OCEANPORT — As he has done more times than he could possibly remember since he started coming through the stable gate at Monmouth Park 58 years ago, trainer John Mazza made the slow walk from the rail along the clubhouse turn back down into the barn area, where he was waiting for his next set of horses to take the track.
The sound of hoofs striking dirt could be heard in the distance on a perfect spring morning, with word of the agreement between the New Jersey Thoroughbred Horsemen’s Association and Morris Bailey, seeking a five-year lease to operate the track, now circulating through the backside