Monmouth trims eight days from 2015 schedule

Monmouth Park in Oceanport, N.J., plans to run eight fewer live racing dates in 2015 under a schedule approved on Thursday by the New Jersey Racing Commission.

The schedule calls for Monmouth to run 49 live race cards, down from 57 this year, with racing on a Saturday and Sunday schedule from May 9 until the end of June. After that, Monmouth plans to run on a Friday through Sunday schedule until closing day, on Sept. 7, Labor Day.

Thoroughbred racing will also take place on weekends throughout the rest of September and through October at the New Meadowlands, under a lease by the horsemen-led company that operates Monmouth. The schedule calls for all turf racing.

This year, New Meadowlands had plans to run 14 live Thoroughbred racing dates, but inclement weather caused the cancellation of six of the programs.

Atlantic City Race Course was approved for six live race dates, to be run April 23-26 and April 28-29. The abbreviated meet will feature only turf racing, as it has in the recent past.