The host venue for next month’s Breeders’ Cup isn’t as widely recognized as Belmont Park or Churchill Downs. But Monmouth Park should be well worth the price of admission.

Nestled in the tony community of Oceanport, New Jersey, Monmouth Park is a prime “getaway” for New York racing fans. The park was plunked down near the Jersey shore in 1870, but sat dormant from 1894 to 1946 due to the criminalization of pari-mutuel betting. The New Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority bought the park in 1986.

The main track is a mile-long dirt oval, with a seven-furlong turf course and the requisite chutes to allow for longer (or shorter) races. Its feature attraction is the 1 1/2-mile Haskell Invitational Handicap; this year’s race was held on Aug. 5 with a $1-millon purse. Any Given Saturday scored a huge upset over Curlin and Hard Spun to put himself firmly in the mix for next month’s Classic.