Thoroughbred Horsemen's Association
Posted: Feb. 1, 2018
Monmouth Park has bolstered its stakes schedule for 2018, and also has bundled some of them to create “big event” days, according to a Jan. 31 release.
There will be 39 stakes—13 of them are graded—worth $4.34 million during the meet, which begins May 5. The $1 million betfair.com Haskell Invitational is set for July 29.
“We are committed to delivering world-class racing and events to the Jersey Shore,” said Dennis Drazin, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Darby Development, which operates Monmouth on behalf of the New Jersey Thoroughbred Horsemen’s Association. “Our enhanced stakes schedule and newly created event days ensure Monmouth’s prominence on the national racing stage while providing our live fans with exceptional summer racing.”
The days on which stakes are clustered are as follows:
- May 26: Monmouth Stakes (grade II), Salvator Mile (grade III), Boiling Springs Stakes, and John J. Reilly Handicap (New Jersey-bred)
- June 17: Pegasus Stakes, Regret Stakes, Mr. Prospector Stakes, and Dan Horn Stakes (New Jersey-bred)
- June 30: United Nations Stakes (grade I), Philip H. Iselin Stakes (grade III), Eatontown Stakes (gr. III), and Lady’s Secret Stakes
- July 29: betfair.com Haskell Invitational (grade I), Monmouth Cup (grade III), Molly Pitcher Stakes (grade III), WinStar Matchmaker Stakes (grade III), Oceanport Stakes (grade III), and the Wolf Hill Stakes
- Sept. 1: Red Bank Stakes (grade III), Violet Stakes (grade III), Sapling Stakes, and Sorority Stakes
The 16th New Jersey Thoroughbred Festival, with three stakes for state-bred runners, will be renewed Aug. 26. In all, there will be six New Jersey-bred stakes during the Monmouth meet.
The complete stakes schedule is available here.
(Monmouth Park photo by Tom LaMarra)