TRAINER MIKE DINI LEADS FIRST ARRIVALS AT MONMOUTH PARK AS STABLE AREA OPENS IN ADVANCE OF MAY 10 OPENING DAY

The first group of horses arrive from Tampa for Trainer Mike Dini. Monmouth Park Racetrack in Oceanport. OCEANPORT – It wasn’t trainer Mike Dini’s intention to have the first van of horses arriving on the Monmouth Park backstretch when the Jersey Shore track’s stable area opened this morning – the second straight year the veteran trainer has been the first one on the scene. Photo By Ryan Denver/EQUI-PHOTO

With 60 stalls to eventually fill it’s more of a practical thing with Monmouth Park’s 50-day meet getting underway on Saturday, May 10.

“To me, it’s hard to move them all at once,” said Dini, currently based at Tampa Bay Downs. “So we sent nine horses today and I have nine more leaving Florida on Sunday. Next week, as the week goes on, we’ll be sending more.

“The ones I am sending early have already breezed or worked. They will be able to train next week. The plan is to have a couple of them ready for opening day so I want to get them settled in right away.”

Dini, in the midst of what is shaping up as a career year, has the Tampa Bay Downs to Monmouth Park routine down to a science since making Monmouth Park his summer home since 2015.

Now, he knows, it’s a matter of sustaining the momentum from Tampa Bay Downs, where he is currently third in the trainer standings with 28 wins heading into today. Tampa Bay Downs closes May 4.

“It has been a good winter,” said Dini, who was fifth in the Monmouth Park trainer standings last year with 15 wins. “The idea is to keep it going.”

A year ago, Dini matched his career-best win total with 40 and set a personal best in earnings. The Chicago native started training in 1995.

His competition, as is usually the case, will be formidable.

Claudio Gonzalez, seeking a fourth straight Monmouth Park training title, will have a full string once again, as will Todd Pletcher, Chad Brown and Joe Orseno. Shug McGaughey is back for the second straight year, with Jorge Delgado, Juan Carlos Avila, Kathleen O’Connell, Jose D’Angelo, Dan Ward, Kelly Breen, Lindsay Schultz, Teresa Pompay and Chuck Spina all well represented with horse power.

Christophe Clement has requested 20 stalls, with newcomer Diane Morici planning to ship in 44 horses from her usual Maryland-Delaware circuit for the first time. 

Monmouth Park’s 80^th season will feature 50 stakes races worth $7.8 million over the course of a meet that runs through Sept. 14, with the highlight being the $1 million, Grade 1 NYRA Bets Haskell Stakes for 3-year-olds on Saturday, July 19.

First race post time Saturdays, Sundays and holiday Mondays is 12:50 p.m. When Friday racing starts on June 20 first race post time those days will be 2 p.m.

Parking is free throughout the meet.