East Rutherford, NJ - The Meadowlands is pleased to announce that the stake for older
trotting mares formerly known as the Fresh Yankee shall be titled to
memorialize long-time Grand Circuit "Veterinarian to the Stars" Dr.
John R Steele beginning with the 2017 edition of the race.
Dr. Steele
graduated from Cornell university in 1946. After leaving academia, developed a
successful Standardbred practice in Vernon NY.
Dr. Steele
travelled with the Grand Circuit for almost four decades providing veterinary
service to many world champions a number of which were trained by Billy
Haughton, Stanley Dancer, George Sholty, and Continental Farms.
He was
acknowledged by his clients and peers as an astute lameness diagnostician who
during the course of his career introduced many new and innovative
therapies to the equine veterinary world.
Dr. Steele had a
passion for trotters and even in his later years, rarely missed a
Hambletonian.
John R Steele and
Associates, the veterinary practice he founded and grew, is proud to
sponsor, along with several veterinary pharmaceutical companies, the
"Dr. John R. Steele Memorial" in his honor at The Meadowlands.
Regarding the race
itself, in just two years of existence it has been won by a pair
of great mares. European invader D'One made
her presence known in the U.S. by winning the inaugural in
2015 while Hannelore
Hanover captured last year's edition as part of her award winning season.
The 2017 purse is estimated to be $175,000.
Nominees to this
and all Meadowlands stakes may be viewed on the website.
