On 17 October 2015, more than 35,000 horse racing fans gathered at Moorland ranch to celebrate 95th organizing the annual Far Hills Race Meeting.
With world-class racing conditions, this year’s Steeplechase attracted the best 75 races, owners, jockeys and trainers on the course. The Far Hills Race Meeting boasts one of the biggest purses on the National Steeplechase Association circuit with a total of $600,000. Individual race purses range from $25,000 to $300,000 making it the richest Steeplechase today in the United States.
This year’s event was dedicated to Elizabeth Mead “Betty” Merck, the long-time race director who passed away in April at the age of 95. Merck isn’t just a race director; he’s the owner of a prominent horse race.
Since the 1950s, the Far Hills Race has raised over $18 million to benefit Robert Wood Johnson Somerset University Hospital, Steeplechase Cancer Center for the advancement of health care in the area. Named in honor of the Far Hills event, Steeplechase Cancer Center allows Central Jersey cancer patients to see their doctors, endure treatment and take part in cancer research studies.
