Dennis Drazin

Can racing withstand the addition of yet another existential threat to the ever-expanding list of practices deemed harmful to our sport's health? Dennis Drazin, the chairman and chief executive officer of Darby Development LLC, which operates Monmouth Park, warned last week that the rising wave of prediction markets should be met with a greater sense of urgency and should be getting more scrutiny from racetrack operators and regulators. "I'm growing more and more concerned about the prediction market companies, such as Kalshi, Polymarket, and others that are now offering bets...

Now at the two-month mark since the conclusion of the Monmouth Park season, some Thoroughbred owners and trainers remain concerned that they can't withdraw the purse money they earned during the May 10-Sept. 13 meet and from the turf-only mini-meet that Monmouth conducted at the Meadowlands Sept. 19-Oct. 17. When TDN first reported on the track's cash flow difficulties Oct. 22,  Dennis Drazin, the chairman and chief executive officer of Darby Development LLC, which operates Monmouth and its sportsbook, said the payment process is a complicated one that he hoped...

Monmouth Park's 2025 meet ended Sept. 14, but 38 days later some horsemen are still looking to get paid. Dennis Drazin, Chairman and CEO of Darby Development, the operator of Monmouth Park, vowed that the money will be available shortly. Drazin said the problem is that the state has been late in turning funds over to Monmouth for the horsemen. The process is a complicated one. "The process with purses is that we collect money, from account wagering, live handle, our OTWs," Drazin said. "We do seven-day reports and send...

Monmouth Park registered records for this season's NYRA Bets Haskell Stakes and Mother's Day card during the 49-day meet, the track's 80th season, which concluded on Sunday. The crowd of 41,876 for the $1-million, Grade 1 NYRA Bets Haskell on July 19 was the largest since 2015 and produced a record total handle for a non-Breeders' Cup event of $21,999,962. It marked the third straight year that a total handle record was set on Haskell Day. The May 11 crowd of 14,687 also set a record for Mother's Day. Those...

The Jockey Club has announced the election of 10 new members. In alphabetical order, they are: Craig Bernick: president and CEO of Glen Hill Farm, as well as president of the Lavin Family Foundation Peter M. Brant: founder of White Birch Paper Company in addition to a magazine publisher, philanthropist, art collector, and film producer Boyd T. Browning, Jr.: president and CEO of Fasig-Tipton Case Clay: founder of Case Clay Thoroughbred Management Dennis Drazin: CEO of Darby Development, the operator of Monmouth Park; president of Drazin & Warshaw; and chair...

A 2016 referendum that would have allowed the Meadowlands to open a casino was a colossal failure. The ballot question lost by about 1.5 million votes. But nine years later, there is renewed hope that casino gaming could be on its way to two of the last tracks in the country that do not benefit from gaming revenue. Meadowlands owner Jeff Gural is confident that he will get a casino license sometime in 2026. Monmouth officials are also hopeful voters will approve a casino at the Jersey Shore track. If...

Oceanport, NJ--Only a few years removed from what seemed like a death-knell for the New Jersey Thoroughbred industry, Monmout Park enthusiastically ushered in its 80th racing season with a full house during the Oceanport oval's press conference held in Turf Club dining room. Hosted by the TDN's Christina Bossinakis, the event was attended by a solid contingent of elected officials as well as local horsemen and women. Also included among the event's highlights, Monmouth General Manager John Heims, a long-time Monmouth executive, was honored with the 2025 Virgil 'Buddy' Raines...

Monmouth Park sits on 310 acres of land in Oceanport, NJ, but, as is the case with most tracks in a modern era where on-track crowds have dwindled, much of the property includes empty stands and parking lots. But that is about to change as real estate developer and horse owner Morris Bailey has unveiled plans to develop 80 acres of the property that will be used to for a 298-unit residential building, a 200-room hotel, a youth sports center and, perhaps, a concert venue. Dennis Drazin said it has...

Spurred in part by a record handle on NYRA Bets Haskell Stakes Day, Monmouth Park continued its upward trend with increases in both total and on-track handle for the fourth straight year, while jockey Paco Lopez and trainer Claudio Gonzalez were repeat winners of their respective titles as the 50-day meet came to an end on Sunday. Total average handle was $4,251,965, a 5.4% increase over last year's average of $4,032,648 during a 51-day meet. On-track handle averaged $352,939, a 3.7% increase over last year's average of $340,257. In addition,...

Edited Press Release In a pair of management moves at Monmouth Park in Oceanport, New Jersey, William Anderson has been named President and Chief Operating Officer and John F. Heims, Esq., will take over as General Manager in addition to his role as In-House Counsel, the track announced Saturday. "Bill and John have been an instrumental part of our management team since we began operating the racetrack back in 2012," said Dennis Drazin, Chairman and CEO of Darby Development LLC, lessee and operator of Monmouth Park. "While their leadership has...

After a dozen years as lessee of Monmouth Park Racetrack, the New Jersey Thoroughbred Horsemen's Association (NJTHA), in conjunction with the New Jersey Sports & Exposition Authority (NJSEA) has transferred the racetrack, effective immediately, to Dennis Drazin's Darby Development LLC, under a new 85-year lease agreement, the track said in a release on Thursday. Darby had been the operator of the racetrack under the NJTHA and will now take full custody of the grounds with sights set on further expansion. "Let me start by thanking Governor Murphy for entrusting me,...

NYRA Bets will act as the managing vendor of New Jersey's online and mobile pari-mutuel account wagering system for horse racing under an agreement signed by Darby Development, acting as agent of the New Jersey Sports & Exposition Authority. Under the agreement, all account wagering platforms will have the opportunity to enter the New Jersey market, provided those entities gain the approval of NYRA Bets, Darby Development and the New Jersey Horse Racing Commission. As a result, New Jersey residents will soon be able to choose among multiple account wagering...