2021 Monmouth stakes includes bump for United Nations

Monmouth Park has scheduled its richest stakes race, the Grade 1, $1 million Haskell, for a July 17 card featuring four other graded stakes races, including the Grade 1 United Nations, the track announced on Friday.

The July 17 card continues a trend at Monmouth and most other major racetracks of putting together blockbuster cards in order to attract the most attention from horsemen and players. In addition to the Haskell, won last year by Horse of the Year Authentic, and United Nations, the July 17 card will feature a trio of Grade 3 stakes races: the Monmouth Cup, the Molly Pitcher, and the Matchmaker.

The United Nations will have a purse this year of $500,000, up from $300,000 last year.

In total, Monmouth said it would schedule 46 stakes races this year for a meet that will run for 53 days from May 28 to Sept. 26, with a total of $6.15 million in stakes purses. Last year, when the opening of Monmouth was delayed due to the coronavirus pandemic, the track scheduled 35 stakes races with total purses of $5.05 million.

Stall applications for Monmouth are due on March 31, the track said.

Monmouth has five other Grade 3 stakes listed on its schedule, all held on different dates. The Monmouth Stakes is scheduled for June 5, with the Salvator Mile scheduled for June 12. The Eatontown will be run on June 20; the Monmouth Oaks on July 31; and the Philip H. Iselin Stakes on Aug. 21.

Ten stakes races restricted to New Jersey-bred horses will be offered during the meet.