting time between Monmouth and Colonial Downs, where he also won the riding title last year.

“Nothing is really changing for me. I have the same plan for the summer as I had last year,” explained the 40-year-old rider. “For me, it’s a big thing to tie Joe Bravo. He was a great rider here for many, many years. The record is something that is in your mind as you are winning titles but you never think it can happen. Every year the goal was just to win a title. But you never think about 13 of them and tying Joe Bravo. That seemed to be impossible, but here I am.”

For more information on the upcoming Monmouth Park meet, click here.

The post Haskell Highlights 81st Season at Monmouth Park, Dr. Samaha Named 2026 Virgil ‘Buddy’ Raines Award Winner appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Preakness Notes: Ocelli Upgraded To “Maybe”, Golden Tempo To Jog Wednesday

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 Ocelli (Connect), third in the GI Kentucky Derby as a maiden and the biggest longshot in the field of 18 at odds of 70-1, is now under consideration for the 151st GI Preakness Stakes May 16 at Laurel Park.

Trainer Whit Beckman on Tuesday upgraded Ocelli’s likelihood for the Middle Jewel of the Triple Crown from “extremely unlikely” on Sunday to “maybe” Tuesday.

“If you look at it from a pace perspective, it could go as fast as the Derby,” Beckman said. “He’s doing great. That’s the only reason I’m saying ‘yeah, maybe.’ The horse is doing fantastic. The horse is made of iron. Generally, I run a horse, they may not come to the front of their stall for a week. He was right there.”

Asked if there was any downside to running Ocelli in the Preakness, he said, “The only downside is if the horse is not ready to do it.” He noted that the Preakness winner usually is a horse that ran two weeks earlier in the Derby.

The upside, Beckman said, “is the chance to win a Triple Crown race.”

Corona de Oro (Bolt d’Oro), who was the lone remaining also-eligible for the Derby, is also under consideration for the Preakness with trainer Dallas Stewart saying, “We’re thinking about it. We just have to see,” Stewart said. “I’m going to work him again Saturday. He’s a very nice horse.”

Kentucky Derby winner Golden Tempo (Curlin) had his third walk day Tuesday and will return to the track for light training Wednesday at Keeneland. Trainer Cherie DeVaux, speaking at a media availability arranged by Keeneland’s communications department, reiterated that the Preakness decision will be made toward the end of the week.

“He’s doing great,” said DeVaux. “He’ll return to the track tomorrow for a light jog. He’ll do that for two days, and then he’ll resume galloping.”

As far as running in the 1 3/16-mile Preakness at Laurel Park, she said, “We’re going to see how much energy he has when he’s on the track, see how he’s moving, see his attitude and things of that nature…. I appreciate there’s history with the Triple Crown. I appreciate everyone is excited about it. However, the horse comes first. So, any of that pressure is outside information from our decision-making.”

“We’re gonna give Golden Tempo a couple of days and he’s going to dictate the Preakness decision..

There’s a lot of conversation right now and we’re gonna do what’s best for him” ~ @reredevaux #PMSLive pic.twitter.com/Az1BJh04qs

— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) May 5, 2026

The post Preakness Notes: Ocelli Upgraded To “Maybe”, Golden Tempo To Jog Wednesday appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Haskell Highlights 81st Season at Monmouth Park, Dr. Samaha Named 2026 Virgil ‘Buddy’ Raines Award Winner

---

At a press conference and luncheaon held at Monmouth Park Tuesday afternoon, the highlights for the 2026 season were rolled out in advance of opening day on Saturday, May 9. The event was hosted by TDN’s Christina Bossinakis.

Heading the 50-day meet is the $1-million GI NYRA Bets Haskell Stakes, which was won last year by Journalism (Curlin), also the winner of the GI Preakness Stakes.

The 45th running of Pegasus Stakes, for 3-year-olds at a mile and a sixteenth, is the track’s prep race for the nine-furlong Haskell. The top two finishers in the Pegasus Stakes receive a free entry fee and start fees for the Haskell.

Last year’s Haskell Stakes Day card produced an all-sources record handle of $21,999,963, marking the third straight year of a record handle. The crowd of 41,876 was the largest since 2015.

The 2026 Monmouth Park meet will feature 36 stakes races–nine at the graded level–worth $5.85 million.

First race post time on Saturdays, Sundays and holidays is 12:50 p.m. Post time for Friday racing, which begins June 26, is 2 p.m. Live racing at Monmouth continues through Sept. 13.

Also during Tuesday’s press conference, Dr. Chris Samaha, who founded the industry-leading Backstretch Community Assistance Program at Monmouth Park more than 30 years ago, was honored as the 2026 recipient of the Virgil “Buddy” Raines Distinguished Achievement Award.

The 55-year-old Samaha, a sports psychologist, launched a substance abuse program for backstretch workers in 1995 that has since involved into a support system for all types of health issues. The program offers free counseling, as well as health education programs, for licensed stable hands, grooms, hot walkers and exercise riders and offers access to a variety of medical screenings.

“I would have burned out long ago if it was strictly a treatment program, but I have all of the other components that help everyone on the backstretch, whether directly or indirectly,” Samaha said. “I’m passionate about what I do and I would not have stayed in it this long if I didn’t believe this a good industry.”

Dr. Chris Samaha, who runs BCAP (Backstretch Community Assistance Program) was named the 2026 of the Virgil “Buddy” Raines Award at the Monmouth Park Opening Day Press Conference and Luncheon at Monmouth Park | Photo By Bill Denver/EQUI-PHOTO

Delgado tries to “Win it again”

After edging out five-time Eclipse Award winner Chad Brown to earn his first Monmouth training title last year in a career that began in 2017, Jorge Delgado isn’t subtle about his goals for the upcoming Monmouth Park meet.

“Win it again–hopefully,” said Delgado.

This season, Delgado has 60 stalls in Barn 1, with 51 occupied by horses currently on the grounds.

“I’ll use the other 10 to claim horses, he said. “I have some new owners who want to claim so I will leave the stalls open for that.”

In 2025, the 36-year-old came into the meet with 39 horses, growing that total to 45 after claims. It was just enough to edge out Brown, 21-20, for the training title on the final weekend.

“It meant a lot to me, but it also meant a lot to my owners,” he said. “I saw how much it mattered to them, especially the owners who have been supporting me the past five or six years.”

According to Delgado, who has been Monmouth Park-based since 2022, “We have a different group of horses this year. We have more babies and more quality. We’re trying to focus on developing these horses and trying to get them to big races. So we’re trying to develop champions.”

Leon Returns for Second Stint on Jersey Shore

Leon, embarking on his second year at Monmouth, will attempt to overtake Paco Lopez, who will try to collect a record-tying 13th riding title this season. Joe Bravo currently stands alone with 13 Monmouth titles.

“I’m very competitive, I like to win,” said Leon, who guided 80-1 Rich Strike to victory in the 2022 Kentucky Derby. “I try to go into every meet thinking I can be leading rider. It’s not going to be easy beating Paco. But I know more people at Monmouth Park now so we’ll see if I can use those connections to have an even better year than last year [fourth in the Monmouth standings].”

As for the long-time leader, Lopez said he will maintain the same schedule as he had last year, splitting time between Monmouth and Colonial Downs, where he also won the riding title last year.

“Nothing is really changing for me. I have the same plan for the summer as I had last year,” explained the 40-year-old rider. “For me, it’s a big thing to tie Joe Bravo. He was a great rider here for many, many years. The record is something that is in your mind as you are winning titles but you never think it can happen. Every year the goal was just to win a title. But you never think about 13 of them and tying Joe Bravo. That seemed to be impossible, but here I am.”

For more information on the upcoming Monmouth Park meet, click here.

The post Haskell Highlights 81st Season at Monmouth Park, Dr. Samaha Named 2026 Virgil ‘Buddy’ Raines Award Winner appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Preakness Notes: Ocelli Upgraded To “Maybe”, Golden Tempo To Jog Wednesday

---

 Ocelli (Connect), third in the GI Kentucky Derby as a maiden and the biggest longshot in the field of 18 at odds of 70-1, is now under consideration for the 151st GI Preakness Stakes May 16 at Laurel Park.

Trainer Whit Beckman on Tuesday upgraded Ocelli’s likelihood for the Middle Jewel of the Triple Crown from “extremely unlikely” on Sunday to “maybe” Tuesday.

“If you look at it from a pace perspective, it could go as fast as the Derby,” Beckman said. “He’s doing great. That’s the only reason I’m saying ‘yeah, maybe.’ The horse is doing fantastic. The horse is made of iron. Generally, I run a horse, they may not come to the front of their stall for a week. He was right there.”

Asked if there was any downside to running Ocelli in the Preakness, he said, “The only downside is if the horse is not ready to do it.” He noted that the Preakness winner usually is a horse that ran two weeks earlier in the Derby.

The upside, Beckman said, “is the chance to win a Triple Crown race.”

Corona de Oro (Bolt d’Oro), who was the lone remaining also-eligible for the Derby, is also under consideration for the Preakness with trainer Dallas Stewart saying, “We’re thinking about it. We just have to see,” Stewart said. “I’m going to work him again Saturday. He’s a very nice horse.”

Kentucky Derby winner Golden Tempo (Curlin) had his third walk day Tuesday and will return to the track for light training Wednesday at Keeneland. Trainer Cherie DeVaux, speaking at a media availability arranged by Keeneland’s communications department, reiterated that the Preakness decision will be made toward the end of the week.

“He’s doing great,” said DeVaux. “He’ll return to the track tomorrow for a light jog. He’ll do that for two days, and then he’ll resume galloping.”

As far as running in the 1 3/16-mile Preakness at Laurel Park, she said, “We’re going to see how much energy he has when he’s on the track, see how he’s moving, see his attitude and things of that nature…. I appreciate there’s history with the Triple Crown. I appreciate everyone is excited about it. However, the horse comes first. So, any of that pressure is outside information from our decision-making.”

“We’re gonna give Golden Tempo a couple of days and he’s going to dictate the Preakness decision..

There’s a lot of conversation right now and we’re gonna do what’s best for him” ~ @reredevaux #PMSLive pic.twitter.com/Az1BJh04qs

— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) May 5, 2026

The post Preakness Notes: Ocelli Upgraded To “Maybe”, Golden Tempo To Jog Wednesday appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.