Monmouth Park Racetrack facts for kids
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| Location | 175 Oceanport Ave. Oceanport, New Jersey 07757 United States |
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| Owned by | NJSEA |
| Operated by | Darby Development, LLC |
| Date opened | July 30, 1870 |
| Screened on | NBC (Haskell Invitational Stakes) |
| Course type | Flat |
| Notable races | Haskell Invitational Stakes (G1) United Nations Stakes (G1) Molly Pitcher Stakes (G2) Monmouth Cup (G2) |
Monmouth Park Racetrack is a famous place in Oceanport, New Jersey, where thoroughbred horse racing happens. It's owned by the New Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority and run by Darby Development, LLC.
The most exciting event at Monmouth Park is the Haskell Invitational. This big race is named after Amory L. Haskell. It started in 1968 and became an invitational race in 1981. Today, it's a 1⅛-mile race for three-year-old horses, held in late July. Monmouth Park also hosts the Jersey Derby, which used to be at another track. The racing season at Monmouth Park runs from early May until Labor Day in early September.
Contents
History of Monmouth Park
The First Race Tracks
Over the years, three different places have been called Monmouth Park. The very first horse racing track opened on July 30, 1870, in Eatontown, New Jersey. It was built to attract more tourists to the Jersey Shore during the summer. This early track was known for its excellent races. However, it closed after only three years because of money problems.
In 1878, a group of men bought the track. They spent four years making it new and better. Monmouth Park reopened in 1882. It became very popular, so a new, bigger racetrack was built next to it. This second Monmouth Park opened in 1890. But soon after, a new law in New Jersey stopped betting on horse races. Because of this, the track closed in 1894. The land where this track stood later became Fort Monmouth, a military base.
Monmouth Park Today
In 1946, a new law allowed horse racing and betting in New Jersey again. Important people like Amory L. Haskell helped make this happen. The current Monmouth Park, then called the Monmouth Park Jockey Club, opened on June 19, 1946. Horse racing returned after 53 years! A huge crowd of 18,724 people came to watch.
The New Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority bought Monmouth Park in 1985. Since then, the park has added new attractions.
The Vans Warped Tour, a music and extreme sports festival, was held at the racetrack in 2010 and 2011. It was the New York area stop for this big tour.
In 2013, Monmouth Park opened the Bluegrass Miniature Golf Course. It has two 18-hole courses, the Haskell Course and the Triple Crown Course.
A fancy restaurant called Blu Grotto opened in 2016. It's named after a famous sea cave in Italy. There's also a Beer Garden that opened in 2017.
On June 14, 2018, Monmouth Park became the first place in New Jersey to offer sports betting. This happened after the U.S. Supreme Court made it legal.
What the Track Looks Like
The main track at Monmouth Park is a one-mile (1.6 km) dirt oval. It has special sections for different race lengths.
There's also a turf course, which is seven furlongs around. It has extra paths for races of different distances. The grass course was updated in 2006. Races on the turf can be run in different ways, depending on how the portable rail is set up.
The Stable Area is where the horses live and train. It has 40 barns and stables. Some are connected by a special road.
Near the main complex was Wolf Hill Farm. It used to be a private stable and practice area for horses. It had its own dirt and turf tracks, just like Monmouth Park, but smaller. The farm was sold to Monmouth Park in 1963. Later, in 1998, it became part of the Monmouth County Park System. Now, it's a park with a dog park, a disc golf course, and baseball fields. You could see parts of the old practice track until 2009.
Horse Races at Monmouth Park
Monmouth Park hosts many exciting horse races. Some of the most important ones are called "graded stakes" races. These races are ranked by how important they are.
- Grade 1:
- Haskell Invitational Handicap
- United Nations Stakes
- Grade 2:
- Monmouth Stakes
- Grade 3:
- Eatontown Handicap
- Matchmaker Stakes
- Molly Pitcher Stakes
- Monmouth Oaks
- Monmouth Cup Stakes
- Oceanport Stakes
- Philip H. Iselin Stakes
- Red Bank Stakes
- Salvator Mile Stakes
- Other important races (Ungraded stakes):
- Boiling Springs Stakes (Turf)
- Cliff Hanger Stakes
- Colleen Stakes
- Dan Horn Stakes
- Lady's Secret Stakes
- Long Branch Stakes
- Longfellow Stakes
- Miss Woodford Stakes
- Jersey Derby
- Jersey Shore Breeders' Cup Stakes
- Lamplighter Stakes
- Majestic Light Stakes
- Monmouth Beach Stakes
- Regret Stakes
- Mr. Prospector Stakes
- Rumson Stakes
- Sapling Stakes
- Tyro Stakes
- Violet Stakes
Breeders' Cup World Championships
Monmouth Park hosted the Breeders' Cup for the first time on October 26 and 27, 2007. This was a very special event. It was also the first time the Breeders' Cup was held over two days. Three new races were added on the first day.
Winners of Races in 2007: Day 1
- Filly & Mare Sprint - Maryfield
- Juvenile Turf - Nownownow
- Dirt Mile - Corinthian
Day 2
- Juvenile Fillies - Indian Blessing
- Juvenile - War Pass
- Filly & Mare Turf - Lahudood
- Sprint - Midnight Lute
- Mile - Kip Deville
- Distaff - Ginger Punch
- Turf - English Channel
- Classic - Curlin
Million Dollar Meet
In 2010, Monmouth Park decided to have a shorter racing season. They held only 50 days of live racing. But they offered a total of $50 million in prize money! This made it the most expensive prize money structure in North America at the time. This change was made to help the racetrack financially.
Monmouth Park in Movies and TV
Monmouth Park Racetrack has appeared in several movies and TV shows:
- The track is in the 1984 movie The Pope of Greenwich Village.
- It was featured in a 1986 episode of The Equalizer TV series.
- Law & Order filmed an episode called "Sport of Kings" at Monmouth Park in 2005.
- A short scene in the 2010 movie The Bounty Hunter, starring Jennifer Aniston and Gerard Butler, was filmed here.
- The track was briefly shown on an episode of Impractical Jokers.
How to Get There
Monmouth Park is easy to get to.
- By Train: During the racing season, you can take the New Jersey Transit's North Jersey Coast Line to the Monmouth Park station. A special train called the "Pony Express" used to run directly to the track, but it stopped in 2005.
- By Bus: The 831 New Jersey Transit Bus route also serves the park.
- By Car: You can reach Monmouth Park by car using NJ-36. This road connects to major highways like the Garden State Parkway and the New Jersey Turnpike. There are several parking lots on site.
