New Jersey

GARDINER, NY-A 30-year-old gelding you surely never heard of who never did anything that special on the racetrack is scheduled to be put down Friday at his home, the Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation farm at the Wallkill Correctional Facility in upstate New York. It happens. They all get old and, for Renaissance Bob, it is his time. This is not pressing news. Far from it. But it will be a sad, bittersweet day for me. I saved Renaissance Bob's life, plucking him out of a kill pen on Nov. 23, 1998...

Officials at Monmouth Park have announced an across-the-board increase in purses to begin on TVG.com Haskell S. day July 17 and have added three live September dates on Fridays to the calendar. "We're thankful to Gov. Philip Murphy and to the leadership in the state Senate and Assembly who continue to support racing in New Jersey," said Dennis Drazin, the Chairman and CEO of Darby Development LLC, the operators of Monmouth Park. "A supplemental appropriation was passed and signed into law, and with rain preventing us from writing more races...

Because of the pandemic in 2020, six-race cards on Fridays and a run of rainy weather to start this year's meet, apples-to-apples, year-over-year handle comparisons aren't easy to come by at Monmouth. But all indications are that the Jersey Shore track has gotten off to a poor start, and that raises an important question--are bettors staying away because of the new rules that prohibit whipping? Sunday's card was the first of the meet where all the scheduled races were run on the turf and there was not an abundance of...

In the wake of last week's news that Betfair intends to pull the plug on its exchange wagering platform in New Jersey on Oct. 1, Dennis Drazin, the chairman and chief executive of Darby Development LLC, which operates Monmouth Park, told the New Jersey Racing Commission Sept. 16 that his track is actively seeking another partner to continue the bettor-versus-bettor style of wager-matching that is popular in other parts of the world but hasn't quite caught on in America. "Although they want out of business, we do not," Drazin said....

Starting at next year's Monmouth Park meet, whipping a Thoroughbred will not be allowed by any New Jersey jockey or exercise rider except for the express purpose of ensuring the immediate safety of the horse or rider. Spanning three new rules covering prohibition, allowable usage for safety, and whip construction, the trio of regulations were voted in 4-0 by the New Jersey Racing Commission (NJRC) at its Sept. 16 meeting, making the state the first in the nation to ban whipping beyond protection in an emergency situation. If a jockey...

Due to heavy rain and high winds that hit the Jersey Shore all day Friday, Monmouth Park canceled its six-race program slated to commence at 5p.m. Live racing resumes at Monmouth Park July 11 with a first post of 12:50 p.m. for the 12-race card.

During his daily press briefing on the coronavirus pandemic in New Jersey, Governor Phil Murphy announced that horse racing in the state can return, spectator-free, as early as next week. Sticking to its original plan, Monmouth Park will conduct its first day of live racing Friday, July 3. "We're incredibly thankful to Governor Murphy for letting us get back to work," said Dennis Drazin, Chairman and CEO of Darby Development, LLC, operators of Monmouth Park. "This is welcome news for horsemen and even better news for New Jerseyans. "The Governor...

Trainer John Mazza, a regular at Monmouth Park since the track opened in 1956 and one of the most beloved members of the New Jersey racing fraternity, passed away Friday. He was 82. According to his companion, Rosemary Shockley, Mazza died from complications related to congestive heart failure. He passed away at Aventura Hospital in Aventura, Florida. Mazza was a throwback, a product of a time when racing was more a sport than a business and trainers like Mazza considered everyone on the backstretch family. He didn't have a bad...

Asked in his daily coronavirus briefing Wednesday about the potential opening of Saratoga Race Course this summer, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo said that he thinks a decision will likely have to be made on a statewide, if not region-wide level. He added that his concern is if Saratoga is opened alone without coordination with other counties and states, it could see even more demand than usual, leading to density issues. He didn't address and wasn't asked about the possibility of Saratoga conducting racing without spectators. "You can't open an...

New Jersey Attorney General Gurbir S. Grewal in conjunction with the New Jersey Racing Commission announced that the State has suspended the horse racing licenses of seven New Jersey licensees. The suspensions come two days after the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York unsealed indictments against a total of 27 individuals in an alleged international conspiracy to dope racehorses. Seven individuals received letters from New Jersey Racing Commission Executive Director Judith A. Nason notifying them of their immediate suspensions. The septet includes trainer Jason Servis, Nicholas...

Yonkers Raceway canceled live racing Tuesday night after John Brennan, the Standardbred Owners Association of New York Director representing horsemen at Yonkers, passed away Tuesday from Coronavirus. The New Jersey resident was the state's first reported victim of Coronavirus.    DRF Harness originally reported Brennan's death and the Yonkers cancellation, but had not confirmed a connection. Harness Racing Update received confirmation from SOA of N.Y. President Joe Faraldo that racing was cancelled due to an "abundance of caution." HRU also reported that Faraldo has a fever and his doctor is...

The first condition book for Monmouth Park's 2020 racing season, which begins May 2, and stall applications are available online and in the racing office. The Oceanport oval opens for stabling Apr. 11 and training begins Apr. 15. The meet runs through Sept. 27 and is highlighted by the July 18 GI Haskell Invitational S. Once again, all trainers will receive a $300 starter bonus with all owners guaranteed $500 per runner. In addition, trainers stabled at Monmouth will be covered by a blanket worker's compensation policy, provided by the...