The strictest whip rules in the country will see their first use on May 28, opening day at Monmouth Park in Oceanport, NJ. Instituted by the state's racing commission, the rules allow jockeys to use the whip when needed for safety reasons.
According to the Asbury Park Press, some jockeys have threatened to boycott the 2021 meet at Monmouth, with several regular NJ riders indicating plans to head elsewhere on social media.
“I wouldn't say it's a boycott. It's a decision,” Terry Mayocks, president and CEO of the Jockeys' Guild, told APP earlier this month. “We had a meeting when the stay was denied and just explained it to everyone and the process we've gone through the last year-and-a-half, and everyone basically said we don't feel comfortable. And if they can stay in Florida or go to other racetracks, that's an individual decision they will have to make.”
Dennis Drazin, chairman and CEO of Darby Development LLC, which operates Monmouth Park, isn't concerned, saying: “We expect to have enough riders to put on the show and I think we will be successful.”
The purse structure at Monmouth will draw jockeys from other states if positions are open, Drazin continued.
In addition, Drazin has spoken with Meyocks about repercussions for jockeys accepting mounts at Monmouth and then not showing up to ride, forcing cancellation of racing.
“The Racing Commission would have the power to bring them in and give them a hearing and suspend them for conduct detrimental to racing and then they can't ride anywhere in the country, because there's reciprocity between racing commissions,” Drazin explained.
Read more at the Asbury Park Press.
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