For owners in North America, there is no going back now. The first stakes payments of 2021 have been made and only time will tell if the money spent this week will fund a star, a blue-collar earner or a bust. The only certainty that comes with the February payments for races like the Hambletonian, Meadowlands Pace, North America Cup and countless others is that, as the 2- and 3-year-olds continue to train down, stakes season is now on the radar. Yes, it is a very small blip in the distant future, but it is there and owners, trainers and drivers can start to dream of winning a marquee race. There was quite a bit of shuffling and cancellations in the stakes world in 2020 due to the pandemic and while only the Prix d'Ete has gotten the axe in 2021, a number of races have found new homes on the calendar. Below we take a look at the major races in the glamour open divisions for 3-year-old pacers and trotters to see how each shapes up. Then we'll cover a few other changes on the calendar for this year. 3-YEAR-OLD PACERS June 19 -- North America Cup at Woodbine Mohawk Park: Back in June after an appearance in August last year, this race will be preceded by eliminations the week prior and the Somebeachsomewhere prep on June 5. The only question surrounding the race is what travel restrictions due to the pandemic will remain in place. Hopefully none. July 2 -- MGM Grand Messenger at Yonkers Raceway: Canceled in 2020, the Messenger is back with a new slot on the calendar, moving from late August/early September to early July. With a purse drop from $500,000 to $300,000, and as a half-mile race stacked between the "big track" races, it will be interesting to see who nominates and shows up. Eliminations occur on June 25. July 17 -- Meadowlands Pace at The Meadowlands: No changes from previous years other than the race could attract some horses that would normally have gone to Pocono after the NA Cup since the Max Hempt is now in August. There is already $429,000 in the pool for the final before any payments this year. July 31 -- Adios at The Meadows: Nothing changes here as the race falls in its usual spot. Eliminations take place the week prior. August 7 -- Cane Pace at The Meadowlands: The usual Hambletonian Day stake for sophomore pacers. August 14 -- Carl Milstein Memorial at Northfield Park: Purse bumps back up from $250,000 last year to $300,000 in 2021. August 21 -- Max Hempt at The Downs at Pocono: This is the biggest change on the schedule, with the race moving from early July to a much better location where it could get major participation. The race also goes in divisions now instead of eliminations, with $300,000 for the top split, $200,000 for the next group and $100,000 for the bottom-money qualifiers. September 23 -- Little Brown Jug at Delaware County Fair: Race once again falls in a tough spot sandwiched between the $250K Kentucky Sire Stakes finals on Sept. 19 and the $150K Jenna's Beach Boy on Sept. 24. Everyone wants to win the Jug, but it will be interesting to see how many show up. October 10 -- Tattersalls at The Red Mile: Falls nicely two weeks prior to the Breeders Crown eliminations and should attract all the big guns in the division. October 30 -- Breeders Crown at The Meadowlands: The year-end championships return to New Jersey for the first time since 2016. November 5 -- Monument Circle at Hoosier Park: No changes on the schedule here, but coming just six days after the Breeders Crown, which takes place 700 miles away, some of the top horses may elect to sit out. November 11 -- Matron at Dover Downs: With the Breeders Crown on the east coast this race could be well-attended. November 24 -- Progress Pace at Dover Downs: Eliminations take place the prior Wednesday. 3-YEAR-OLD TROTTERS May 1 -- Dexter Cup at Freehold Raceway: Always the leadoff hitter in the division, the Dexter Cup comes as early as possible this year. We rarely see a Hambletonian winner in the race anymore, but perhaps a Yonkers Trot winner will be in the field. June 19 -- Goodtimes at Woodbine Mohawk Park: Back in June this year with eliminations the week before. Without the Beal following it on the calendar, could this race lure more Hambletonian contenders than in recent years? July 2 -- MGM Yonkers Trot at Yonkers Raceway: Like the Messenger this race gets a haircut from $500K to $300K and a date switch from the end of August. Coming before the Hambletonian this year, it seems possible that the top contenders could sit it out. July 17 -- Stanley Dancer at The Meadowlands: Without the Beal preceding it, and considering the Hambletonian will now have eliminations the week before, you can expect just about every Hambletonian contender to show up this year. August 7 -- Hambletonian at The Meadowlands: As stated above, this is no longer a two-heat event and eliminations will occur the previous week. It is the race EVERYONE wants to win! August 21 -- Earl Beal Jr Memorial at The Downs at Pocono: Like the Hempt, this race moves from early July and switches from eliminations to three divisions split by money earned. With a two-week gap between the Hambletonian and the Beal, expect attendance here to be huge. August 28 -- Zweig Memorial at Vernon Downs: The Hambletonian, Beal and Zweig all conflict with the Kentucky Sire Stakes, so it will be interesting to see which horses stay in open company and which go to Kentucky. This race goes as a top-dollar event and has a consolation. September 18 -- Canadian Trotting Classic at Woodbine Mohawk Park: Another top money-earners event that figures to draw all of the division leaders if COVID-19 travel restrictions allow. It is worth mentioning that it falls the day before the Kentucky Sire Stakes championships. October 10 -- Kentucky Futurity at The Red Mile: One of the major races on the calendar for top money-earners, we should see the elite in the division in attendance. October 30 -- Breeders Crown at The Meadowlands: Elimination take place the week prior. Winner earns a potential spot in the TVG final to take on older and have had success in the race. November 5 -- Carl Erskine at Hoosier Park: As stated with the Monument Circle, this race could be hurt a bit by the Breeders Crown being on the east coast, though it could also mean better opportunity for Midwesterners who skip the Crown in favor of a hometown stake. November 11 -- Matron at Dover Downs: Again, as mentioned with the pacing division, with the Breeders Crown on the east coast this race could be well-attended. There are some other notable changes on the schedule and we'll highlight them by track below: The Downs at Pocono James Lynch moves to late August and becomes a top money-earner three-division race. Ben Franklin for older pacers is replaced by the Delmonica Hanover for 3-year-old trotting fillies. Like the other stakes on the August 21 card, it will be a split division event for the top money-earners. Two $75,000 Invitationals, the Always B Miki Pace and Sebastian K Trot join the August 21 stakes card. The Meadowlands The Roll With Joe Open Pace, Artiscape Mare Pace, Crawford Farms Open Trot and Joie De Vie Mare Trot move to The Meadowlands on July 3 this year. Scioto Downs Charlie Hill for older trotters moves to May 6 and will be raced on a Thursday to highlight the start of the meet. $100,000 #SENDITIN Invitational Pace stays on the calendar for 2021 and lands on August 28. Yonkers Raceway The $1 million Yonkers International Trot and the accompanying $250,000 Invitationals, which were listed in 2020 but got canceled due to the pandemic, are not on the 2021 calendar. We are still three weeks away from the Blue Chip Matchmaker and Borgata Pacing series at Yonkers Raceway and well over two months from the "official" start to the stakes season in May, but it's never too early to start getting excited for Grand Circuit harness racing.