Harness: NJ Sire Stakes purse boost in 2022

At a meeting of the New Jersey Sire Stakes Board of Trustees on Tuesday (July 13), a 20 percent boost in purses was approved for the legs and finals of the NJ-bred Premier series starting in 2022.

The legs for all New Jersey Sire Stakes races will bump from $25,000 to $30,000, with the finals for 2-year-olds and 3-year-old trotters rising to $240,000, eclipsing that of neighboring New York at $225,000 and virtually on par with Pennsylvania ($253,000).

While the rise for trotters from $200,000 to $240,000 is sizable, the 2-year-old pacers will see the biggest increase, going from $100,000 to $240,000 in 2022. The sizeable jump on the pacing side comes ahead of the infusion of new blood on the horizon from first-crop stallions Lazarus N and Bettor's Wish, whose 2-yearolds will hit the track next season.

"Much of the credit goes to Governor Phil Murphy and the New Jersey legislature, Assembly Speaker Craig Coughlin and Senate President Stephen M. Sweeney, for increasing the purse appropriation in the last fiscal year and extending it to 2022," said Board of Trustees member and Standardbred Breeders and Owners Association Director Michael Gulotta. "With their support New Jersey is once again returning to a position of preeminence in the racing industry."

The New Jersey Sire Stakes Premier division offers two legs and a final for both 2- and 3-year-olds. The 2021 sophomore events took place in May and the finals for 2-year-olds took place Friday evening (July 16) at the Meadowlands.

The Sire Stakes also administers Standardbred Development Fund races for late-developing 2- and 3-year-olds at Freehold Raceway, the New Jersey Breeders Maturity and Renaissance Pace.

For the Sire Stakes Board of Trustees who have worked tirelessly for all stallions standing in New Jersey, the purse increases represent another bonus to prospective breeders to stand and breed in the state.