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2024 Monmouth Park Stakes Schedule Tops $8 Million; $1 Million Haskell Set For Saturday, July 20

Led by the July 20 running of the $1 million GI Haskell S., Monmouth Park is set to offer $8.05 million in stakes races when the track kicks off its 79th season on Saturday, May 11, the venue said in a release Thursday afternoon.

This year's race meet, which runs through Sept. 15, will feature 48 total stakes, including 10 graded events, and 11 stakes restricted to New Jersey-bred horses.

Along with the featured race, the Haskell Day program will once again sport an undercard with four graded stakes races, including: the $600,000 GII United Nations S., the $500,000 GIII Molly Pitcher S., the $400,000 GIII Monmouth Cup S. and the $300,000 GIII Matchmaker S.

Monmouth will offer a “Haskell Preview Day” with four stakes on Saturday, June 15–Pegasus S., GIII Monmouth S., GIII Salvator Mile and GIII Eatontown S., each carrying a purse of $150,000.

The 22nd annual New Jersey Thoroughbred Festival, with three stakes events, will be renewed Aug. 25, with the $125,000 Charles Hesse III H. headlining the card.

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NYRA To Hold Job Fair For Belmont Stakes Racing Festival At Saratoga Feb. 21

The New York Racing Association, Inc. (NYRA) will host a job fair on Wednesday, Feb. 21 from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. ET, the first in a series of events to support the Belmont Stakes Racing Festival at Saratoga Race Course, the association said in a release Thursday.

The job fair will be held on the first floor of the 1863 Club at Saratoga Race Course. Interested applicants should enter through the Wright Street entrance (Gate 8) with parking available in the 1863 Club lot.

“The 2024 Belmont Stakes Racing Festival will be an economic engine for Upstate New York,” said NYRA President & CEO Dave O'Rourke. “Much of that impact will be the creation of hundreds of temporary jobs to support a Triple Crown event at Saratoga Race Course this June. We look forward to beginning this series of job fairs on February 21.”

Employment opportunities for the festival will be available with the following NYRA partners: All Pro, Integrated Staffing, Levy Restaurants, Mazzone Hospitality and Union Square Events. Positions will include restaurant staff, mutuel clerks, cashiers, cleaners, merchandise clerks and others.

Applicants must be at least 15 years of age and have New York State Certified Working Papers. Prospective security guards, cashiers and betting clerks must be at least 18 years of age to apply; security guards must have a high school degree or GED. All applicants must present a photo ID and Social Security card or I-9 alternative.

NYRA will host its traditional job fair for the Saratoga summer meet later this year.

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NJ Governor Murphy Vetoes Bill To Extend Purse Subsidies Through 2029; Drazin Optimistic Deal Will Still Get Done

A bill that would have extended annual purse subsidy payments made to New Jersey's Thoroughbred and Standardbred tracks was vetoed Wednesday by Gov. Phil Murphy. The bill called for the $20 million subsidy, which is split between the two breeds, to continue through 2029.

The money has already been approved for 2024. The extension was to run from 2025 through 2029.

Murphy vetoed 12 bills in all, using what is called a pocket veto. That type of veto applies only to bills sent to the governor's desk in the final 10 days of a legislative session. If the governor does not sign such bills within seven days of the end of a session those bills are vetoed without being sent back to the Legislature.

Murphy's decision came as a major surprise since he has largely supported racing during his time in office and the bill had overwhelming support in the Senate and in the Assembly. It passed the Senate by a 35-1 margin and the Assembly by a 73-0 margin.

The purse subsidy is vital to Monmouth Park, which, without it, would offer far smaller purses and have trouble competing for horses with the many other tracks in the Mid-Atlantic region.

“If we didn't get this money, it would be a disaster,” said Dennis Drazin, the chairman and CEO of Darby Development, the management team that operates Monmouth. “We'd either have to cut days or purses.”

Drazin admits he was alarmed when first hearing news of the veto and he immediately placed a call to Murphy. Drazin said he heard back within 15 minutes and the governor reassured him that future purse subsidies remain very much alive.

“I spoke with him and he wholeheartedly supports the industry, but he did not feel a bill like this should get passed through a lame-duck session,” Drazin said. “He is committed to continue to work on it and get it done through the budget process. I take him at his word. He has been supportive of the industry ever since he's been in office and he says he will get it done, just not the way it was being handled. I trust this governor. He made a commitment and I am taking him at his word. If he had said, 'I'm vetoing it', that's it, we'd be having a different conversation.”

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First Foal Arrives By Gainesway’s GISW Olympiad

GISW Olympiad (Speightstown) has his first foal–a filly–who arrived Jan. 18, Gainesway Farm said in a Thursday release.

Out of the mare, Sophie Sophie (Unbridled's Song), a half-sister to GISW and millionaire Seattle Smooth (Quiet American), the filly was bred by Dr. Oscar Benavides and born at his Montesacro Farm.

“I am very happy with my filly,” said Dr. Benavides. “She looks racy and has great conformation as we expected being by Olympiad.”

Olympiad, a five-time graded stakes winner, posted eight wins in 13 career starts for earnings of $3,027,560 for trainer Bill Mott and owners Grandview Equine, Cheyenne Stables and LNJ Foxwoods.

Winner of the 2022 GI Jockey Club Gold Cup S., Olympiad also delivered a track-record setting performance over 1 1/16 miles in the GIII Mineshaft S. and added wins in the GII New Orleans Classic S., GII Stephen Foster S., GII Alysheba S.

In the GI Breeders' Cup Classic, Olympiad rallied down the Keeneland stretch to finish second behind Horse of the Year Flightline (Tapit). He earned triple-digit Beyer Speed Figures on eight occasions with victories from seven furlongs to 1 1/4 miles.

Olympiad stands for $35,000 LFSN.

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