Monmouth set to open
A short notice on the overnight sheet that lists the entries for upcoming races at Belmont Park speaks volumes: “Attention Horsemen: All horses stabled on NYRA grounds (Bel, Aqu, Sar) are required to run in NYRA races. If you need to ship out of town please contact the racing office before entering. No exceptions.”
While this warning has been standard for years, it takes on added significance now that Monmouth Park opens tomorrow for its highly publicized summer meet, which runs 50 days (through Labor Day) and is projected to average $1 million a day in purses. Racing will be conducted three days a week, Friday through Sunday, along with holidays.
If NYRA, which is desperately seeking a $17 million loan from the state, has one foot in the grave and the other on a banana peel, many feel that the banana peel could be Monmouth. With its inflated purse structure, the Jersey Shore track threatens to lure many horses, trainers and jockeys away from New York.
For tomorrow’s kick-off card (first post 12:50 p.m.), 148 horses were entered in 13 races worth a combined $812,000 in purses.
New York-based trainers who’ll be represented include Rick Dutrow Jr., Nick Zito, Bill Mott, Todd Pletcher, Mike Hushion, Linda Rice, Tom Albertrani, Kiaran McLaughlin, George Weaver, Christophe Clement, Tom Bush and Mark Hennig, many of whom have stabled horses at Monmouth in the past.
Top jockeys John Velazquez and Garrett Gomez also will be riding there, rather than at Belmont Park.
One ray of sunshine for NYRA is that New York City OTB will not take bets on the Monmouth races, according to N.Y. State Racing and Wagering Board spokesman Joe Mahoney, who said NYC OTB did not apply to the board to put Monmouth on its schedule.
SRWB chairman John Sabini has put a “hold” on simulcasting from 10 out-of-state tracks that prevents NYC OTB from taking bets on their races until OTB fulfills its obligations to pay NYRA, which it owes $17 million.
