A gamble at Monmouth Park
With the opening of the thoroughbred season at Monmouth Park days away, chief executive Dennis Drazin knows the odds are against the track making a profit. The coronavirus pandemic has idled the New Jersey shore track for two months while officials in the hard-hit state waited for the health risks to subside. The track reduced the scheduled 56-day meet to 37 dates. The wait ends Friday. Monmouth Park is starting off with an unexpected daily double. It will have both racing and people in attendance, a rarity at major horse racing tracks around the country. The highlight of the meet will be the running of the Haskell for 3-year-olds on July 17. Some horses use the 11/8-mile race as a prep for the Kentucky Derby.
New York held the Belmont Stakes on June 20 without fans. California and Maryland are not allowing fans. Florida is doing it on a limited basis. Officials at Churchill Downs in Kentucky plan to allow a limited number of fans for the Kentucky Derby on Sept. 5 in the rejiggered Triple Crown schedule.
New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy cleared the way for fans to attend less than two weeks ago.
"It's been a struggle getting here and I kind of refused to give up," Drazin said this week in a phone interview. "Our CFO said it would be tough to get to opening day. There was no hesitation in my saying: 'We are not closing, we are going to run a meet this year. We're going to do the best we can.' "
This won't be your average day at the races.
Fans entering the facility will have their temperatures taken and be asked about potential contact with people infected with the coronavirus. Once inside, they will have to wear masks and practice social distancing.
Track capacity has been limited to 25 percent, which is roughly 15,000 fans.
Don't expect that many. The track averaged...