Report: Testing Delays Stall Monmouth Purse Payouts

Monmouth Park's purses have totaled nearly $10 million during the first six weeks of the current meet, but about $7 million of that amount has yet to be paid out, the Asbury Park Press reported Aug. 17.

Results for post-race drug tests have been delayed, stalling the payment of purse money to connections whose horses were tested after racing at Monmouth. Purse money is not paid out until a horse's results come back negative. The winner, which generally receives 60% of the purse, and a randomly chosen runner are tested after each race.

According to the Press, the only purse money that's been released to owners of tested horses is from Monmouth's opening day July 3.

"There are a lot of issues on everyone's plate at Monmouth Park, but right now this is the No. 1 issue on everyone's plate," Monmouth Park's chairman and CEO Dennis Drazin told the Press. "These horsemen are struggling. People can't pay their bills. And it's a trickle-down effect. I've gotten complaints from feed companies saying the horsemen don't have the money to pay them."

The New Jersey Racing Commission oversees the testing program and has a contract with Truesdail Laboratories based in Irvine, Calif.

"Frankly, at this point we're evaluating filing lawsuit against Truesdail," Drazin told the Press. "I personally called and had a conversation with the racing commission and I was told that the contract provides that they need to do their preliminary results in three days and their final results in eight days.

"The commission was very upset that Truesdail was not living up to the terms of their contract and they told me they were trying to get direct answers and speaking to the attorney general's office about what action to take. I do think the commission's executive director (Judith Nason) is taking this very seriously."

Monmouth Park was originally scheduled to open May 2 but moved back its opening day due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The meet continues through Sept. 27.