Monmouth Park 2021: What jockeys will show up for opening weekend? Here's what we know

No one’s captured more riding titles at Monmouth Park than Joe Bravo and Paco Lopez, with 20 between them.

But after finishing 1-2 in money earned last year, two of the Jersey Shore's most iconic jockeys ever will be no-shows this weekend in Oceanport, bypassing the track’s 76th season because of the New Jersey Racing Commission’s rule banning the use of whips “except for reasons of safety.”

"I will not ride with the riding crop rule they have in place,” said Bravo, a 13-time Monmouth Park riding champ who has mounts at Delaware Park Wednesday and Penn National Friday, in a text message.

Lopez, whose seven riding titles is second all-time behind Bravo, will ride at Gulfstream Park this summer.

The Jockeys' Guild, which feels the inability to use a riding crop creates a hazardous situaiton for both jockeys and horses, is seeking to eliminate the rule in court. The New Jersey appellate division on April 18 denied a motion by the Jockeys’ Guild for a preliminary injunction, and a decision on the appeal is not expected until later in the summer.

The question now is who will be the track's next star, beginning with the battle for the 2021 riding title?

It's a wide open race without Lopez, who won 51 times last summer, and Bravo, who finished first 41 times.

We’ll know more about the make-up of the jockey colony later Tuesday when post positions are drawn for what is expected to be a six-race, meet-opening card Friday, with post time at 5 p.m. It’s the first of four days of racing over Memorial Day weekend to kick off the 53-day meet.

While there has been plenty of posturing over the past month, it appears at least eight of the 14 riders who had 100 or more mounts during the Monmouth meet last summer are expected to return, although not all will be available on opening weekend.

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Among the candidates to top the standings, Ferrin Peterson won 42 races in 2020, second behind Lopez. And Antonio Gallardo, second in the Tampa Bay Downs jockey standings, won 37 times.   

Jorge Vargas Jr., third in earnings last summer, has not ridden since a March 20 spill at Aqueduct but is expected to return to Monmouth at some point.

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In addition to Lopez, Wilmer Garcia and Romero Maragh, who combined for 24 wins, will remain at Gulfstream Park. Hector Rafael Diaz has been a regular in New York and has mounts at Belmont Park Friday, but is not scheduled to ride there on Saturday.

Check later today for more details on the jockeys riding on opening day at Monmouth Park.

Returning - Ferrin Peterson (42 wins); Antonio Gallardo (37); Jose Ferrer (27); Nik Juarez (24);  Isaac Castillo (21); Jorge Vargas Jr. (19); Carlos Hernandez (15 wins); Tomas Mejia (14).

Not returning - Paco Lopez (51); Joe Bravo (41); Jomar Torres (15); Wilmer Garcia (13); Romero Maragh (11).

Unclear: Hector Rafael Diaz (30)