Goodbye, Pegasus; hello NATC Futurity

The Grade 2, $500,000 Meadowlands Cup tops the $3.4 million stakes schedule at the Meadowlands Racetrack in East Rutherford, N.J., which kicks off a 41-day meet on Labor Day.

The schedule reflects several changes to accommodate sister track Monmouth Park, the host of the Breeders' Cup in October. The most prominent shift involves moving the Grade 3, $250,000 Pegasus Stakes for 3-year-olds from the Meadowlands to Monmouth on Oct. 27 as part of a unique four-day meet that culminates with the Breeders' Cup on Oct.o26-27.

The loss of the Pegasus leaves the Meadowlands with three graded stakes among the 42 scheduled. In addition to the Meadowlands Cup on Oct. 5, the Big M also has a pair of Grade 3, $150,000 turf stakes: the Cliff Hanger on Sept. 21 and the Violet for fillies and mares on Sept. 28.

In recent years, Monmouth has raced through September with the Meadowlands opening in early October. With the Breeders' Cup on the horizon, Monmouth will close on Sept. 2 to begin final preparations. As a result, several Monmouth stakes will be switched to the Meadowlands, including the National Association of Two-Year-Old Consignors Futurity. The colt and filly divisions of the NATC Futurity, each worth $200,000, will be run on Sept. 29.