Monmouth Park Thoroughbred Racing News: August 8, 2025
Live thoroughbred racing returns to Monmouth Park in Oceanport, New Jersey on Friday, August 8, 2025. The afternoon promises a competitive card, with several races featuring notable trainers, jockeys, and horses. The weather is expected to be typical for the Jersey Shore in August, with partly sunny skies and temperatures in the mid-80s Fahrenheit, and humidity slightly elevated but with no significant precipitation anticipated. The reported track conditions are fast for both dirt and turf courses, ensuring optimal conditions for racing.
Race Summaries
Race 1 – 2:00 PM ET
Maiden Claiming | 1 1/16 Miles (Turf) | Purse: $17,500
A competitive 9-horse field with claiming prices of $16,000. The race features We Live This Game as the morning line favorite at 2/1, trained by E. Padilla-Preciado and ridden by J. Vargas Jr. Other contenders include Editor’s Choice (4/1) and Vekoma Kid (9/2).
Race 2 – 2:30 PM ET
Starter Optional Claiming | 1 Mile (Dirt) | Purse: $24,000
A 7-horse field where Tavin is the 2/1 morning line favorite with jockey I. Castillo. The race includes both claiming ($16,000) and non-claiming entries, with Gold Strategy (5/2) and Ambitiously Placed (7/2) as other key contenders.
Race 3 – 2:59 PM ET
Maiden Claiming | 5 Furlongs (Turf) | Purse: $17,500
A 9-horse sprint for fillies with claiming tags ranging from $14,000-$16,000. Pretty Shy leads the morning line at 5/2, followed by Selvaggia at 3/1. The field includes first-time starters and experienced maidens.
Race 4 – 3:25 PM ET
Maiden Special Weight | 5 Furlongs (Dirt) | Purse: $52,500
The day’s highest-purse maiden race featuring 7 two-year-olds. Bacio is the 9/5 favorite, ridden by renowned jockey Lanfranco Dettori. Silvadar (5/2) trained by R. Dutrow Jr. provides strong competition in this juvenile sprint.
Race 5 – 3:54 PM ET
Claiming | 5 Furlongs (Turf) | Purse: $18,000
An 8-horse turf sprint with $16,000 claiming tags. Empire Sky is the 9/5 favorite, while Its Pizza Time (3/1) and Lucky Twist (4/1) round out the top choices. Track conditions are listed as “C” (Compact).
Race 6 – 4:23 PM ET
Claiming | 6 Furlongs (Dirt) | Purse: $19,000
An 8-horse field with $12,500 claiming prices. Scheduling Dude is the 5/2 morning line choice, trained by R. Dutrow Jr. Fully Committed (7/2) and Strand Road (4/1) are the other main contenders.
Race 7 – 4:52 PM ET
Allowance | 1 1/16 Miles (Turf) | Purse: $50,000
The day’s feature race with a 9-horse field of non-claiming horses. Diamond Vega (GB) is the 3/1 favorite, followed by Victory Badge at 7/2. This allowance race for horses that have not won $1 excepting maiden, claiming, or starter races represents the highest level of competition on the card.
Race 8 – 5:20 PM ET
Claiming | 6 Furlongs (Dirt) | Purse: $18,500
The finale features 8 horses with $5,000 claiming tags. Elusive d’Oro is the 2/1 favorite, with Jake Rocks (3/1) and My Mamba (7/2) providing competition. This lower-level claiming race typically features older, experienced horses.
Track Conditions: Dirt tracks are listed as “C” (Compact), while turf conditions vary by race. Post times are subject to change, and all races are scheduled approximately 30 minutes apart.
Handicapper Insights and Closing Notes
Professional analysts expect a safe and competitive afternoon of racing, with fast track and favorable weather playing to front-running horses in earlier races and favoring closers later in the day.
