Meadowlands: New $1 million Trot and filly companion race to debut in 2027

(The following is a press release by Dave Little for The Meadowlands. Additional DRF Harness reporting will be posted tonight.)

The rumors of harness racing’s demise at The Meadowlands are, apparently, sorely mistaken.

The New Meadowlands Racetrack, in conjunction with the Standardbred Breeders and Owners Association of New Jersey (SBOANJ), is pleased to announce a couple of new stakes races to its 2027 schedule to go along with purse increases to some of the other top events in the sport.

The biggest waves in the stakes waters are the ones that will be stirred up by the brand-new $1-million Meadowlands Trot, a 3-year-old open, and $500,000 Meadowlands Oaks Trot, for 3-year-old fillies.

The updated stakes program should ease any doubts that breeders or owners might have had about the future of the harness game in the State of New Jersey.

Since the news of the departure of the Hambletonian and other Hambletonian Society stakes events, New Meadowlands Racetrack, led by Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Jeff Gural, has put together what will be an enhanced Championship Meet for next year. The following is a list of new stakes – and also current events – that will be raced for significantly increased purses. These highly impactful new dashes and purse increases for the others total over $4 million and will be contested at the mile oval in East Rutherford, NJ, in the summer of 2027.

“We were disappointed when the Hambletonian relocated to Indiana,” said Gural. “So, we at The Meadowlands, along with the SBOANJ, decided to make the bold move of making sure our fan base has a huge day of racing to attend to see the best horses in the world compete on its biggest stage. That’s why we are proud to announce the creation of the Meadowlands Trot and Meadowlands Oaks Trot.” 

The new lineup:

Meadowlands Trot: $1 million – $50,000 eliminations on Saturday, July 24, and final on Saturday, July 31

Meadowlands Oaks Trot: $500,000 – $25,000 eliminations on Saturday, July 24, and final on Saturday, July 31

Stanley Dancer Memorial: $400,000 (est.) – $25,000 (est.) eliminations on Saturday, July 3, and final on Saturday, July 10, alongside the $800,000 (est.) Meadowlands Pace

Del Miller Memorial: $400,000 (est.) – $25,000 (est.) eliminations on Saturday, July 3, and final on Saturday, July 10, alongside the $800,000 (est.) Meadowlands Pace

Cane Pace: $500,000 (est.) – One dash for the cash on Saturday, July 31

Graduate Trot (open): $400,000 (est.) – legs TBA, final on July 10

Graduate Trot (mares): $200,000 (est.) – legs TBA, final on July 10

Graduate Pace (open): $400,000 (est.) – legs TBA, final on July 3

Graduate Pace (mares): $200,000 (est.) – legs TBA, final on July 3

New Jersey Classic Series finals (trot): $300,000 (est.) – eliminations and finals TBA

New Jersey Classic Series consolations (trot): $60,000 (est.) – TBA 

New payment structures have been implemented as well:

Meadowlands Trot: 3-year-old payment of $3,000 on February 15. Starting fee $10,000.

Meadowlands Oaks Trot: 3-year-old payment of $2,000 on February 15. Starting fee $5,000.

Graduate Trot (mares): February 15, $1,000; March 15, $2,000.

Graduate Pace (mares): February 15, $1,000; March 15, $2,000.

The payments for the Dancer, Miller and male Graduates remain the same despite the purses being significantly higher. For a 2-year-old to race at The Meadowlands, a $400 payment is required. If the horse was bought or sold from a sale or farm that is not a sponsor, they will have to give $600. All of the payments are going into the stakes purse account. Regardless, all payments are remaining the same except for the Trot and the Oaks. If anyone has a question, they can contact Gural.

To host these significant game-changing races, Gural is putting up $150,000 of his own money through Allerage Farms to sponsor the Meadowlands Trot and is seeking sixteen $25,000 sponsorships – $400,000 in total – for each of the eight races outside of the Meadowlands Trot. Additionally, any horse that wins the Dancer, Miller, Meadowlands Trot, Meadowlands Oaks Trot, Cane Pace or any of the Graduates, will receive a 20 percent bonus if they are a New Jersey-sired horse, of which 10 percent will be paid by Gural and Allerage Farms, while the other 10 percent will come from the purse account.

The Dancer and Miller are sure to be popular with horsemen, as winners of those events not only will cash in big, but also earn byes into the Meadowlands Trot and Meadowlands Oaks Trot.

“What we are putting together should help the breeders and purchasers of yearlings, as there will be significantly more money available without leaving New Jersey,” said Gural.