Harness: 2026 Graded Stakes schedule to kick off Thursday

The 2026 Graded Stakes schedule kicks off on Thursday (April 23) with four finals of the Restricted 3 James K. Hackett Memorial for Ohio-sired 3-year-olds at Miami Valley Raceway. Each has a purse of $75,000.

The first Open Graded Stake will be the Grade 3 Dexter Cup for 3-year-old Open trotters, with an estimated purse of $160,000 at The Meadowlands on Saturday, May 2.

There are two categories of Grades: Open Graded Stakes and Restricted Graded Stakes. State or Province restricted races, which exclude horses based upon stallion residency or mare foaling location, are eligible for Restricted Stakes consideration.

In December 2025, the U.S. Trotting Association’s Graded Stakes Committee announced the 2026 schedule that features 179 Graded Stakes and 164 Restricted Stakes, increases of eight and 36, respectively, from the first-ever Graded Stakes schedule in 2025.

To view the complete chronological list of 2026 Graded and Restricted Stakes races, click here.

The Graded Stakes Committee has the discretion to assign or change gradings regardless of purse levels, however, following is the guidance for grading consideration:

Graded Stakes

Male
• Grade 1 – $350,000 and up
• Grade 2 – $175,000 – $349,999
• Grade 3 – $75,000 – $174,499

Female
• Grade 1 – $250,000 and up
• Grade 2 – $125,000 – $249,999
• Grade 3 – $75,000 – $124,999

Invitational races with a minimum purse of $100,000 may be considered for grading.

Sire Stakes finals and non-sire stake races with purse values listed below, regardless of sex, are considered by the committee.

Restricted Races
• R1 – $225,000 – AND UP
• R2 – $150,000 – $224,999
• R3 – $75,000 – $149,999

For more about the Graded Stakes program, click here.

-release (USTA Communications)