Garden State Park Reapplies For 13 Dates in 2001

Garden State Park has reapplied to the New Jersey Racing Commission for 13 Thoroughbred racing dates in 2001, two weeks after its initial application for a six-day stand was rejected at the NJRC's November 21 meeting in Trenton.

The dates request comes one day after it was announced by International Thoroughbred Breeders' Inc., owner of the Cherry Hill oval, that the property had been sold and would be turned into an office complex and condominium development.

Garden's 13-day meet would feature racing on both the main track and turf course, and offer $180,000 per day in purses. The proposed dates are April 19 through May 5 with dark days of April 22, 23, 29 and 30. First post would be 3 p.m.

"This meeting would enable us to pay out simulcasting monies that will accrue from the end of the current harness meet through the end of the proposed Thoroughbred meet in May," said Richard Orbann, Garden's president and general manager. "It has always been our intention to see that the Thoroughbred horsemen receive this purse money."