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View Full Version : Opening day at Monmouth park.


onefast99
05-10-2008, 09:45 AM
The facility looks the best it has ever looked. The track was just like the way we left it on Breeders cup day October 27 2007, sloppy! The picnic area has been restored to the way it was prior to the Breeders Cup, new grass and fences make it look really nice. A large tent is next to the old rail siding which will house betting machines and tellers for the picnic area, there are also televisions in this tent !The all new Breeders Cup Park has been completed, this is where the jockeys swimming pool once stood. The area consists of all the winning silks from Breeders Cup day(s). The all new and expanded gift shop looks great and so does the new merchandise. For all of the old timers who use to hang out in the Grandstand Cafe, it is now open and has all new TV monitors for betting as well as a betting machine. Looks as if there will be a lot of competition for the top jockeys spot. Centeno looks as if he is in much better riding shape then last year and Bravo looks like the one to beat. The trainers title will be up for grabs as last years top trainers all return with loaded barns. Pletcher, Orseno,Levine,Servis,Dutrow, Farrow,Hills, Alexander, Costa, Sleeter and Broome. In addition to these trainers Dimauro, Tagg, A Dutrow and Ferris Allen will all look to get the top spot at this meet. For those of you that havent been at the track in a while I would highly recommend you come out and enjoy this great facility!

alhattab
05-10-2008, 07:50 PM
Thanks Onefast. The facility would be even greater if they didn't have the Brownshirts monitoring where you drink your beers or put your coolers. I love the place like you do but I'm not sure anyone over there realizes why people go there. People enjoy Monmouth for the "Jersey Shore Feel" (as the Racing Form put it), which means carefree living at its best. Minimal rules and relief from the otherwise overly intrusive NJ government. Yet at Monmouth there are signs telling you where you can and can't drink and a beautiful chain-link fence in the back picnic area. The police state is in addition to the truly November feel greeting patrons today, with no self-service betting machines open in the picnic area or in the paddock area until patrons called to advise mutuals, and numerous machine jams early in the day.

Racetrackers love to complain I know and I still think we have it real good but man they could screw up a one-car funeral.

onefast99
05-10-2008, 08:15 PM
I know they had a few starters missing today. A few trainers will be complaining about that, one guy for 2 horses? Thats not good. Hopefully MP will work everything out and the meet will be one of the best.

alhattab
05-10-2008, 08:28 PM
Hopefully so. Picnic area looks great, and video board being installed next week. They need to move the Maginot Line closer to the finish line. If they don't the area to the left of the 1/16th Pole will look like Rodney's daughter's wedding in Easy Money, and the right will look like the Keeneland Clubhouse (sans grass and ties). Anyway here's to a great meet!

arno
05-10-2008, 10:58 PM
Funny how people see things differently.

I am at Monmouth Park year round.

I won't even complain about the rise in admission and parking.
Since I am in the clubhouse all winter I was anxious to see the improvements in the gift shop and the Grandstand Cafe.

The gift shop is larger yet when I asked if they had any horse racing books they looked at me and said what a bright idea. All they had was clothes.

Then I walked over to the grandstand cafe. It sure wasn't the cafe from 3 years ago when I could order a hot meal.
All they had was sandwiches and the lady informed no potato salad, cole slaw or potato chips just a sandwich.

I ran back to my seat in the 2nd floor clubhouse teletheartre.

But I will admit Monmouth is still consistent that speed is king there.

Take advantage of that!!

onefast99
05-11-2008, 09:22 AM
The grandstand cafe will add products to the menu during the racing season. The clam chowder is still hot and good! The gift shop is in desperate need of a good merchandiser thats for sure!

alhattab
05-11-2008, 09:54 AM
If they ever screw up the clam chowder, that will be it for me. Sounds crazy but that is the best clam chowder I've had, and I've had a lot of it.

onefast99
05-11-2008, 10:38 AM
If they ever screw up the clam chowder, that will be it for me. Sounds crazy but that is the best clam chowder I've had, and I've had a lot of it.
Agree! Beats Saratogas by a dozen lengths! I think hot food may be coming soon. Lots of people have asked for it.

Doc
05-11-2008, 08:17 PM
I was really disappointed that they did away with the barber shop. Call it petty on my part, but that barber shop was a unique feature of Monmouth, a throwback to its glory days when it opened in the mid 1940's. I am also upset about not being able to drink beer wherever you want, and I am also a little ticked off at the admission price increase. And can somebody tell me why they decided to kick off the meet on a Friday, when most people are working? No wonder they only had 3,400 in attendance - and I'll bet that included the tellers, waiters and security personnel. The dining room was empty. And don't forget the 20 scratches that decimated the card. Oh well, hope things get better this summer - it's still my favorite track.

Doc

alhattab
05-11-2008, 08:59 PM
Hey Doc- the barber (Charlie) was at the track Saturday. One of the assistant trainers told me he's on the backstretch, but over the first three days didn't have any customers. I would use the guy every now and then (where else can you get a haircut on the 4th of July). He's a good guy and a tried and true horseplayer, just like us.

The designated cooler areas blow. I don't know how they are going to manage when things really get going.

There is a little lawn jockey park where the pool used to be, but there's nothing else back there. It would be great if they made this little spot a designed "BYOB Area" and put some tables there- overlooks the paddock and there are some TVs over there. Equivalent of the "bandstand" area, but without the racket. It looks pretty nice, and they did the right thing by having Holy Bull's and Skip Away's colors at the entrance, with all the BC winners' colors around them.

Kelso
05-11-2008, 11:27 PM
The gift shop is in desperate need of a good merchandiser thats for sure!Early last season, I suggested to them that they stock some physicality videotapes/CDs. What better place to sell them than where people who would use the lessons already would actually use them? They told me what a great idea they thought that was but, at least as of BC Saturday ... still waiting.

(Did you ever ask the MTH suits about raising the tote board so that the bottom row of numbers can be read by people sitting on the grandstand apron?)

rrbauer
05-12-2008, 08:55 AM
I had TVG on yesterday (Sunday) long enough to watch a race with 6 runners from Monmouth that followed watching a race from Belmont with 5 runners. I'm starting to think the game may run out of horses before it runs out of horseplayers!

Tom
05-12-2008, 09:20 AM
If they ever screw up the clam chowder, that will be it for me. Sounds crazy but that is the best clam chowder I've had, and I've had a lot of it.

Hold the phone.....when I think chowder, I think Saratoga "Red" Mmmmmmm.:p

KingChas
05-12-2008, 11:38 AM
Have not been there for a couple years.Planning a trip soon.
The comments on the drinking areas and enforcement.Anyone care to elaborate on them?I know before coolers were not allowed in the grandstand area.What has changed?
Also I've been hounding them for 20 years to put a restroom closer to the picnic area,even if it's port o pottys.Quite a hike after you start having a few.Any results?

onefast99
05-12-2008, 11:55 AM
Hold the phone.....when I think chowder, I think Saratoga "Red" Mmmmmmm.:p
I thjink the Mth park chowder has the edge here, I know the Saratoga chowder is good but nothing beats a bowl of the MP chowder on a 50 degree, wind blown rainy afternoon at MP.

johnav
05-12-2008, 11:58 AM
Have not been there for a couple years.Planning a trip soon.
The comments on the drinking areas and enforcement.Anyone care to elaborate on them?I know before coolers were not allowed in the grandstand area.What has changed?
Also I've been hounding them for 20 years to put a restroom closer to the picnic area,even if it's port o pottys.Quite a hike after you start having a few.Any results?


Went on Mothers day. The Picnic Area, I guess stood the same, BUT there is now a BYOB area that starts at the very first reserved picnic area and extends about 10 rows of benches towards the finish line. You can bring coolers and consume "Drinks" only in that area. For Example If you are drinking a beer and want to make a bet, you can not bring the beer inside. Also if you buy a beer from the concession stands you can not go into the BYOB area. The BYOB area does not include the space under the overhang. The "NON BYOB" area is closer to the finish line.

We were "warned" a couple of times yesterday, but the security guard was pretty nice about it. He said that ARAMARK requested this change and not the track or Exposition authority.

If You put a drink in a party cup, I do not think they will say anything. People were doing that yesterday without incident. That is what my group plans for next weekend.

BTW, they still haven't cleaned up, the Breeders Cup signage. I picked up a cuople of sweet signs yesterday, just laying around.

KingChas
05-12-2008, 12:11 PM
Also if you buy a beer from the concession stands you can not go into the BYOB area.

Now that sounds strange?

Hey Johnav thanks for the reply.
Much appreciated. :ThmbUp:

o_crunk
05-12-2008, 09:26 PM
i give this BYOB stuff a couple of weeks....when it warms up it will be uninforcable. a nice warm day and half the people in attendance are there for one thing....5k on saturday was manageable for the guards to harass people and sheeple them where they needed to be. 15-20k on warm june and the guards will just be throwing their arms up.

it's a very simple system to beat...just be discreat with it and bring cups, use a softpack cooler inside a backpack. like drinking at a parking lot at concert.

i've got to say though....mth is really sticking it to people. a buck for parking? raising the price to get in to? then this BYOB stuff? it's like they don't even want me to come. i see more trips to belmont in my future...save on gas too.

onefast99
05-13-2008, 09:04 AM
i give this BYOB stuff a couple of weeks....when it warms up it will be uninforcable. a nice warm day and half the people in attendance are there for one thing....5k on saturday was manageable for the guards to harass people and sheeple them where they needed to be. 15-20k on warm june and the guards will just be throwing their arms up.

it's a very simple system to beat...just be discreat with it and bring cups, use a softpack cooler inside a backpack. like drinking at a parking lot at concert.

i've got to say though....mth is really sticking it to people. a buck for parking? raising the price to get in to? then this BYOB stuff? it's like they don't even want me to come. i see more trips to belmont in my future...save on gas too.
So Belmont doesnt charge to get in? The parking fee of $1 wont deter many from coming to this facility, it is updated and in much better shape then Belmont by far. The racing is just as good(most of the time)and you cant beat a sunny afternoon at MP. Sorry Belmont doesnt even come close, if you said Saratoga then I cant argue with you.

JoeLong
05-13-2008, 09:26 AM
Monmouth Park, the one thing I miss about New Jersey, oh well at least in Florida there ain't no snow and Tampa Downs is a good place to play. I have some real good memories of days spent at Monmouth with the old Sartin Clan playing Energy. Good luck to everyone playing there this season.

JoeLong

o_crunk
05-13-2008, 07:00 PM
So Belmont doesnt charge to get in? The parking fee of $1 wont deter many from coming to this facility, it is updated and in much better shape then Belmont by far. The racing is just as good(most of the time)and you cant beat a sunny afternoon at MP. Sorry Belmont doesnt even come close, if you said Saratoga then I cant argue with you.

it's not that belmont doesn't charge to get in....it's that last saturday left a real sour taste in my mouth. i've been going to mth for as long as i can remember and the parking isn't a deal breaker, but this BYOB and harassment of customers is certainly uncalled for.

i set up shop with my pops right by the paddock on a small grassy area with a cooler and chairs - this has been our sop for many, many years and this guard comes over and says we can't have our chairs or our cooler there. this is about 45 minutes to first post...this guy shuffles us off to the middle of nowhere to some fenced in area.

turns out we could have our chairs where we originally put them but not the cooler after talking to another guard. these guys can't even get their rules straight.

later on in the day, my pops is out front watching a race and another guard tells him he can't srink there and shuffles him and the whole row of people also drinking, in the middle of a race, to another area.

my pops is the kind of person who would be happy betting on races in a freakin' dungeon, in the rain, in terrible conditions....but even he was a little pissed about it. i was pissed for him...this is a man who's been going to monmouth for 40 years and he's being treated like a drunken fool or a kid who can't handle his drink or something.

when you put this experience together with the parking and the extra buck to get in....you start to ask yourself 'why am i even going?'

also - you've got to be kidding me that the racing at mth is as good as belmont. when's mth going card a turf race...the middle of june? i look for full fields, on the turf....mth has neither for the next month.

alhattab
05-13-2008, 09:14 PM
O Crunk- I must know you- but I'm not sure who you are- for I too hang out on the "grassy knoll". I was there Sat and was using red Solo cups to enjoy my beverage of choice. And as I mentioned previously could do what I pleased. However, I agree with you the harassment is silly and really detracts from everything, even if you are not imbibing.

Anyway, there are grass races in the book for Memorial Day weekend.

o_crunk
05-14-2008, 07:59 PM
if you hang in that area...i'm sure i know you.

i'm with my dad. i'm usually pretty reserved and quiet and he's usually jumping up and down yelling at cheap horses on the teevee at philladelphia or some track under the strange L shaped bank of monitors and machines in the paddock.

onefast99
05-15-2008, 08:49 AM
The turf races begin on Memorial Day weekend just like the previous few years due to the new turf course being installed. I would have to say that the turf fields will be pretty full. We have been waiting with 4 turf only horses to race and I wont go to Belmont to race them.