OCEANPORT – Racing returns to Monmouth Park July 3 and the Haskell Invitational remains set for July 18 with a $1 million purse. And there is further incentive for top thoroughbreds to come to the Jersey Shore: The track announced it will give a $1 million bonus to any horse that sweeps the Haskell, Kentucky Derby and Breeders Cup.
The Haskell is one of the biggest races on the thoroughbred calendar and the 2020 edition has a new twist thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic. Normally, the Haskell is an opportunity for top thoroughbreds to race their way into the year end Breeder’s Cup and that’s still the case this summer. But now there’s the added incentive of the Kentucky Derby which was moved from its traditional first Saturday in May to Sept. 5 due to the corona-virus. For the first time in its history, the Haskell Invitational’s top four finishers will earn points to qualify for the Run for the Roses at Churchill Downs.
Monmouth Park should have been completing its second month of horse racing by now but track officials are grateful that its 75th season will happen July 3. “We’re incredibly thankful to Gov. Murphy for letting us get back to work,” said Dennis Drazin, chairman and CEO of Darby Development, operators of Monmouth Park. “This is welcome news for horse-men and even better news for New Jerseyans.”
The article originally appeared in the June 25 – July 1, 2020 print edition of The Two River Times.
