OCEANPORT — Monmouth Park Racetrack will host its third Simulcast Handicapping Challenge of the “off-season” on April 23, with an estimated $10,000 of prize money on the line.
“The popularity of the event has steadily grown over the winter, and we’re looking forward to our first spring event on April 23,” said Jeff Lowich, challenge commissioner at Monmouth Park. “The prize money for the first contest in January was about $10,000 and our last one was $12,500, so we’re hoping this one can exceed that and continue the upward trend.”
Prize money for the contest is based on the number of entrants, with the $10,000 estimate set at 200 participants. A $100 entry fee includes $50 for prize money and a $50 betting card, from which participants make their wagers and keep all winnings.
The contest format is for win and place wagers only with an optional $10 straight exacta also offered. Five mandatory races, selected on Thursday, April 21, along with a minimum of five other races must be wagered on with a $2 minimum bet per race.
All tracks simulcast to Monmouth Park on April 23 are in play, provided the scheduled post time of the race is prior to 6:30 p.m.
For more information, or to sign-up for the Monmouth Park Simulcast Handicapping Challenge, contact the Media Relations office at (732) 571-5542.
Monmouth Park’s live race meet gets under way on Saturday, May 14 and runs through Sunday, Sept. 25.
Horses back
at Monmouth
The horses returned to Monmouth Park Race track last week, a sure sign that the summer months are fast approaching with the racing season at the Oceanport oval set to get under way on Saturday, May 14.
The first of the arrivals came from the barn of Gregg Sacco, whose Speeding Jim, owned by Jimmy Frangella, was the first to set foot down in the Monmouth backstretch at 7:30 a.m. before being bedded down in barn six.
“Every year I can’t wait to get back to Monmouth,” said Sacco, who will have a stable of 20 for the summer. “Our family’s been training here since Monmouth opened, going back to my father [William Sacco, leading Monmouth trainer in 1962] and three uncles in the 1940s. It’s always been like home.”
Joining Sacco for the opening day of the stable area were trainers Kelly John Breen, Frank Costa and Frank Generazio.
Some new faces expected to join the familiar ranks of the Monmouth trainers this year are: Stanley Hough, John Hennig, Kirk Ziadie, Ben Feliciano, Lynn Scace and D. Wayne Lukas, who will be stabling at Monmouth for the first time since the 2000 season.
The racing surface is scheduled to open for training toward the end of this week for this year’s 60th season of sport. Saturday, May 14 will kick off the race meet, which runs 90 days through Sept. 25. Post time for the 2005 season will be 1:15 p.m.