The equine star power is not limited to the showdown between The Puma, Further Ado, and Napoleon Solo in the $1 million Haskell Stakes (G1) July 18 at Monmouth Park, nor even to the $500,000 Molly Pitcher Stakes (G2), where 2025 Breeder's Cup Filly and Mare Sprint (G1) winner Splendora is in action. Five additional stakes complement the Saturday program, including three graded events.
The $350,000 Monmouth Cup Stakes (G3) launches the graded action in the fourth race, with Godolphin's three-time graded stakes winner Knightsbridge stretching out to 1 1/8 miles for the first time against Daniel Alonso's Pegasus World Cup Invitational Stakes (G1) winner Skippylongstocking and four other older runners. All 10 of Knightsbridge's previous starts have come at a mile or shorter, most recently when he finished second to Nysos in the June 6 Metropolitan Handicap (G1) at Saratoga Race Course for Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott.
Skippylongstocking, by contrast, has already established himself at the distance, securing his first grade 1 triumph in January's Pegasus World Cup over 1 1/8 miles. Since then, he dominated the March 21 Essex Handicap (G3) at 1 1/8 miles at Oaklawn Park before finishing a neck behind Corporate Power in the May 1 Alysheba Stakes (G2) at Churchill Downs over 1 1/16 miles.
Trainer Saffie Joseph Jr. conditions Skippylongstocking, who can surpass $6 million in career earnings with a victory Saturday. Joseph also entered grade 3 winner Alexander Helios for owners John and Diane Fradkin.
Money Game, Kinetic, and Sergeant Capps complete the field.
Monmouth Park, Saturday, July 18, 2026, Race 4Entries: Monmouth Cup S. (G3)
PP Horse Jockey Wgt Trainer M/L 1 Money Game (KY) Irad Ortiz, Jr. 120 Brad H. Cox - 2 Kinetic (KY) UNKNOWN 118 Ilkay Kantarmaci - 3 Alexander Helios (KY) Paco Lopez 118 Saffie A. Joseph, Jr. - 4 Knightsbridge (KY) Flavien Prat 124 William I. Mott - 5 Skippylongstocking (KY) Tyler Gaffalione 124 Saffie A. Joseph, Jr. - 6 Sergeant Capps (KY) Jose C. Ferrer 118 Panagiotis A. Synnefias -
City Girl Leads Matchmaker
Following the Molly Pitcher as the sixth race, fillies and mares return to center stage in the seventh race in the $300,000 Matchmaker Stakes (G3T), contested over 1 1/8 miles on turf.
City Girl—one of two entrants for trainer Chad Brown alongside Grayosh—appears formidable after a troubled fourth-place finish in the New York Stakes (G1T). She became rank while attempting to rally into a slow early pace but still closed to finish fourth, beaten 2 3/4 lengths by stablemate Portfolio Duration. Racing for Madaket Stables, Michael Dubb, Michael Kisber, and Michael Caruso, City Girl captured the Beaugay Stakes (G3T) one start earlier.
Brown's Grayosh and Sweet Treasure, campaigned by Brad Cox for owners Full of Run Racing II and Frank Silva, are among the other principal contenders in the seven-horse field.
The top three finishers in the Matchmaker will each receive a one-time breeding right to designated WinStar Farm stallions.
Monmouth Park, Saturday, July 18, 2026, Race 7Entries: WinStar Matchmaker S. (G3T)
PP Horse Jockey Wgt Trainer M/L 1 Sweet Treasure (KY) Irad Ortiz, Jr. 124 Brad H. Cox - 2 Grayosh (KY) Tyler Gaffalione 118 Chad C. Brown - 3 City Girl (FR) Flavien Prat 124 Chad C. Brown - 4 Creative Stuff (NJ) Chantal Sutherland 115 Joann Bertone - 5 Cheetah Lady (KY) Luis Saez 118 D. Whitworth Beckman - 6 Five G (NY) UNKNOWN 118 George Weaver - 7 Long Ago (GB) Paco Lopez 118 William E. Morey -
Program Trading, Just a Touch Vie in United Nations
Brown and Cox square off again with grass horses in the 11th race in the $500,000 United Nations Stakes (G2T) at 1 3/8 miles.
Klaravich Stables' Program Trading, a grade 1 winner at 1 1/8 miles who recently captured the Monmouth Stakes at that same distance, makes his first start around three turns on turf for Brown.
Cox counters with Qatar Racing and Marc Detampel's Just a Touch, who returns to graded stakes company after back-to-back confidence-building victories in allowance and minor stakes company. Those wins came on turf after his first 11 starts were on dirt, the surface on which the son of Justify was grade 1-placed in the 2025 Met Mile and the 2024 Blue Grass Stakes (G1).
Echo Lane, trained by Rohan Crichton for owner Anthony Rogers, is the most accomplished of the six remaining entrants.
Main-track and turf conditions may be wet Saturday with an 80% chance of rain in the long-term forecast.
Monmouth Park, Saturday, July 18, 2026, Race 11Entries: United Nations S. (G2T)
PP Horse Jockey Wgt Trainer M/L 1 Eldest Son (KY) UNKNOWN 118 Michael V. Simone - 2 Telescopic (KY) Luis R. Rivera, Jr. 118 Victoria H. Oliver - 3 Echo Lane (FL) Luis Saez 118 Rohan G. Crichton - 4 Program Trading (GB) Flavien Prat 122 Chad C. Brown - 5 Thundering (MD) Tyler Gaffalione 122 Derek S. Ryan - 6 Uncle's Gold (FL) Paco Lopez 118 Michael J. Trombetta - 7 Just a Touch (KY) Irad Ortiz, Jr. 122 Brad H. Cox - 8 Post Command (NJ) Charlie Marquez 118 Sergio Rabadan -
