Dennis Drazin | Horse Racing Free Tips

Authentic Earns $1M BetMakers Bonus With Classic Win

With his victory in Saturday’s GI Longines Breeders’ Cup Distaff, Authentic (Into Mischief) earned a $1-million bonus for his connections from Australian-based racing technology group BetMakers. In conjunction with Monmouth Park’s Dennis Drazin, BetMakers created the ‘BetMakers Bonanza’ for any horse that could win the 2020 renewals of the GI Haskell Invitational, the GI Kentucky Derby and then finish it off with the Breeders’ Cup Classic. Authentic went wire to wire to score in the 10-furlong test by 2 1/4 lengths.

“With all the winners of the majors competing in the Breeders’ Cup Classic, Authentic proving he is an absolute superstar was very exciting,” BetMakers CEO Todd Buckingham said. “Initiatives like the BetMakers Bonanza are a great way to get the best horses competing against each other and what a great way to finish off with a race like we had.”

BetMakers and Darby Development LLC, owner and operator of Monmouth Park, signed an agreement earlier in the year with the aim to facilitate fixed-odds betting on horse racing in the state of New Jersey, with legislation recently introduced to do so in the New Jersey state legislature.

The ‘BetMakers Bonanza’ will continue for at least the next two years but with a different pathway. This year’s COVID-19 adjusted racing schedule saw the middle leg being the Derby and with the expected return to a regular calendar next year, the Haskell and Breeders’ Cup Classic will again ‘book-end’ the Bonanza with the middle leg to be determined.

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Monmouth Park Reports Gains In Average Daily Handle During Abbreviated Meet

Monmouth Park in Oceanport, N.J., showed increases in both the daily transmission of its signal and in total average handle compared to 2019 while also avoiding any cases of COVID-19 during the combined 44-day meet that concluded on Saturday.

Monmouth Park's average daily simulcast handle increased 27.09 percent to $3,604,413 daily compared to $2,836,148 last year. The overall average handle was up 20.81 percent to $3,807,082 daily compared to $3,151,201 last year.

“We are so grateful to everyone for supporting this extraordinary meet and, more specifically, the Governor's Office and the New Jersey Racing Commission for allowing us the ability not only to race, but to do so with fans,” said Dennis Drazin, Chairman and CEO of Darby Development LLC, operators of the racetrack.

“And once we were green lit for racing, the entire Monmouth Park staff worked tirelessly to ensure not just great racing, but a safe environment for everyone. We couldn't be more proud to report zero cases of COVID-19 over the course of our entire meet, and the credit goes to the horsemen and fans who not only followed the necessary guidelines, but collectively cooperated to ensure each person's safety.

“(Track Medical Director) Dr. Angelo Chinnici and his entire team deserve special recognition for their efforts and, literally, around the clock work. Our success this season is rooted in their dedication and Monmouth Park is better off because of Angelo.”

The Monmouth Park meet that ran from July 3 to Sept. 27 consisted of 36 racing days after one live card was lost due to weather. The Meadowlands-at-Monmouth in the month of October provided an additional eight days of racing after one was canceled to weather as well.

Last year's racing season was 68 days.

The track operated with attendance restrictions throughout the 2020 season under COVID-19 guidelines. Opening day was delayed from its original starting date of May 2 to July 3 due to the coronavirus, with racing calendar reduced from 56 days to 37 as a result.

During the abbreviated Meadowlands-at-Monmouth Park meet Jose Ferrer was the leading rider with 11 winners over the eight live racing cards. Wayne Potts topped the trainer standings with seven winners.

Trainer Kelly Breen, who captured his third Monmouth Park training title during the summer meet, ended the New Jersey racing season with a flourish by winning three races on Saturday's 11-race card, including two of the three Jersey-bred stake races.

Breen trainee Stay Smart, a daughter of Smart N Classy, won the $75,000 Smart N Classy Handicap while stablemate Royal Urn upset heavily-favored Golden Brown to capture the $75,000 Dan Horn Handicap.

Long-time New Jersey breeder and owner John Bowers bred and owns both winners.

Lil Miss Moppet ran her winning streak to four and improved to 4-for-4 at Monmouth Park with an easy victory in the $75,000 Pinot Grigio Stakes. Peter Miller trains the 4-year-old filly. She was one of three winners on the day for jockey Joe Bravo.

Thoroughbred racing is set to return to New Jersey next spring.

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2020 Monmouth Meet Ends on a High

Monmouth Park showed increases in both the daily transmission of its signal and in total average handle compared to 2019 during the combined 44-day meet that concluded Saturday. Monmouth Park’s average daily simulcast handle increased 27.09% to $3,604,413 daily compared to $2,836,148 last year. The overall average handle was up 20.81% to $3,807,082 daily compared to $3,151,201 last year.

“We are so grateful to everyone for supporting this extraordinary meet and, more specifically, the Governor’s Office and the New Jersey Racing Commission for allowing us the ability not only to race, but to do so with fans,” said Dennis Drazin, Chairman and CEO of Darby Development LLC, operators of the racetrack. “And once we were green lit for racing, the entire Monmouth Park staff worked tirelessly to ensure not just great racing, but a safe environment for everyone. We couldn’t be more proud to report zero cases of COVID-19 over the course of our entire meet, and the credit goes to the horsemen and fans who not only followed the necessary guidelines, but collectively cooperated to ensure each person’s safety.

Drazin continued, “[Track Medical Director] Dr. Angelo Chinnici and his entire team deserve special recognition for their efforts and, literally, around the clock work. Our success this season is rooted in their dedication and Monmouth Park is better off because of Angelo.”

During the abbreviated Meadowlands-at-Monmouth Park meet jockey Jose Ferrer was the leading rider with 11 winners over the eight live racing cards. Wayne Potts topped the trainer standings with seven winners.

Trainer Kelly Breen, who captured his third Monmouth Park training title during the summer meet, ended the New Jersey racing season with a flourish by winning three races on Saturday’s 11-race card, including two of the three Jersey-bred stake races.

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New Jersey Lawmakers Cut Only 25 Percent Of Purse Subsidy For 2021 Racing Season

Though the initial budget proposal floated by New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy cut the state's entire $20 million horse racing subsidy, the budget passed on Tuesday by state lawmakers reduced the subsidy by only $5 million. According to the Thoroughbred Daily News, the 2021 racing season will have a purse subsidy of $15 million, to be split evenly between Thoroughbreds and Standardbreds.

Dennis Drazin, Chairman and CEO of Darby Development, which manages Monmouth Park, said he believes the $5 million difference won't cause purse reductions for the track's 2021 season.

“I am pleased that the Governor has seen fit to give us back 15 of the $20 million that is going to go support purses next year,” Drazin told thoroughbreddailynews.com. “Since it was taken out of the budget, we have worked hard on this and, fortunately, through leadership in the Senate and the Assembly, as well as a lot of our local politicians who supported the effort, the Governor saw fit to put it back in the budget. We would have liked to have had the full $20 million, but given that he is cutting everybody, I am thrilled that the Governor has our back and recognizes the importance of the industry and how important it is to save a lot of jobs and keep us competitive.”

Read more at the Thoroughbred Daily News.

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