East Rutherford, NJ - As the time to
select the Grand Circuit engagements for your stakes hopefuls draws
near, The Meadowlands presents several exciting new stakes and joins
with Tioga & Vernon Downs in ensuring no one goes home empty
handed when racing in the open stakes administered by the three Gural
tracks. The 2015 conditions will provide 1% of the total purse be paid to
all out of the money horses with the balance then paid out to first
through fifth in standard fashion.
A redesigned web page will provide easy
access to the information on stakes at all three tracks. The
nomination forms may be filled out online and have been designed to
address each particular group for age and gait, hopefully making the
process less complicated and reducing the paperwork load.
The new stakes are to a large degree in response to
horsemen’s concerns.
To address the issue of racing four-year-olds against older foes,
the Graduate Series has been resurrected, offering $1 million in purses spread
over three legs and a $250,000G final for both trotters and pacers. The series
kicks off with a $50,000e leg at Tioga on Memorial Day, May 25, then shifts to
The Meadowlands for leg two at $75,000e and leg three at $100,000 in June. The
$250,000G finals will also be raced at The Meadowlands with the pace on Friday,
July 3 and the trot on Saturday, July 11.
Also being added for 2015 is a TVG Championship Final for pacing
and trotting mares with a $200,000G purse. The format will mirror that of the
successful TVG Finals, with points accumulated over a series of top races for
the mares at various tracks over the season.
“These stakes have been added to address what the horsemen
tell us,” said Meadowlands Chairman Jeff Gural. “It seemed in 2014 that as the
season went along, the four-year-olds gained strength and by the end were more
than holding their own with the older horses. The Graduate will provide races
against their own age for the first half of the year. The mares have been
a competitive group the last few years and now they have another big race.
"The conditions for the all Early Closing stakes at the three
tracks have language that permits trainers no more than two (aside from horses
they have trained since the start of their racing career) entries in the
finals this year. Coupled with all the horses that reach the finals will
realize some return on the investment in the stake (the 1% mentioned above) I'm
hoping to encourage more people to take a chance on our races."
The Meadowlands has also agreed to host the $1.5 million Freshman
Fall Final Four (payments for those will be handled by the Hambletonian
Society) when reopening in November of 2015 and offer the inaugural edition of
two new races for three-year-old fillies to support them. The
“Continentalvictory” and “Tarport Hap” named for two of the greatest mares
ever, will offer a purse of $175,000e on November 21.
New for older trotting mares in 2015 will be the $175,000e “Fresh
Yankee” remembering the rags to riches queen of a few generations ago. This one
will be raced on Hambletonian Day, August 8.
The headliners are back with the $800,000e Meadowlands Pace
leading a stellar stakes card on Saturday, July 18 and the $1,000,000
Hambletonian bringing the curtain down of the 2015 Championship Meet with the
“Greatest Day in Harness Racing” on Saturday, August 8.
All of these races have a nominating deadline of February 15,
2015.
Tioga and Vernon Downs will continue their $2 million
slate of stakes that include the $1 million Empire Breeders Classics for
NY Sired 3YO, the Crawford Farms, Artiscape, Muscle Hill, Miss
Versatility and Roll With Joe for older horses.
The new wrinkle for the upcoming season is the change in the purse
for the Final of the Kindergarten Trotting Classics. In 2015 the money in the
pool for those Finals shall be divided with 75% directed to the Final and 25%
to a consolation. This should, off the 2014 numbers, result in a Final of
approximately $175,000 with a Consolation in the $75,000 neighborhood, giving a
better earning opportunity to those not quite making the big dance.
All of the Tioga & Vernon Downs races have a March 15
close of nominations.
Any questions on the stakes should be directed to the Racing
Office at 201-842-5130.
