Monmouth Park: NJ orders spectators capped at 2,000, even though capacity is 60,000

Monmouth Park officials thought they had approval for a reopening plan to utilize the track’s sprawling grandstand and numerous outdoor areas, thus providing plenty of capacity, even at 25 percent, for fans at the Oceanport racetrack over Fourth of July Weekend, beginning with Friday’s twilight card.

But the situation has changed dramatically.

Even though the track has hosted a crowd of over 60,000, Monmouth Park’s capacity will be severely limited due to COVID-19 restrictions, including on Haskell Day on July 18, when the $1 million TVG.com Haskell Stakes serves as the centerpiece of the summer meet.

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In a reversal of what a track official said he had previously been told, the state is prepared to limit Monmouth Park to just 500 patrons inside the grandstand, with about 2,000 fans total allowed inside the gates, including outdoor areas.

Dennis Drazin, chairman and CEO of Darby Development LLC., which operates the track, was still waiting on an executive order that would spell out the exact details on Friday. Monmouth Park's gates are set to open for simulcasting, sports betting and live racing at 11 a.m. on Friday, with the first race of the twilight racing card at 5 p.m.

The track's plan to handle the new limits on fans is expected on Friday. 

The plan Monmouth Park submitted to the state Racing Commission for reopening recommended an outdoor capacity of 16,375 and an indoor capacity of 5,059. But the plan apparently was not approved by Gov. Phil Murphy’s office.

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Now, Monmouth Park finds itself scrambling to come up with details for a last-minute plan as it awaits final approval from the Racing Commission and Division of Gaming Enforcement, with the blessing of Murphy.

"Of course I would like to have what I thought we were going to have," Drazin said.

"I don’t understand why a casino that has capacity for 8,000 can have 2,000 customers indoors, and I am being restricted. But we support the governor and we support the rules.”

Atlantic City casinos were allowed to open up at 25 percent capacity indoors on Thursday, while their sports books also reopened at 25 percent capacity.

Monmouth Park hosted 60,983 fans on Haskell Day in 2015, when a record crowd showed up to see Triple Crown winner American Pharoah run. Drazin has said he had hoped to be able to host at least 15,000 fans on Haskell Day, that track’s most important day of the year.

Throughout the day on Thursday, it appeared Monmouth Park would be limited to just 500 fans total, which is the new state limit for public gatherings that goes into effect on Friday. But negotiations with the state brought the total up to around 2,000, which includes 500 in the picnic area, which can hold up to 15,000.

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Monmouth Park's sports book will be limited to 25 percent capacity of the William Hill Sports Bar, which holds just 275. The state will not count the adjacent 18,000 square-foot area devoted to the sports book in the grandstand as part of the plan.

The gates open at 11 a.m. on Saturday and Sunday, with post time for the first race at 12:50 p.m. Admission and parking are free all meet, except on Haskell Day. Information on tickets for Haskell Day is expected to be available soon. 

The track’s plan to have indoor dining was scuttled earlier this week when Gov. Murphy announced that the state-wide plan to restore indoor dining would be put on hold.

Stephen Edelson is a USA TODAY NETWORK New Jersey sports columnist who has been covering athletics in the state and at the Jersey Shore for nearly 35 years. Contact him at: @SteveEdelsonAPP; sedelson@gannettnj.com.