Harness: Doherty, Haughton get purse increases and "win and you're in" status

The $400,000 (est.) Peter Haughton Memorial 2-Year-Old Colt Trot and the $400,000 (est.) Jim Doherty Memorial 2-Year-Old Filly Trot at the Meadowlands will see a boost in added money for 2022 as well as a chance to earn free entry into the $600,000 Breeders Crown freshman trot divisions.

The Doherty and Haughton are two of the oldest and most prestigious stakes contested at The Meadowlands, with the Jim Doherty originating in 1977 (then titled the Merrie Annabelle) and the Peter Haughton debuting shortly after in 1981. The list of winners in both events include such standouts as colt Muscle Hill and filly Check Me Out. Both are raced on Hambletonian Day as part of a stakes-laden trot-centric race card.

"The Meadowlands has always been at the forefront in creating new stakes and hosting established Grand Circuit races," said Jason Settlemoir, chief operating officer and general manager of the premier racetrack in North America.

"The Hambletonian day program provides some of the richest and most prestigious races for horses of every age and gait and if we can provide more incentive to participate in the 2-year-old trots this way we're happy to do it."

The Meadowlands has committed to increasing the added money for each race from $45,000 to $100,000. In addition, the winners of both the Doherty and Haughton Memorials, if eligible to their corresponding Breeders Crown division, will have their starting fee waived.

The Breeders Crown, harness racing's $6 million year-end championship series, is owned and administered by the Hambletonian Society.

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"Win and You're In" entrants will also advance directly to the $600,000 Breeders Crown Final and will draw for the 1 through 5 post positions (as do elimination winners) assuming they enter at the prescribed time as all other entries and meet the qualifying standards as outlined in the conditions of Breeders Crown No. 36. The entry status is not transferable and only applies in the year of both events.

More information will be published in the racing conditions of the events when the stake schedule for 2022 is announced.

-edited release (Hambletonian Society/Meadowlands)