By John Spinelli
OCEANPORT – On Sunday afternoon, motorists found they had to share the road with an unusual mode of transportation, as a horse from Monmouth Park bolted from the facility and headed down Route 36.
On July 6, Hawkstone, a 3-year-old bay gelding, escaped the stable area’s security gate, ultimately running alongside the shoulder of Route 36 westbound until he was safely captured in a grassy area of the motor vehicle office in Eatontown. This was the first such incident in the track’s history, management said.
Hawkstone was foaled in Kentucky. His trainer is Cal Lynch. He was slated to run in the second race of the day at 1:20 p.m. but the thoroughbred had other ideas; while being walked from the stables, he “jumped” strongly enough that his handler lost control, according to racetrack management.
When he got loose, he ran to the stable gate and made his way to nearby Route 36.
On social media, the incident sparked a debate about horse racing – and jokes about Hawkstone craving a Dunkin’ Donuts coffee after a picture of the horse trotting past the Route 36 shop appeared online.
But Monmouth Park took the incident seriously.
“We will review our protocols and investigate the incident on our end,” said the park’s general manager, John Heims.
“It was a one-of-a-kind incident. This was the first time a horse escaped outside the property in 80 years of Monmouth Park’s operation,” he added. Tom Luicci, the racetrack’s media director, explained how the horse escaped. Hawkstone got loose from his handler as he was being led to race. “He bolted so quickly that the alert could not be sounded in time to close the stable gate.”
“We run three days a week and a minimum of 27 races over that span and have done so since opening day in May. This is not a recurring problem; this is the only such incident of its type,” he said.
The horse was eventually caught by the Monmouth Park security team dispatched to follow him. He was secured while outside the motor vehicle office. He was then transported back to the stable area, unharmed. Eatontown, West Long Branch, and Oceanport police were also dispatched for the call. “If it is warranted, in the future we might look into potentially adding a second gate to the security area,” Heims said.
The article originally appeared in the July 10 – July 16, 2025 print edition of The Two River Times.
