Dennis Drazin

Dennis Drazin joins this week's TDN Writers' Room in the midst of an eventful meet at Monmouth Park due to ongoing whip rule controversy. The CEO of the New Jersey track discussed news regarding the Jockeys' Guild end to insurance coverage for Monmouth riders and more.

In a June 7 letter, the Jockeys' Guild informed its membership that, starting July 1, Monmouth Park jockeys will no longer be covered by Guild insurance policies. The Guild has been providing temporary disability benefits, life insurance and Accident, Death and Disability benefits to those who have chosen to ride in New Jersey. The Guild has been adamant in its belief that racing has become more dangerous at Monmouth Park because jockeys are no longer allowed to encourage their mounts with the use of the whip. In the June 7...

Because of the pandemic in 2020, six-race cards on Fridays and a run of rainy weather to start this year's meet, apples-to-apples, year-over-year handle comparisons aren't easy to come by at Monmouth. But all indications are that the Jersey Shore track has gotten off to a poor start, and that raises an important question--are bettors staying away because of the new rules that prohibit whipping? Sunday's card was the first of the meet where all the scheduled races were run on the turf and there was not an abundance of...

Cory Moran, the agent for top Monmouth rider Paco Lopez, informed trainers Thursday by text that his client will begin riding at the meet June 5. Lopez's status had been up in the air as he was considering his options in the face of new rules instituted at Monmouth that ban whipping. Some riders have said they would not ride at Monmouth because they felt the whip ban created unsafe racing conditions. Lopez will not be riding at Monmouth this weekend, but that is because he has prior commitments to...

Fixed Odds wagering moved a step closer to becoming a reality during the upcoming Monmouth Park meet after the New Jersey State Assembly approved a bill on Thursday by a 74-0-1 vote that would permit the new betting platform. The bill now moves onto to the State Senate and if successful would then go to Gov. Phil Murphy for a signature. Monmouth Park's 76th season gets underway Friday, May 28. "This is an exciting new wagering opportunity for our fans and we're grateful for the support from our legislators and...

The claiming period for pari-mutuel tickets and vouchers has been extended from six months to 12 months in the state of New Jersey thanks to a bill enacted by the New Jersey State Legislature and signed into law by Governor Phil Murphy May 11. "We appreciate the continued support that Gov. Murphy and our state legislators have shown for horse racing throughout the state," said Dennis Drazin, Chairman and CEO of Darby Development, LLC, the operators of Monmouth Park. "This legislation provides a much-need grace period for people who were...

With 10 days to go before opening day at Monmouth Park, preparations are being made to kick off the 53-day meet that begins May 28. Track officials are ready to go and so are the trainers and about 1,100 horses already stabled at the seaside track. But who will ride the horses? That question remained up in the air Tuesday. The New Jersey Racing Commission has passed regulations that will go into effect on opening day that will prevent jockeys from using their whips, except for cases when there are...

Monmouth Park will switch to a 12:15 p.m. post time during live racing on Saturdays and Sundays while continuing to offer free parking and admission when the track's 76th season gets underway Friday, May 28. Post time on Fridays throughout the 53-day meet will be 5 p.m. The lone exception to the new 12:15 post time, as well as to the free parking and admission policy, will be July 17, when the $1 million TVG.com Haskell Stakes will be contested for the 54th time. Monmouth Park's live racing schedule runs...

The New Jersey Thoroughbred Horsemen's Association issued the following statement on the passing of horseman John Forbes, their longtime president who passed away Sunday at the age of 73. We are incredibly saddened by the passing of our friend, colleague and mentor John Forbes. Born to a family of horsemen, John was the consummate horseman. He was old-school. He was devoted to the horse, the industry and its people. He was never satisfied with the status quo. He demanded of the industry that which he expected of himself—honesty, integrity, hard...

Last week's headlines had little to do with on-track action. This coming week though, we awaken from the sport's annual post-Breeders' Cup snooze with an eye toward decent Thanksgiving weekend racing and on-the-horizon stakes that could add a touch of intrigue to the tail end of the 2020 season. But before you feast upon the holiday fare, chew on these side dishes that anchored the last seven days of the news cycle (plus a few other tidbits that didn't land on the front pages): Last Tuesday we learned via federal...

Even as a separate bill to allow fixed-odds wagering on in-state horse races is making its way through the New Jersey Legislature, the state's racing commission voted 4-0 Nov. 18 to give consent for licensees to try a fixed-odds pilot program during 2021 that would be limited to bets on out-of-state Grade I races. The vote was unanimous but not without misgivings, as several commissioners voiced concerns prior to the vote that fixed-odds betting would cannibalize the existing pari-mutuel system and eventually erode New Jersey's racing industry. And one New...

With his victory in Saturday's GI Longines Breeders' Cup Distaff, Authentic (Into Mischief) earned a $1-million bonus for his connections from Australian-based racing technology group BetMakers. In conjunction with Monmouth Park's Dennis Drazin, BetMakers created the 'BetMakers Bonanza' for any horse that could win the 2020 renewals of the GI Haskell Invitational, the GI Kentucky Derby and then finish it off with the Breeders' Cup Classic. Authentic went wire to wire to score in the 10-furlong test by 2 1/4 lengths. "With all the winners of the majors competing in...