OCEANPORT, N.J. — American Pharoah is more than the best thoroughbred in the world.
He’s a cash cow.
And it’s Monmouth Park’s turn to profit this weekend as the Triple Crown winner runs in today’s Haskell Invitational. This is a win-win proposition for everybody involved.
Ahmed Zayat, owner of the 3-year-old bay colt, pockets the $1 million winner’s share if American Pharoah, established as an early morning 1-5 favorite, can beat an outclassed field in a warm-up for the Travers Stakes at Saratoga or whatever final Breeders’ Cup Classic prep race he runs in late August or early September.
Plus Monmouth wins. Even after it added $750,000 to the usual $1 million purse for its showcase race, the track’s cash registers won’t stop ringing. An expected crowd of 60,000 would top the record crowd of 47 previous Haskells, the 53,638 who watched the 2003 race.
“We did this to honor the horse,” said Dennis Drazin, a management consultant to the New Jersey Thoroughbred Horsemen’s Association, which owns Monmouth, at Thursday’s post position draw. “We thought this was the right thing to do for Monmouth Park.”
So there was no hesitation to fatten the purse, even after Zayat and trainer Bob Baffert were given $75,000 appearance fees, $25,000 for each Triple Crown victory. After talks with William Hill, the British oddsmaker and the Haskell’s sponsor, the Monmouth brass came up with an idea to approach tracks in other states to run a series of three lucrative races.
When that idea didn’t float, Monmouth announced the purse increase Wednesday, although several insiders are convinced the increase, the final inducement for Zayat to run his horse in his home state, was finalized earlier in the month.
“There is so much new money out there in the industry,” said Bob Kulina, president of Darby Development, operators of the track, referring to Monmouth’s competition for Grade I caliber horses.
American Pharoah is in a class of his own. The first Triple Crown winner in 37 years, he has won seven consecutive graded stakes races, after finishing fifth in his first, and has earned $4.53 million for Zayat Stables LLC.
While Monmouth has done an excellent job of creating an event atmosphere for the Haskell, this edition needs no marketing gimmicks or commemorative hats, although that tradition will continue.
This race begins and ends with American Pharoah. He’s the attraction. He’s the star. He’s why 200 media credentials — or 100 more than usual — have been issued.
“There’s so much interest,” Kulina said. “To see some of the ticket prices on Stub Hub was amazing, even if they’re not true.”
Kulina likes to compare American Pharoah’s popularity to Jordan’s. That’s Michael Jordan, the one of NBA fame, not Mr. Jordan, a Monmouth-based horse who is 15-1 in today’s race.
Years from now, Drazin said, fans will remember the day they saw American Pharoah run at Monmouth, just as fans in the past remember watching Secretariat, Seattle Slew and other champions.
Hopefully, they’ll remember while there is still racing at the shore track.
Monmouth is barely surviving in the turbulent world of horse racing. Things aren’t as bad as a couple of years ago when Gov. Chris Christie threatened to close the track, but two years ago Monmouth lost a reported $4.5 million, although Drazin insists the track broke even last year.
Still, racing has been reduced to three days a week and if a track, badly in need of the casino gambling support other tracks receive in neighboring states, ever needed a big day with today’s potential, it’s the venerable oval a couple of stones’ throws from the shoreline.
Even though it’s moderately increased its ticket prices for one day and jacked up parking considerably more ($40 VIP parking any other day is $10), Monmouth is going all out. There was everything from free admission to watch American Pharoah gallop Saturday morning to a Baffert baseball jersey giveaway and a mini-golf tournament.
Who’s to say there might not be a surprise guest.
The track was hoping Bruce Springsteen would sing “Born To Run,” rather than the taped version that’s played when the horses enter the track, but he can’t make it. Although he has been known to show up unannounced at shore concerts and jam for two-plus hours.
“I happen to be a Day One, Jersey Shore fan of Bruce, and it’s my goal to have him here one day. So I can’t believe I’m saying this, but it’s fine that he won’t be here because Haskell Day will belong to one horse,” Kulina said. “More people would be here to see American Pharoah than him.
“How often can you say Bruce Springsteen would not be the star attraction?”