Faced With Possible Jockey Boycott, Monmouth Mulling Its Options

[Wandering Eyes]

Though the opening weekend of racing at Monmouth Park is still under a cloud of uncertainty due to a possible boycott from some jockeys, track management made it clear Tuesday that it is intent on running and putting together the best racing card possible.

“At the current time, the situation is we are taking entries and we're hopeful that we're in a position to put on the show on Friday,” said Dennis Drazin, the CEO of the management company that operates the track. “We're hopeful we can put on a show. We have a big meet, we have great purses, we hope everybody will be supportive. The conversation has been brewing a long time.”

Several jockeys have expressed their misgivings about riding at Monmouth under news rules issued by the New Jersey Racing Commission that ban the use of the whip, with the only exception being situations where there are safety concerns. Some of those same jockeys have said they have made the decision to skip the meet and ride instead at tracks that have traditional whipping rules.

Drazin said that he was concerned that certain riders and perhaps even the Jockeys Guild were pressuring jockeys not to ride and said that there would be “repercussions” if riders or Jockeys' Guild representatives try to stage a coordinated job action.

“The commission has advised us that they have a rule that involves conduct detrimental to racing, and if any jockey violates that rule, there will be an investigation,” Drazin said. ” They can bring them in. They can give them a hearing. And they can suspend them. There is reciprocity to other tracks. That is their role.”

Drazin said that expectations are that there will be enough jockeys on hand for Friday's opener to cover every horse entered, but made it clear that in addition to possible suspensions levied by the racing commission, track management will take action of its own if a number of Monmouth Park regulars refuse to ride. He outlined three possibilities that were under consideration Tuesday while entries for opening day were coming into the racing office, topped by a meet-long ban for any rider who boycotts Friday's program.

“If they're going to be afraid to ride day 1, they're going to be afraid to ride day 2, day 3, day 6, etc. so they shouldn't be here,” Drazin said. “So option 1 is to say that we're going to implement a house rule that says if you're not riding opening day, and there are exceptions–I suppose if you pressed me on the issue, if a jockey gave calls to a trainer in New York, we can't say you can't honor those commitments—then one of the options is to say if you don't ride opening day, pack your bags.”

Option 2 is a civil suit

“If Monmouth Park loses millions of dollars because they can't put on a card, we're going to consider a civil suit and try to recoup those millions of dollars from the Guild and from the individual jockeys,” Drazin said. “I do not want to do that. I'm just listing options for my team.

Monmouth is also considering implementing a bonus that would not be available to any riders who choose not to ride on opening day.

“The third thing is to hang up a big bonus for the jockey that wins our jockeys' title. But you're not eligible to win it if you don't ride the opening card,” Drazin said. “But in talking with my team, it does sound like they want to go with the first policy. Right now, as we're speaking, there are a dozen jockeys that are meeting with (General Manager) Bill Anderson and (racing secretary) John Heims, and were trying to speak with (steward) Steve Pagano to get some clarification on the rule.

Drazin and his team find themselves caught in the middle in a dispute involving the racing commission and the Jockeys' Guild. Drazin has said many times that jockey safety is an important issue, but that he will do whatever he can to see that it that the whip dispute does not have a negative impact on the meet's bottom line.

“I'm supportive of jockeys and jockey safety, but threatening to close the track over the rule isn't an option,” he said. “How many days can I stay open paying comp insurance and all the other expenses if we're not bringing in any revenue? In that situation, then the horsemen are at risk. So if the jockeys are going to close down the meet, there are going to be repercussions. The jockeys can do whatever they want. They can hold their breath until they turn blue. They are not going to change this rule. If people think I'm going to get the commission to change this rule, it's not going to happen. I don't have that power. We need to put on the show, and we've got to do what we can to make this work.”

By midday Tuesday, it was still not clear which jockeys are committed to riding on Friday and which are not. There have been reports that leading rider Paco Lopez will not ride in New Jersey because of the whip rules, but his agent Cory Moran has said that is not the case. Lopez, who will ride at Gulfstream Park on Friday, has to serve a suspension and accept mounts that have been lined up at Delaware Park and Belmont. Moran said the earliest Lopez would be available to ride at Monmouth is June 12. As far as what he will do at that point, Moran said Lopez has yet to reach a decision.

In Tuesday's edition, the Asbury Park Press ran a list of jockeys that have expressed a willingness to ride at the meet. The list consists of Ferrin Peterson, Antonio Gallardo, Jose Ferrer, Nik Juarez, Isaac Castillo, Jorge Vargas Jr., Carlos Hernandez and Tomas Mejia. Because of outstanding suspensions, Juarez and Peterson will not be available Friday.

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