New Jersey Authority To Make Pitch for Breeders' Cup

Officials for the New Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority are scheduled to meet with the Breeders' Cup selection committee June 20 to outline its plan for hosting the 2007 Breeders' Cup World Thoroughbred Championships.

George Zoffinger, president and chief executive officer of the NJSEA, will lead the New Jersey contingent into Lexington, Ky. next week to make a formal presentation to Breeders' Cup officials. Two ideas will be pitched -- one would be for Monmouth Park to host the event, while the other option would be for The Meadowlands to host if officials wanted the event to be held at night.

"Monmouth Park's reputation for beauty and charm stands on its own," said Bob Kulina, vice president for Monmouth Park. "And if they ever wanted to run it at night, The Meadowlands is the best night-time track in the world."

The presentation is the culmination of nearly two years of preparation, Kulina said. The NJSEA has been studying the possibility of hosting the event since Breeders' Cup officials visited Monmouth Park in the summer of 2001. Kulina said he knows the Breeders' Cup criteria for a track to host the event and he is confident both Monmouth Park and The Meadowlands fit the bill.

"We've handled almost 50,000 people [at Monmouth]; this is a huge old track," Kulina said. "And the [NJSEA] has a history of hosting major events and the background to handle it."

Oak Tree at Santa Anita will host this year's Breeders' Cup. Lone Star Park is slated to host in 2004, followed by Belmont Park in '05 and Churchill Downs in '06.