EQUI-PHOTO
Uptick In Attendance As Monmouth Park Closes Out 2025 Racing Season
Tom Luicci/Monmouth Park
OCEANPORT, N.J. – Record days for the NYRA Bets Haskell Stakes and Mother’s Day highlighted the 49-day Monmouth Park meet, the track’s 80th season, that concluded on Sunday.
The crowd of 41,876 for the $1 million, Grade 1 NYRA Bets Haskell on July 19 was the largest since 2015 and produced a record total handle for a non-Breeders’ Cup event of $21,999,962. It marked the third straight year that a total handle record was set on Haskell Day.
The May 11 crowd of 14,687 also set a record for Mother’s Day.
Those two days contributed to a slight increase in attendance, with a daily average of 6,650 compared to 6,510 in 2024.
“We’re grateful to our fans who continue to make Monmouth Park a summer destination,” said Dennis Drazin, Chairman and CEO of Darby Development, the operator of the racetrack. “Our goal is and always will be to make Monmouth Park a premier racing and entertainment venue. With that in mind, tomorrow the work begins anew as we look to 2026 and beyond.”
The meet saw Paco Lopez, who currently leads the nation in wins, capture his 12th riding title overall and record seventh straight. Prancing Horse Farm (Joe and Gayle Ioia) emerged as the leading owner, Jorge Delgado was the leading trainer and Christian Maragh was the leading apprentice.
Average total handle was $3,641,403. Average on-track handle was $341,340.
Prior to this year, Monmouth Park had four straight years of increases in total and on-track handle.
With one day cancelled due to weather, Monmouth Park conducted 454 races this year compared to 488 in 2024.
Thoroughbred racing resumes Friday with the start of the nine-day all-turf Monmouth-at-Meadowlands meet that runs through Oct. 17. First race post time for those six-race cards is 7 p.m.
