Monmouth Park announces 56-day sked for 2020

by Press Release | Feb 11, 2020 | Breaking, Business, New Jersey, NJ Business

King for a Day with Joe Bravo riding upset Maximum Security and Luis Saez to win the 2019 $150,000 tvg.com Pegasus Stakes at Monmouth Park. Photo By Bill Denver/EQUI-PHOTO

Led by the Grade 1, $1 million TVG.com Haskell Invitational, Monmouth Park is set to offer $7.3 million in stakes races when the track kicks off its diamond anniversary season on Saturday, May 2.

This year’s 75^th race meet will feature 63 total stakes, 12 graded events, and 11 stakes restricted to New Jersey-bred horses.

Last year’s Haskell Day program saw two champions in the winner’s circle with Maximum Security winning the main event and Midnight Bisou cruising under the line in the Molly Pitcher. That card will again feature six stakes races in 2020, two with a $100,000 purse boost, as the Grade 3 Monmouth Cup and the Grade 3 Molly Pitcher go to $300,000 and $250,000, respectively.

Other races getting a purse bump are the Grade 3 Iselin, now at $200,000, as well as the Miss Liberty, Jersey Derby and Jersey Shore, each to be contested for $100,000.

The 18^th annual New Jersey Thoroughbred Festival, with three stakes events, will be renewed on Aug. 30, with the $100,000 Charles Hesse III Handicap headlining that card.

Monmouth Park’s MATCH Day will be Sept. 12 with five stakes totaling $500,000 playing their part in the Mid-Atlantic Championships.

Stall applications, which are due by March 15, are now available on-line at www.monmouthpark.com or in hard copy format in the Monmouth Park racing office.