Monmouth Park racetrack in Oceanport New Jersey is feeling the benefits of sports betting in the state—as well as some state purse subsidies—and has opened a 61-day meet that will see purses averaging about $500,000 daily.
Last year’s 52-day meet averaged $325,000 in daily purses and distributed approximately $4.3 million for stakes. This year’s sets 64 races for the meet which includes 15 new races worth $7.1 million according to Thoroughbred News Daily.
The $1-million TVG.com Haskell Invitational, will be held July 20, moving to Saturday from its usual Sunday slot. The other Grade I at the meet, the United Nations S., will take place June 22.
The increased purse money is attracting new trainers to the track including Kentucky Derby and Kentucky Oaks-winning trainer John Servis, who is actually returning to Monmouth for 2019 after a lengthy absence. He will have a string of 30 horses at Monmouth, the first time since the early 1990s that he’s had a significant presence at the track.
“The purse structure was very appealing to me,” Servis told Thoroughbred News. “I like the stakes schedule, too. It fits a lot of the horses I have. I’ve always enjoyed being at Monmouth Park. You’ll see me there a lot more. I’ll be back and forth between Parx and Monmouth a couple of times a week.”
Maximum Security, trained by Servis and disqualified as the winner of the 2019 Kentucky Derby, is also now being housed at Monmouth, according to local reports.
Trainers coming to Monmouth for the first time include Kelsey Danner, Jorge Duarte, Jeff Englehart, Raymond Handal, Michelle Nihei and Christopher Seale. The top five trainers from last year’s meet–Jorge Navarro, Jason Servis, Kelly Breen, Chad Brown and Patrick McBurney–are also returning, the News reported.
Monmouth Park is now home to the William Hill Race & Sports Book, the first sportsbook in the state to begin operating when sports betting went live in June in New Jersey. The track has also scheduled five new promotional days as part of the meet.
