COURTESY MONMOUTH PARK
OCEANPORT – Monmouth Park officials immediately turned their focus to 2027 following the conclusion of the track’s 81st season Sunday, with the meet seeing declines in average total handle and average on- site handle. Extreme heat and heavy smoke from Canadian wildfires canceled the July 3 and July 4 live cards, reducing the 50-day meet to 48 days. Average total handle for 2026 was $2,845,807 compared to $3,641,403 last year. Average on-track handle was $281,772 compared to $341,340 in 2025.
“The easy way out is to blame outside forces like the foal crop and weather, but that won’t get us any solutions,” said Dennis Drazin, chairman and CEO of Darby Development LLC, operators of Monmouth Park Racetrack. “It’s very difficult to compete with neighboring states that all have casino or slot machine money fueling their purses.
“Nevertheless, we will continue to work with the Governor and our legislative leaders to deliver for our fans, horsemen and all New Jerseyans and we will not stop until Monmouth Park and the Thoroughbred industry are on firm footing. As for this year we are turning the page and focusing on 2027 and the years beyond.”
Thanks in part to record Father’s Day and Mother’s Day crowds, average attendance held steady. This year’s average attendance was 6,532 compared to last year’s average of 6,650.
Father’s Day drew 30,367 fans, while Mother’s Day drew 16,368.
Attendance for NYRA Bets Haskell Day was 35,608 despite severe stormy weather, heavy downpours and a flash flood watch. Weather also impacted the three-day Memorial Day weekend, with all 12 scheduled turf races taken off the grass because of heavy rain.
SEASONAL HONORS
Paco Lopez captured his record-tying 13th riding title (and eighth straight). Lopez and Joe Bravo now share the mark for most titles at Monmouth Park.
Jorge Delgado repeated as leading trainer, first catching the fast-starting Kelly Breen and then holding him off late. Delgado’s 25 wins included six 2-year-old winners at the meet.
Brad’s Equine Adventure, owned by Brad Altschuld, earned leading owner honors for the first time, doing so on the final day when Denying won the third race for his 10th winner of the meet.
“It’s especially meaningful because I did this to honor my (late) mother (Carla),” said Altschuld, who credited trainer Wayne Potts for his successful meet. “I started with one horse on my 40th birthday two years ago and I have between 15 and 20 now, so to win the owner’s title in such a short time is something I’m extremely proud of. My mother, who passed away in 2024, was the one who taught me about racing so it means a lot personally to do this to honor her memory.”
Christian Maragh was the leading apprentice with 14 wins, good for eighth place in the riding standings.
The New Jersey Thoroughbred scene now shifts north for the nine-day, all-turf Monmouth at Meadow- lands meet beginning Friday, Sept. 18.
This article originally appeared in the September 17-23, 2026 print edition of The Two River Times.
