Monmouth Park launches its 65th season of racing on Saturday, kicking off a
“The number of stall applications this year has reached an all-time high,”
Horsemen who have taken notice of the 2010 purse structure will be sending
The jockey colony will be ultra-competitive as top riders from the 2009 meet
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“It’s going to be a monumental meet for our industry,” said Ron Anderson,
agent for Gomez. “It’s going to be a meet full of great horses and great
horsemen. We’re looking forward to it.”
Angel Cordero Jr., a Hall of Fame rider who acts as agent for John Velazquez,
echoed Anderson’s sentiments.
“We’re getting a lot of calls for the first few days of the meet,” Cordero
said. “We plan on staying there for the season. We can’t wait until Monmouth
opens, it’s going to be a very exciting time.”
Following the opening weekend cards on Saturday and Sunday, live racing
returns on May 29, 30 and 31 (Memorial Day). After the Memorial Day card,
Monmouth will race on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays as well as two holiday
Mondays — July 5 (Independence Day observed) and September 6 (Labor Day). The $1
million per day in purses more than triples the $331,000 in average daily purses
offered at Monmouth in 2009.
Major changes to the purse structure include maiden special weight events,
which will go for $75,000, and an entry-level allowance test, which will be set
at $80,000. By comparison, purses for those races in 2009 were $38,000 and
$41,000, respectively.
Overnight stakes, which were contested for $60,000 to $70,000 in 2009, will
start at $100,000 during the Elite Summer Meet.
The racetrack expects to average 12 live races per day, with holiday cards
likely to see 12 to 13 live events.
After the Elite Summer Meet, Monmouth will continue to race Saturdays and
Sundays through November 21 for a total of 21 days. Purses for those cards are
expected to average $250,000 to $300,000 per day.
In a major shift in New Jersey racing, Thoroughbreds will not compete at the
Meadowlands in East Rutherford for the first time since 1977.
With the $1 million Haskell Invitational (G1) on August 1 leading the way,
Monmouth Park will offer a record $12.1 million in stakes purses. A total of 90
stakes races are on the calendar, 16 graded and 74 overnight events.
Returning for the third time to the stakes calendar is the $250,000 Monmouth
S., which will carry a Grade 3 status for the first time when it’s renewed on
June 12. The turf test, which serves as a prep for the $750,000 United Nations
S. (G1) on July 3, was captured by champion Big Brown in it’s inaugural running
and last year saw fan favorite Presious Passion (Royal Anthem) go wire-to-wire.
Other notable changes include the addition of races formerly held at the
Meadowlands. The $200,000 Pegasus S. (G3) for three-year-olds at 1 1/16 miles,
will be run six weeks before the 1 1/8-mile Haskell. Also added to the schedule
is the $300,000 Monmouth Cup ([G2] formerly the Meadowlands Cup), to be run on
October 9 as a prep for the Breeders’ Cup Classic (G1).
Each year, Monmouth is burnished brightly for opening day, a tradition that
has been overseen the last few decades by Horace Smith, assistant vice president
of operations.
Just about anything that doesn’t move gets painted (Monmouth’s color scheme
since the beginning has been a very cooling hunter green and white), including
the grandstand and clubhouse buildings on the front side and the barns on the
backside.
Each year brings improvements, and 2010 is no exception, with a brand new
cushion for the main track; extensive remodeling and replanting of the infield;
renovation of the turf track; and a flood remediation program in the stable
area.
As usual, more flat-screen television sets have been added throughout the
plant, tents for group events have been replaced, and the grounds have been
spruced up with the addition of flowers and shrubs.
“The flood remediation project is in its second year, and we’ll complete it
next year with the addition of a retention basin in the Elkwood section of the
stable area,” Smith said.
The new track cushion was laid down on the main track earlier this spring and
horses have been working over the surface since late April.
Along with the new cushion comes a new track superintendent, with Gary
Wolff taking the job of caring for both the main track and the turf course.
Wolff has worked at the Meadowlands and Freehold Raceway, a nearby Standardbred
facility, in the past.
The infield area has been completely renovated, with the ponds dug deeper to
act as retention basins. The entire infield will be landscaped and replanted for
the first time since it was installed in 1946.
Monmouth’s family-friendly physical plant will be ready for summer visitors
beginning on opening day, with more than 100 picnic tables available, a
playground for children, and plenty of open space.
Two $100,000 overnight stakes, the
Elkwood
and Decathlon, highlight Saturday’s opening day card. The Elkwood, a 1 1/16-mile
turf test for older horses, marks the seasonal debut of GET STORMY (Stormy
Atlantic), who concluded his 2009 campaign with back-to-back scores in the Bryan
Station S. (G3) and Commonwealth Turf S. (G3) against fellow three-year-olds. He
will face the multi-surface talent KISS THE KID (Lemon Drop Kid), a prominent
fixture over the local grass last season, as well at PLEASANT STRIKE (Smart
Strike), who’s finished second or third in his past six starts including a
narrow beat in the Red Bank S. (G3) over the Monmouth lawn.
Others of note in the Elkwood include recent Gulfstream stakes winner ROMAN
TIGER (Tiger Ridge); the multiple Group 3-placed STAYING ON (Ire) (Invincible
Spirit), who will be
making his second start in the U.S.; and the lightly-raced dirt performer INDIAN
DANCE (Indian Charlie).
The Decathlon, which honors the champion sprinter of 1956-57, is a
six-furlong dash for older horses. Favoritism will likely be bestowed on GO GO
SHOOT (Songandaprayer), who took the course-and-distance Longfellow S. and Mr.
Prospector S. last season and later placed in the Alfred G. Vanderbilt H. (G2).
Grade 3 winner MR. FANTASY (E Dubai) and the multiple Grade 2-placed stakes
winner CONGRESSIONAL PAGE (Orientate) are other notables.
Post time each day will be 12:50 p.m. (EDT) with the exception of Haskell
Day, August 1, when first post is noon, and July 9, 16 and 23 when post time is
2:10.
To celebrate the opening of the 2010 season, Monmouth is offering free
grandstand admission and half-price clubhouse admission on Saturday.