All the seats are sold and you don’t want to pay ridiculous resale prices so how do you survive Haskell Day at Monmouth and enjoy seeing American Pharoah, the first Triple Crown winner in 37 years?  As someone who has frequented Monmouth Park weekly for over 40 years (and I have 20 years of Haskell Hats, see attached picture), here’s a primer:

Set reasonable expectations

You know there will be a record crowd going in, so expect lines everywhere: lines to get to the track, lines to park, lines to bet, lines to eat, etc.  That said there are a lot of things you can do to minimize the aggravation and have a great day.

Get there early

Yes, traffic will be bad and there will be a perimeter set for getting to parking.  Get there early!  Late arrivals may end up parking off site.  Once you get in, Monmouth has a ton of open space to park your lawn chair and have a great seat for the races.  There will be a lot to do besides the races, so make a day of it and enjoy all the entertainment!  If you get there a little later and are coming from the north, get off at exit 109 on the Parkway and take Rt 35 for a bit then come the back roads to the track.  There will still be some traffic as you get close, but you’ll avoid the expected Rt. 36 backup.  If coming from the south, think about coming Rt. 35 and as you get closer (like around Ocean Township) hop on those backroads to the track. In both alternatives, there will still be some traffic as you get close, but you’ll avoid the expected Rt. 36 backup.

In terms of entry…….pay to get in!  Yes, I said pay.  People with passes don’t get Haskell Hats!  Also, most of the promotional passes that are good during the year are not good on Haskell Day.  So don’t show up at the pass gate with the pass you cut from the local shore flyer and argue with the guy to let you in.  Read the fine print on your pass to see if it is valid.

Also, car pool if at all possible.  Parking is $20 for the regular lot and $40 for valet on Haskell Day.  The local street parking will be limited, if at all.  You can also take the NJ Transit train to the Monmouth Park station.  They are running extra trains for Haskell Day.

Explore the track

Monmouth Park is a wonderful gem of a track that harkens back to a simpler time when horse racing was the only game in town if you wanted to wager. The current track was opened on June 19, 1946, after Amory L. Haskell (Yes, that’s who the race is named after) played a major part in lobbying to re-legalize pari-mutual wagering.

Take a walk through the picnic area.  There is a kids’ playground there.  The first floor grandstand houses the “Hall of Champions” where the banners fly the silks of the many champions to have raced at Monmouth.  If you are in the clubhouse, there are replicas of newspaper articles from the late 1800’s when the first Monmouth Park opened.  Yes, the late 1800’s!  There are many other fascinating areas of the track to explore, so there is a lot to do if you get there early.

Bet electronically!

Monmouth has a great system to bet by phone.  You only have to load it on your smartphone, go to the windows once to set it up, deposit your bankroll, bet all day, and only go to the windows one more time before you leave to pick up your (hopefully!) winnings.  If you don’t like the idea of betting by phone, buy a voucher and use the self-service machines.  They are really easy to use and you avoid the long teller lines.  If you really must use the teller, bet early and pre-bet as many races as possible to limit your time in line.  Monmouth is bringing in a lot of extra tellers, but the lines can still be long.  If you must bet every race right before post time, try tellers off the beaten path.  The third floor tellers in the grandstand on Haskell Day could be a good alternative.  While it will still be crowded, there will likely be less people than on the first or second floor.

Food, Food and more Food

There will be a lot of extra food stands set up throughout the track on Haskell Day, but the lines will be long.  The food isn’t cheap, but then what entertainment venue is these days, and Monmouth’s prices are better than most.  The Monmouth stands tend to be hit or miss.  Some are actually decent compared to other large venues.  The pizza on the first floor grandstand isn’t great but it is better than most sports stadiums.  The Mexican by the paddock is serviceable.  The hotdogs are hotdogs…not Max’s or Windmill, but ok.  Sausage sandwiches are surprisingly good.  There is ice cream on the first floor grandstand and a stand with buffalo wings and chicken tenders.  I’m sure Monmouth will also have some special food stands for Haskell day, too.  You can also pack a lunch and bring a cooler, but be careful because coolers are only allowed in the picnic area and designated areas outside the grandstand.

Should I go see American Pharoah in the Paddock?

Well that’s really up to you.  Expect to be elbow to elbow and 20 deep at the rail to see him.  There are also a lot of areas to stand both inside and outside the grandstand with great views of the paddock if you don’t need to be right up close.

How do I get out of there after the race?

My advice?  Go east, young man (or woman).  Don’t try to fight the traffic going west.  Head to the beach area and have dinner.  There are a ton of nice restaurants by the beach in the Sea Bright, Monmouth Beach, Long Branch area.  Some are more casual, others more pricey but if you look at the local directories, you are sure to find one to suit your tastes.  Asbury Park is not that far away either and if you head east first then take Ocean Ave or Rt 71, you should be able to get there.  You will still hit traffic, but it will be better than fighting all the people trying to get to the Parkway.

What if I don't want to fight the crowds?

You can still get to see American Pharoah on Friday or Saturday as he is scheduled to gallop over the track both days between 7:30 and 7:50am.  Monmouth is opening the clubhouse free of charge to the public at 7am each day so you can see him and all the Haskell horses on the racetrack.  It is also a great idea to hang around either day for the racing as each day has giveaways and other events.  On Friday, after the races, you can play miniature golf against your favorite jockey at Monmouth's own Bluegrass Miniature Golf Course.

Final thoughts

As I said at the beginning, Monmouth Park is a special place, at least to me.  It brings back memories of being there with my dad, learning how to read the form, spending the day in the sun and learning about racing history.  It also happens to be the home track of Kenwood Racing!

The Haskell, especially this year, while a great event, makes it somewhat difficult to truly appreciate the place.  Hopefully, these tips will help your day go smoothly and you’ll come back on a more relaxing day.  Have a great time at the Haskell!