A dramatic shift in racing will emerge this year when Monmouth Park offers $1 million in average daily purses, by far the highest in North America. Monmouth’s million dollar meet, which gets underway on May 22, will showcase 50 live racing dates running through Labor Day, Sept. 6. In total, New Jersey Thoroughbred racing will see 71 live dates, down from the 141 that have been contested the past several years. After the million dollar meet, Monmouth Park will host a fall racing meet on Saturdays and Sundays through November 21. Purses for those cards will range from $250,000 to $300,000 per day, with the exception of Saturday, Sept. 18, when New Jersey-breds take center stage. Purses that day will be approximately $1 million.
Sue Linfante
