Plainridge: $3.2 million Massachusetts Breeder Stakes gets underway Monday

Plainridge Park is anxiously awaiting the return of the $3.2 million (est.) Massachusetts Breeder Stakes on Monday (Sept. 28). They will welcome what could be the most talented group of Massachusetts-bred trotters and pacers ever to line up behind the gate to compete over the speedy Ridge oval that has already produced an inordinate number of lifetime marks this season.

A total of 202 eligibles - 128 pacers and 74 trotters - may enter over the three weeks of eliminations to determine the final fields that will produce the 2026 champions on Thursday, October 29.

Horses from many prominent stables will be taking part and most have already started their seasons over the summer in preparation for this event.

Plainridge Park has hosted a series of $15,000 “Romper Room” races over the past several weeks that are designed to help educate 2-year-old Massachusetts-breds behind the gate and in actual competition over the track they will be competing. But many other 2 and 3-year-olds have already made their marks in stake action in other jurisdictions, thanks to the Massachusetts resident mare program that facilitates state-breds the ability to compete in multiple stake programs, bringing more value to the Standardbred breeding program in Massachusetts.

Here are just a few of the 2-year-olds that you may see competing in these stakes, that have already excelled elsewhere this season.

Travis Alexander’s pacing colt Bastonata Bluechip (American Courage-Ascending - 1:54 4/5, $235,187) won an early New York Sire Stake this year while hitting the board four more times in the series. But his big day came in the $300,000 NYSS finals at Yonkers Raceway where he won in a career-best time of 1:54 4/5 and became a New York champion. This colt is at the top of his early career and will be formidable in the upcoming series.

George Ducharme’s pacing filly Huntsvilles Honey (Huntsville-That’s Incredible - 1:55 2/5, $212,073) raced exclusively in the NYSS this year so far, winning two races and never missing a check in her other starts. But her biggest check came in the $300,000 NYSS final at Yonkers when she swooped the group late to be a runaway winner in a lifetime best of 1:55 2/5 and become the second Massachusetts-bred to excel as a champion in New York.

Ron Burke’s pacing colt Bacchus Blue Chip (American Ideal-Sunnynseventyfive - 1:51 4/5, $91,920) competed in five NYSS Excel series races this summer, winning three legs and finishing second in the other two. He then won the $100,000 final at Tioga Downs and set his career mark of 1:51 4/5 in the process of becoming an Excelsior series champion.

Then there is a host of 3-year-olds who are racing at an elite level this year, including some returning Massachusetts Breeder Stakes champions from last year.

Domenico Cecere’s trotting gelding Mother’s Moni (International Moni-Mother Theresa - 1:50 4/5, $211,877) won two legs of the MASS last year, but made a break in the final. This year, Mother’s Moni has already won three overnight events at Plainridge, but then went on to win the $50,000 Muscle Hill trot at The Meadowlands in 1:52 and the G3 $100,800 Simcoe Stakes at Woodbine Mohawk Park in 1:50 4/5. That winning time made Mother’s Moni the fastest 3-year-old trotting gelding ever bred in the state of Massachusetts. He comes into this series looking to avenge last year’s finals miscue.

Paul Kelley’s trotting gelding Geologic (Captain Corey-Crystalline - 1:52 1/5, $388,440), was the Massachusetts 2-year-old male trotting champion last year, and his 2026 campaign has started out even better for him so far. After finishing first and second in two legs of the Pennsylvania Sire Stakes, Geologic won the $300,000 final at Harrah’s Philly in a lifetime best 1:52 1/5. Geologic also has two wins in overnight action at Plainridge this year and definitely has a home track advantage.

Domenico Cecere’s trotting filly Lindy In My Dreams (Ready For Moni-Lindy Of My Dreams - 1:53 2/5, $231,700) was the 2-year-old filly MASS trotting champion last year. This year, she has been racing overnights at Plainridge against older horses where she took a lifetime mark of 1:53 4/5 in August. Her only stake start so far was a third-place finish in an Ohio Sire Stake race at Scioto Downs, but she will be looking to defend her title in the MASS series coming up.

George Ducharme’s trotting filly Cash Out Express (International Moni-Maliziosa Lindy - 1:54 1/5, $190,184) won two legs of the MASS last year before finishing second by a quarter length to Lindy In My Dreams, after cutting the mile. This year, she raced in the PASS and finished second in the $50,000 consolation at Harrah’s Philly. She also raced in the Zweig at Vernon Downs and Delmonica Hanover consolation at Pocono Downs, giving her a lot of stake experience coming into this series and taking another shot at the championship.

Deborah Daguet’s pacing filly Two Twenty Swift (Huntsville-Jag Out - 1:53 1/5, $298,651), was the MASS 2-year-old filly pacing champion and that came right after she won the $100,00 final of the NYSS Excelsior series at Saratoga Raceway in 2025. This year, she found success on the NYSS circuit again, making the $300,000 final at Yonkers where she finished sixth. She also competed in the $50,000 Park MGM at Yonkers where she finished second, and the $187,100 Empire Breeders Classic at Tioga Downs.

Tahnee Camilleri’s pacing filly Vainglorious (Bettor’s Delight-Bronskiemackenzie A - 1:51 3/5, $110,235) was a player in the MASS stakes last year, posting a win and two seconds, one of which was in the finals to Two Twenty Swift. This year the filly got off to a bit of a slow start but now seems to be peaking at the right time. She just won back-to-back starts at The Red Mile in the Wildcat Series while posting back-to-back lifetime marks of 1:52 1/5 and 1:51 3/5 in identical 27 1/5 final quarters. She looks like she’s ready to go at The Ridge next week.

These are only eight examples of the caliber of horse expected to enter the Massachusetts Breeder Stakes this year. The list of eligibles goes on and the talent pool is deep with horses ready to make their mark on the Commonwealth's harness racing scene.

Here is a complete schedule for the 2026 Massachusetts Breeder Stakes:

Monday, September 28, 2026 - 2-year-old First Leg

Tuesday, September 29, 2026 - 3-year-old First Leg

Monday, October 5, 2026 - 2-year-old Second Leg

Tuesday, October 6, 2026 - 3-year-old Second Leg

Monday, October 19, 2026 - 2-year-old Third Leg

Tuesday, October 20, 2026 - 3-year-old Third Leg

Thursday, October 29, 2026 - 2 and 3-year-old Finals

-edited release (Tim Bojarski for Standardbred Owners of Massachusetts)