Meadowlands: Plenty of stakes dates in the near future

Just because Hambletonian Day is in the rearview mirror doesn't mean there isn't plenty of stakes action to come during the current Fall Meeting at The Meadowlands.

When live racing resumes Friday (Oct. 16) at 7:15 p.m., the marquee event will be the $61,500 W.N. Reynolds Memorial for 2-year-old colts and geldings on the trot, featuring the Ake Svanstedt trained and driven Captain Corey, who is unbeaten in four lifetime outings.

The Kindergarten Classic - also for juveniles - is up next with its final two legs on Oct. 23 (Leg Three) and Oct. 30 (Leg Four) before the series climaxes with four big-money finals worth approximately $800,000 on Nov. 7.

Two weeks after that comes the third-biggest program - after the Hambo and Meadowlands Pace Night - on The Big M's yearly calendar, as eight big-time stakes events take place on Fall Final Four/TVG Finals Night on Nov. 21.

Two-year-olds will be in the spotlight as the Governor's Cup (colt pace), Three Diamonds (filly pace), Valley Victory (colt trot) and Goldsmith Maid (filly trot) make up the Fall Final Four, with total purses of about $1.8 million.

Year-end divisional honors - as well as Horse of the Year - could be determined by what happens in the four TVG Finals, which are the Mares Trot, Open Trot, Mares Pace and Open Pace, a fabulous four-pack which will see just over $1 million get doled out.

A year ago, Six Pack locked up older male trotter honors by gunning down Manchego - at the time, the best horse in training - in 1:50 in the Open Trot. Despite being beaten in a stretch-battle thriller by Caviart Ally, Shartin N - who finished a nose behind in 1:48 3/5 - went on to be selected as HOTY.

-edited release (Meadowlands)