Attendance at Monmouth Park Opening Day: Take the Over

Monmouth Park Numbers

There were over 11,ooo in attendance today at Monmouth Park, in Oceanport, New Jersey.  Happy to have been among those who were there to enjoy the festivities.  As the crowds gathered on this Opening Day, there was a buzz in the air.  People gathered to watch the horses, the jockeys, and many hugged and expressed sentiments welcoming one another back to the track after the ‘off season’.  It felt as though people were coming back to school, after being home for the summer.  It seemed as though everyone felt a sense of belonging, and people in the crowd truly looked as though they were happy this day had come.

It was, for me, a wonderful experience to spend the afternoon taking in the races.  Many were mindful of the chill in the air, and the morning fog hung around well into the afternoon.  However, according to Dennis Drazin, “Even the fog couldn’t dampen the spirits of everyone who came out for our season opener.”

Heavy Fog in the back ground Opening Day

New track announcer, Frank Mirahmadi, was on hand to call his first race.  There was a band playing on the green throughout the afternoon, and lots of folks on hand to help meet and greet those who were coming out for the day.

The $75,000 Decathalon Stakes winner was A.P. Indian, with Favorite Tale and Saucy Don coming in second, and third respectively.  [ Winning time :22, :45, 1:09 2/5., Win Price – $6.40, $3.40, $2.80 Winning Exacta – $18 ]

Arnaud Delacour, Winning Trainer, shared that A.P. Indian is “very versatile,” noting “he can run long or short.  I knew he had that kind of speed but the beauty about him is he can rate.  But his speed is his best weapon so we wanted to use it.  He’s very fit coming out of a two-turn race so I knew he would have plenty left at the end.”

Winning Jockey, Daniel Centeno, “He broke a step slow but he was able to take the lead easy… I’ve ridden him before and I know he’s full of talent.”

Monmouth Park was beautiful and everyone seemed to be having a good time despite the chill in the air.  If you’re thinking of heading out tomorrow to enjoy Mother’s Day, gates open at 11:30 a.m., first post 12:50 pm.  The 2015 season will run until September 27.

Good Luck this season!

For more photos see slideshow at @SportSXMichelle ‘s blog 

https://verysexysports.com/slideshows/monmouth-park-saturday-may-9