Monmouth Park: Summer meet starts with heat over crop rule
Monmouth Park will attract more attention than usual when its 76th season – centered on the $1 million Haskell Stakes in July – opens Friday.
That attention, of course, is because of the controversy and uncertainty surrounding New Jersey's new rule that bans the use of the crop except for safety purposes.
Several prominent jockeys said they would not ride at the track because of the rule, including Joe Bravo, 13-time riding champion at Monmouth, and Antonio Gallardo.
To fill the rider void, several lower-profile jockeys received mounts on opening day. The featured $100,000 Jersey Derby, which drew a field of nine including one main-track only, has three horses entered without a named rider: Indian Lake for trainer Jamie Ness; Hot Blooded for Carlos David; and Pickin' Time, who is main-track only, for Kelly Breen. (Read more about Monmouth Park's jockey controversy here.)
Breen won the training title for last year's meet, his first since 2006. (He also won in 2005.) Paco Lopez won his seventh riding title, second only to Bravo's 13. The Asbury Park Press reported that Lopez will ride this summer at Gulfstream Park.
Klaravich Stables was the leading owner in at Monmouth 2020, with eight wins. Colts Neck Stables had seven wins.
Monmouth Park will switch to a 12:15 p.m. EDT post time during live racing on Saturdays and Sundays while continuing to offer free parking and admission, according to a news release.
Post time on Fridays throughout the 53-day meet will be 5 p.m.
The lone exception to the new 12:15 post time, as well as to the free parking and admission policy, will be July 17, when the $1 million Haskell Stakes (G1) will be contested for the 54th time.
Monmouth Park’s live racing schedule runs through Sept. 26.
With New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy lifting restrictions in the state as of Friday, the track will be at full capacity for the meet, pending approval from the Racing Commission.
Opening weekend will feature live racing from Friday through Monday over the Memorial Day weekend. Starting in June, and running through the end of August, live racing will operate on a Friday-through-Sunday schedule.
Monmouth Park will offer 46 stakes races worth $6.15 million this year, including 10 graded stakes. There are 10 stakes races restricted to New Jersey-bred horses, with the highlight for state-breds being the 19th annual New Jersey Thoroughbred Festival on Aug. 29.
Haskell Day again will feature six stakes races, including the United Nations (G1), which will see a purse boost from $300,000 to $500,000. Horse of the Year Authentic won the Haskell last summer, eventually going on to win the Kentucky Derby and Breeders’ Cup Classic.