Monmouth Park in New Jersey will run 35 stakes races at its delayed meet this year if the track gets approval from the state government to re-open for live racing on July 3 as planned, the track announced Monday. Monmouth had previously announced that it had planned to run its centerpiece race, the Haskell Invitational Stakes, on July 18. On Monday, the track released a full stakes schedule for the 2020 meet that will put five other stakes on the July 18 card, including the track’s only other Grade 1 race, the United Nations Stakes. The Monmouth Cup, the Molly Pitcher Stakes, and the Matchmaker Stakes – all Grade 3 events – also will be run on the Haskell card. Monmouth was originally scheduled to open its 2020 meet on May 2, but the track delayed the start due to the disruption caused by the COVID-19 virus. New Jersey’s governor has continued to urge people to stay at home, but like most states, New Jersey also is considering plans to gradually allow some business to open, provided they meet health protocols designed to limit the spread of the virus. “We continue to develop plans to ensure the safety of our staff, horsemen, and fans,” said the track’s chief executive, Dennis Drazin. “These plans are fluid and will continuously be monitored and updated as necessary.” Drazin added that the plans are being drafted “to address racing with or without fans.” :: To stay up to date, follow us on: Facebook | Instagram | Twitter Several racetracks in the last week have been given the go-ahead to return to spectator-free live racing, most notably Churchill Downs and West Virginia’s two Thoroughbred tracks. In total, the 35 stakes races planned for the Monmouth meet have purses of $5.05 million. Plans call for the Grade 3 Monmouth Oaks to be run on Aug. 1, the Grade 3 Philip H. Iselin Stakes on Aug. 22, the Grade 3 Eatontown Stakes on Aug. 29, the Grade 3 Red Bank Stakes on Sept. 5, and the Grade 3 Salvator Mile on Sept. 20. The track also said that it planned to race through Sept. 27 on a Friday-through-Sunday schedule. Post time for the Friday cards is planned for 5 p.m., while post time on Saturdays and Sundays is planned for 12:50 p.m., with the exception of Haskell Day, which will have a first post of noon. In the Monday release, Monmouth said that it continues to plan on opening its stable area on June 1, but that plan also is subject to approval from state officials.