Harness: Stakes season 2020 is coming!

The true sign that stakes season is getting closer arrived just a few days ago when the first round of 2020 payments were due to most of the major races in North America. The stakes scene looks mostly familiar this year, though there are a few defections from the schedule.

Gone in 2020 from the stakes calendar are a pair of Miami Valley races for older mares and the Art Rooney Pace and its filly counterpart the Lismore from Yonkers Raceway.

The loss of the Miami Valley races, one on the trot and one on the pace, subtracts $100,000 each from the available money in those divisions, which is sad because those are underfunded already compared to the older boys on both gaits. According to Racing Secretary Gregg Keidel, the move was made due to inability to draw quality fields in early May to Ohio.

“We didn’t feel confident that we could attract quality full fields of Grand Circuit mares to come this far for $100,000 to $150,000 purses anymore,” said Keidel, who added that he would card a race in honor of Chip Noble on closing weekend.

The Rooney (and Lismore) was also cancelled due to lack of attendance. Let’s face it, a 3-year-old stakes race with eliminations at the end of May and a final on the first Saturday in June was bad timing when you consider the North America Cup, Max Hempt and Meadowlands Pace are all typically scheduled in the seven weeks to follow.

“There was a lot of money added for a race that did not have many entrants,” said Director of Racing Alex Dadoyan back in January. “Why do you have to continue something like that? People always say you need to change things, and then when you change something based on statistics and reason, people are outraged there was change. It’s comical really.”

While the Rooney never really made sense on the calendar, I always hoped they would convert that race into another older pace or perhaps a 4-year-old race. The more I think about it, wouldn’t a pair of $200,000 races for older mare trotters and pacers be a great addition to the schedule?

We also gained one huge race to the stakes landscape in 2020. The Mohawk Million for 2-year-olds on September 26 at Woodbine Mohawk Park is a can’t-miss race that is brand new. Nine owners have ponied up $110,000 each to have the opportunity for one of their trotters to line up for $1,000,000. It will also be interesting to see what deals occur between owners of the slots and perspective top 2-year-olds that emerge late in the summer.

While it won’t happen in 2020, optimism remains in states like Illinois for the return of Grand Circuit racing. It wasn’t that long ago that races like the American National and Windy City lured the top horses to the Midwest. It is certainly something to dream about next winter.

There is plenty to look forward to this year as 2019 leading money-winner Bettor’s Wish and fellow millionaire Gimpanzee will both be returning for their 4-year-old campaigns. Top older mare Shartin N is back to tackle Caviart Ally in the pacing ranks and older trotter Manchego is reportedly training nicely for her return as she hopes to upend divisional winner Atlanta. And that doesn’t even take into account all of the now 3-year-olds like Lyons Sentinel, Tall Dark Stranger, Papi Rob Hanover, Amigo Volo, and so many more. Oh, I almost forgot, the highly anticipated debut of a pair of $1,000,000 yearling purchases from the Lexington Selected Sale in October.

Here are some thoughts from the trainers who are bringing back some of the names listed above:

“When I put her on the track people expect to see Shartin,” said Jim King Jr. on the pressure to make sure his pacing mare is ready for a top effort when she debuts in 2020.

Shartin qualified Wednesday (2/19) at Dover Downs and was an easy neck winner timed in 1:51 3/5. Her first stakes appearance will be in the Blue Chip Matchmaker series on March 13 at Yonkers Raceway. Rival Caviart Ally is scheduled to qualify Saturday at The Meadowlands.

“I think she just cancelled her second qualifier,” said King via text after the sparkling performance. “OMG. What else can I say.”

Bettor’s Wish is pulling double-duty as a stallion and racehorse in 2020. The 4-year-old sent out his first breeding appropriately on Valentine’s Day.

“Bettor’s Wish is training and I expect to race in the Graduate (Meadowlands) in May,” said Chris Ryder. “He’s performing super on all fronts (breeding and training) and he’s thickened out since last year.”

“They are both coming back nicely and have really filled out a lot since last year,” said trainer Nancy Takter on trotting mare Manchego and pacing colt Tall Dark Stranger. “I’m aiming Manchego for the Cutler (Meadowlands, May 16). Stranger doesn’t have anything until the Somebeachsomewhere (Mohawk, June 6), so we will have to see if we can get him some overnights, preferably at The Meadowlands, to get him ready for the North America Cup, which is his first major goal.”

Amigo Volo’s Breeders Crown win stamped him as the Winter Book favorite to win the Hambletonian. The son of Father Patrick is understandably still in the early stages of preparation. “He is actually training back in Florida with the Pinskes. I was down there last week and he has grown quite a bit, but he is still just jogging. He will go to the training strip this week,” said Nifty Norman.

To whet your appetite for the stakes season to come, I’ve compiled a list of the major dates through July 4 on this page. With the Blue Chip Matchmaker and MGM Borgata (Levy Memorial) series kicking off in just three weeks, it’s time to start getting excited about Harness Racing in 2020!

2020 MAJOR STAKES THROUGH JULY 4

DATE TRACK FEATURE RACES PURSE

3/23 Yonkers M Life Pacing Series 50,000 (Added)

3/24 Yonkers M Life Gents Pacing Series 50,000 (Added)

4/18 Yonkers MGM Borgata - FFA 200,000 (Added)

Blue Chip Matchmaker 125.000 (Added)

4/21 Yonkers SOA Bonus Trot 55,000 (Added)

4/25 Pocono Bobby Weiss Final - 3YOC P&T 50,000G

4/27 Pocono Bobby Weiss Final - 3YOF Pace 50,000G

4/28 Pocono Bobby Weiss Final - 3YOF Trot 50,000G

5/2 Meadowlands Graduate Leg - 4YO Pace 75,000

Freehold Dexter Cup - 3YO Open Trot 130,000

Lady Suffolk - 3YO Filly Trot 70,000

Yonkers Reynolds 3YOF & C&G Pace (div) 50,000

5/10 Rosecroft MdSS Finals - 3YO (4 races) 70,000

5/16 Meadowlands AJ Cutler Memorial - FFA 200,000

Mohawk Ont SBOA Finals - 3YO F P&T 160,000

5/17 Flamboro Confederation Cup - 4YO Op Pace 185,000

5/22 The Meadows Currier & Ives 3YOF Trot (div) 70,000

5/23 Meadowlands Graduate Leg - 4YO Open Trot 75,000

Pocono PA Allstars - 3YO Colt Trot (div) 75,000

5/24 Philly Betsy Ross - Open Mares 100,000

Maxie Lee - Open Trot 100,000

Commodore Barry - Invitational 100,000

5/25 Vernon Emp Brdrs Clsc Final - 3YOF Trot 250,000

Emp Brdrs Clsc Final - 3YOC Trot 250,000

5/29 Western Fair Camluck Classic - Open Invitational 150,000G

Mohawk Miss Versatility - Mare Trot 40,000

Meadowlands NJSS Finals - 3YO (4 races) 100,000/200,000

5/31 Solvalla Elitloppet 1,000,000G

6/6 Mohawk Somebeachsomewhere - 3YO Pc (divs) 190,000

Graduate - 4YO Pace/Trot 75,000

Northfield Battle of Lake Erie - Inv Pace 200,000

6/14 Pocono PA Allstars - 3YO Filly Trot (div) 75,000

Tioga Graduate - 4YO Pace/Trot 75,000

6/20 Mohawk North America Cup - 3YO Opn Pace 1,000,000G

Fan Hanover - 3YO Filly Pace 450,000

Roses R Red - Mare Pace 330,000

Armbro Flight - Mare Trot 250,000

Goodtimes - 3YO Trot 250,000

Gold Cup - Open Pace 100,000

The Meadows Currier & Ives - 3YO Trot (divs) 99,500

6/24 Hoosier Star Destroyer - 3YOF Trot (Divs) 50,000

6/25 Hoosier Star Destroyer - 3YOC Trot (Divs) 50,000

6/26 Hoosier Star Destroyer - 3YOC&F Pc (Divs) 50,000

Meadowlands Graduate - 4YO Open Trot 75,000

7/3 Meadowlands Graduate - 4YO Open Pace 75,000

7/4 Pocono Earl Beal - 3YO Open Trot 500,000G

Max Hempt - 3YO Open Pace 500,000G

Ben Franklin - Open Pace 500,000G

James Lynch - 3YO Filly Pace 300,000G

Northfield Cleveland Trotting Clsc - Inv Trot 175,000

(all purses estimated unless listed with ‘G’)