$1-million Meadowlands Trot coming in the summer of 2027

by Dave Little / Meadowlands media relations

The rumors of harness racing’s demise at The Meadowlands are, apparently, greatly exaggerated.

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/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 FOR 2027:

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

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

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

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

• Cane Pace: $500,000 (est.) — One dash for the cash on 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 Feb. 15. Starting fee $10,000.

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

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

• Graduate Pace (mares): Feb. 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 per cent bonus if they are a New Jersey-sired horse, of which 10 per cent will be paid by Gural and Allerage Farms, while the other 10 per cent 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.