A coastal storm swept across the state Saturday, putting a damper on many weekend activities along the Shore, but the races went on as scheduled at Monmouth Park.

It was opening weekend at the park in Oceanport, and in spite of the sloppy conditions, crowds were making the best of it.

Most watched from afar except for a few diehards willing to brave the rain, but opening day is a tradition for many families.

The storm brought some serious concerns to other parts of the shoreline. In Point Pleasant, waves of water were pouring in through a breach in the inlet wall. Fortunately it was pooling in an area that shouldn't harm businesses.

Further south in Ortley Beach, flooding wasn't an issue along Barnegat Bay, where the bulkheads kept the water back.  

But on the ocean side of 35, there will be some lost beach due to erosion. High winds and pounding waves were tearing away the sand just ahead of the warm season.