Monmouth cuts overnight purses 10 percent

Monmouth Park announced Friday afternoon that overnight purses at the track will be cut 10 percent, beginning Aug. 8. Monmouth is currently offering average daily overnight purses of $342,000. That figure does not include graded stakes purses.

The announcement comes five days after the highlight of the Monmouth meet, Haskell Invitational Day, when 35,983 fans attended the races and all-sources wagering totaled $13,423,280, third highest in track history, not counting the 2007 Breeders’ Cup cards.

In a press release, Bob Kulina, president of Darby Development LLC, which operates Monmouth Park, attributed the shortfall in the purse account to the track running more races this year than last and using higher-level races, which offer high purses.

The Monmouth meet continues through Sept. 28.

Monmouth Park has also requested permission from the New Jersey Racing Commission to change the dates of four all-turf cards scheduled to be run at the Meadowlands in September. A total of 14 all-turf cards were originally scheduled to be run between Sept. 18 and Oct. 18. The request would move the first four dates to Oct. 24-25 and Oct. 31 and Nov. 1. If approved the all-turf season would run from Oct. 2 to Nov. 1

Oct. 31 and Nov. 1 coincide with the Breeders’ Cup at Santa Anita.