Pharoah’s presence helps Monmouth set business records

OCEANPORT, N.J. – American Pharoah’s tour de force in the Haskell Invitational on Sunday resulted in a record-breaking day business-wise for Monmouth Park.

All-sources handle on the day was $20,024,509, shattering Monmouth’s previous non-Breeders’ Cup record of $17,642,955 set on Haskell Day in 2008, when Big Brown won the track’s signature race. In a rarity, Monmouth Park handled more money than Saratoga, where $17,074,441 was bet Sunday.

The Haskell set a single-race handle record at Monmouth. A total of $6,544,247 was wagered on the race, eclipsing the mark of $4,463,736 bet on the 2010 Haskell, won by Lookin At Lucky.

American Pharoah paid $2.20, $2.10, and $2.10 across the board. His win price is the lowest in the 48 runnings of the Haskell. The prior record of $2.40 belonged to Big Brown (2008) and Holy Bull (1994).

American Pharoah was bet heavily to place and show, resulting in minus pools. Of the $895,637 bet to show, $663,570 was wagered on American Pharoah. The minus show pool was $114,464, according to track officials.

The all-sources place pool was $510,277, with $311,078 bet on American Pharoah. The minus place pool was $2,918.

“What an amazing day,” said Dennis Drazin, the head of Darby Development, which runs Monmouth Park. “I want to express my gratitude to the entire Zayat family and to trainer Bob Baffert for giving New Jersey the biggest day in horse racing the Garden State has ever seen.”

The announced attendance at Monmouth was 60,983, the largest in track history. The previous mark of 53,638 came on Haskell Day in 2003, when Peace Rules upset Kentucky Derby and Preakness winner Funny Cide.

Attendance at Monmouth seemed light early in the card, but people kept trickling in throughout the day, and the track was noticeably more crowded by race 9 and still more so by race 11. A large crowd filled the paddock area to see American Pharoah before the Haskell, race 12.

Monmouth seemed to handle the masses well.

“We were prepared, and it showed,” Drazin said.

Two races were carded after the Haskell to allow fans to exit gradually. The Haskell went off at 5:52 p.m. Eastern, there was a 48-minute gap until race 13, and then another 30 minutes before the 7:11 p.m. finale.

Ontrack betting for the day was $2,962,430, the highest figure since Haskell Day in 2010. The record for ontrack handle came on Haskell Day in 2003, when $3,965,648 was bet.