Monmouth Park

Bill Knauf is the president and general manager of the non-profit Maryland Jockey Club Inc., (MJC), which took over the management of Laurel Park and Pimlico Race Course this year. It's a time of tremendous transition in that state, with Pimlico currently being demolished and rebuilt with the goal of all commercial-track Thoroughbred racing in Maryland moving to the new Baltimore venue by 2027. Laurel will then close for racing and training, and a new training facility at Shamrock Farm in Carroll County will be built. Knauf updated TDN on...

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...

   In this series, the TDN takes a look at notable successes of European-based sires in North America. This week's column is highlighted by the victory of Wimbledon Hawkeye at Kentucky Downs.   Kameko Colt Hits The Target In Kentucky The consistent Wimbledon Hawkeye (Kameko) made his first American foray a winning one when scooping a $1 million-plus payday at Kentucky Downs in the GIII Nashville Derby Invitational Stakes on August 30 (video). Bred by owners the Gredley family's Stetchworth and Middle Park Studs, the James Owen trainee had won...

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...

   In this series, the TDN takes a look at notable successes of European-based sires in North America. This week's column is highlighted by the win of Luther (Frankel) in Saratoga's National Museum of Racing Hall of Fame Stakes. Frankel Colt Pens His Name Into The Hall Of Fame Paul Hickman and Nicholas Jones's Luther was put up via the disqualification of Zulu Kingdom (Ten Sovereigns) in the GII National Museum of Racing Hall of Fame Stakes at Saratoga on August 1 (video). The Frankel colt is trained by Charlie...

Monmouth Park has cancelled Friday's scheduled eight-race card due to excessive heat, track officials announced. All races cancelled Friday will be brought back as extras for Friday, Aug. 1, and the racing office will also look to use them over next weekend. Entries will be taken on Sunday, July 27, for next Friday's card. Racing resumes at Monmouth Park on Saturday with a first race post time of 12:50 p.m. ET.

Spectacular Grey (Not This Time), who earned 'TDN Rising Star' honors on Monmouth debut July 12 before topping the Fasig-Tipton July Digital Sale this past Tuesday, goes right back to work in Sunday's $100,000 Colleen Stakes at Monmouth Park. An 11-2 chance in a five-furlong maiden over the main track, the daughter of Rose Grey (The Factor) raced in midpack through the opening stages of that contest after breaking a fraction slowly, then bid wide into the stretch and powered clear to graduate by 7 3/4 lengths (video). Consigned to...

Journalism (Curlin) won again, taking down the GI Haskell S. at Monmouth. But that's what we've come to expect from one of the sport's most consistent horses and the trainer, Michael McCarthy, who has pushed all the right buttons. To talk about Journalism and what's ahead for the 3-year-old, McCarthy joined this week's TDN Writers' Room Podcast, presented by Keeneland. McCarthy was this week's Gainesway Guest of the Week. Journalism is a throwback, an iron horse who doesn't miss any dances. McCarthy noticed early on how tough this horse was....

Jockey Umberto Rispoli has waived his right to appeal and will serve a one-day suspension and pay a $6,000 fine meted out by the Monmouth Park stewards for striking Journalism (Curlin) a total of eight times--two more than the maximum allowed under the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority (HISA) rule--when winning the GI Haskell Stakes on Saturday. Marcus Hersh of Daily Racing Form broke the news on Tuesday. As of 6 p.m. Eastern time July 22, Rispoli's penalties had not yet been posted on the online rulings portals for either...

GSW Starting Over (Liam's Map) sustained an injury on the grass in the GII United Nations Stakes at Monmouth Park on Saturday and was humanely euthanized by the track veterinarian staff after the race. Owned by Nice Guys Stables and transferred to the care of Brittany Russell last year, the 8-year-old ran third in the Cape Henlopen Stakes at Delaware Park June 14, and then shipped to Monmouth after registering a workout at Saratoga July 13. In the United Nations, the gelding raced at the rear of the field past...

Trainer Michael McCarthy remained noncommittal Sunday as to the next move with GI NYRA Bets Haskell victor Journalism (Curlin). Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners, Bridlewood Farm, Robert LaPenta, Elayne Stables Five, and the Coolmore connections of Mrs. John Magnier, Michael Tabor, and Derrick Smith,. However, Bob Baffert confirmed that Haskell third-place finisher, TDN Rising Star Goal Oriented (Not This Time), would make his next start in the GI Travers Stakes at Saratoga Aug. 23. "We'll get him home. He's flying home on Tuesday and then back [to the East Coast] for the...

Much as he did in winning the GI Santa Anita Derby and when managing to win the GI Preakness Stakes six weeks later, Journalism (Curlin) made sure Saturday's $1-million GI NYRA Bets Haskell Stakes was another cliffhanger. The athletic bay colt started slowly, but found his best stride when it appeared that the race had possibly slipped through his fingers and he crossed the wire with a half-length to spare over Preakness runner-up Gosger (Nyquist). 'TDN Rising Star' Goal Oriented (Not This Time) led inside into the final furlong and...