By Allison Perrine
Fans who visit Monmouth Park in 2022 will be met with an extended calendar of events, giveaways, food trucks and more.
OCEANPORT – From fixed odds wagering to giveaways, an expanded calendar of events and more, there’s something for everyone to look forward to at Monmouth Park in the new year.
As part of the racetrack’s “We’re Back” campaign, a series of popular group sales, events, promotions, wagering, facility upgrades and more will be announced over the coming weeks to get visitors excited for opening day May 7. After a capacity restriction of 4,000 in 2020 amid the COVID-19 pandemic, Dennis Drazin, chairman and CEO of Darby Development LLC, operator of Monmouth Park, said the 2022 season should feel “as close as back to normal” as it can be. “Even though we were open during COVID… I think that a lot of people were reluctant to come out, particularly to be indoors,” he said. One of the most popular requests from fans was for the return of bring-your- own coolers and beverages into the picnic areas, and racetrack officials delivered. As part of the initiative, fans will be permitted to bring coolers no larger than 15- by-25 inches through the picnic admission gates into the first-come, first-served or group picnic areas as of opening day. It’s something the park permitted previously but revoked at the start of the pandemic. “At this point in time, we feel it would be appropriate to reward our fans and customers,” said Drazin. “People want it; it’s something that we’re trying to deliver for them.”
The park will also return with its popular festivals and family fun days in a larger scale than it was able to do previously, according to Drazin. Events will start opening day with “The Shore’s Biggest Derby Party” followed by a Mother’s Day event May 8, a Jersey Shore Food Truck Festival May 28 through 30, Irish Festival June 5, Cooler Giveaway June 11 and much more. There are also opportunities for fans to host their own events at the racetrack year-round, whether it be for a holiday party, banquet, birthday, shower or more. For more information and to see the complete event schedule, visit monmouthpark.com. “Every weekend we have a different event,” said Drazin. Additionally, those looking to gamble can look forward to fixed odds wagering at the racetrack this winter. Drazin expects that in January Monmouth Park will be able to offer this style of gambling which had not been previously permitted in New Jersey; it will allow bettors to lock in the odds at the time of their bets as opposed to pari-mutuel wagering when odds are not finalized until all betting is completed.
For the first time, fixed odds wagering will be implemented at Monmouth Park this winter.
In August, before the wager style was approved in the state Legislature, Drazin gave an example of how fixed odds wagering could work in a call with The Two River Times. If someone places a bet on a horse when its odds are 2-to-1, those odds can change as more people bet on the horse, potentially changing the odds to 1-to-2 by the time the horses run a few yards after breaking out of the gate. Monmouth Park is on course to be the first racetrack in the U.S. to offer this style wagering, which Drazin called “the future of gambling.” “Monmouth Park always looks to be a leader in gaming opportunities,” he said. “We want to present opportunities for people to wager on our signals and come to Monmouth Park. That’s an attractive proposition for customers and fans.”
This is not the first time Monmouth Park has been a national leader in the sports betting world. Years ago, Monmouth Park, with the state Thoroughbred Horsemen’s Association and state of New Jersey, litigated against four major professional sports leagues and the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) to fight the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA) of 1992. After years-long deliberation, in 2018 the U.S. Supreme Court sided with their claim that PASPA was unconstitutional. “We were ultimately successful, although I didn’t think it would take eight years. It was because of Monmouth Park’s efforts that sports betting exists in this country now,” said Drazin.
The article originally appeared in the December 16 – 22, 2021 print edition of The Two River Times.
