Monmouth unveils ’18 stakes sked, shifts to more “event days”
Girvin (outside) nipped McCraken (inside) and Practical Joke to win the 2017 Haskell. Photo By Bill Denver/EQUI-PHOTO.
From a Monmouth Park release
Led by the Grade 1, $1 million betfair.com Haskell Invitational on July 29, Monmouth Park is set to offer $4,340,000 in stakes races when the track kicks off its 73rd year of racing on Saturday, May 5.
In addition, Monmouth is set to offer several new bundled stakes days, with the Grade 1 United Nations on June 30 now joined by the Grade 3 Philip H. Iselin, the Grade 3 Eatontown and the Lady’s Secret Stakes.
“We are committed to delivering world-class racing and events to the Jersey Shore,” said Dennis Drazin, Chairman and CEO of Darby Development LLC, operators of Monmouth Park. “Our enhanced stakes schedule and newly created event days ensures Monmouth’s prominence on the national racing stage while providing our live fans with exceptional summer racing.”
In addition to the June 30 quartet of stakes races, additional bundled stakes days will take place on May 26 (Monmouth Stakes, Salvator Mile, Boiling Springs, John J. Reilly); Father’s Day, June 17 (Pegasus, Regret, Mr. Prospector and Dan Horn); and, Sept. 1 (Red Bank, Violet, Sapling, Sorority).
As always, the Haskell Day program will have a slew of supporting stakes events: four Grade 3 events in the Monmouth Cup, Molly Pitcher, WinStar Matchmaker, and Oceanport Stakes, as well as the Wolf Hill.
The 16th annual New Jersey Thoroughbred Festival, with three stakes events, will be renewed on Aug. 26, as a total of six NJ-bred stakes races are on tap this season.
In total 39 stakes, 13 of them graded, will be offered this year, starting with the Cliff Hanger on Opening Day.
