Monmouth, Atlantic City Granted 2015 Dates
Image:
Description:
The 2015 Thoroughbred racing season in New Jersey will again begin at Atlantic City Race Course, according to schedules approved Nov. 20 by the New Jersey Racing Commission.
Atlantic City, which only uses its turf course, was granted six programs: April 23-26 and April 28-29 (Thursday through Sunday, and Tuesday and Wednesday). Greenwood Racing, which owns Parx Racing in neighboring Pennsylvania, also owns Atlantic City; traditionally Parx has been dark the week Atlantic City is open.
Monmouth Park, operated by Darby Development, was approved for 49 racing days from May 9-Sept. 7, with racing Saturdays and Sundays through June and Fridays through Sundays for the remainder of the meet. Closing day is set for Labor Day Monday.
Monmouth raced 57 days in 2014.
In recent years Monmouth has raced on weekends in September. Instead, New Meadowlands applied for 16 Thoroughbred dates from Sept. 11-Oct. 31 with racing on Fridays and Saturdays.
Thoroughbreds only race on the turf at New Meadowlands, and the meets are also operated by Darby Development. The NJRC opted to table the combined request until its January meeting, however, because the nature of the meet could change.
Monmouth Park and New Meadowlands are currently in negotiations regarding the cost of converting the one-mile harness racing surface to again accommodate Thoroughbreds. If the plan goes through, New Meadowlands would hold a regular meet of turf and dirt racing.
In an interview with The Blood-Horse in late 2013, Monmouth adviser Dennis Drazin said he expected to see an expansion of Thoroughbred racing at Meadowlands, which at one time held a regular meet from early September through early December. He said ideally there would be turf and dirt racing; conversion of the main track would cost $250,000-$300,000.
"Hopefully we'll eventually have the revenue for it," Drazin said at the time. "I think it's in our future."
New Meadowlands was approved for 14 Thoroughbred dates this year but lost six full programs because of rain and course conditions. Atlantic City was scheduled to race six days earlier this year but lost its final program to a rainstorm. None of the programs at either track was rescheduled.