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East Rutherford, NJ – The Meadowlands is pleased to announce that the 2025 harness racing stakes season will offer over $18 million in purses to the connections of competing horses in both Grand Circuit and New Jersey restricted stakes from late April through November.
At the top of the list are the track’s signature Meadowlands Pace, the focal point of a night with over $2.5 million in total stakes purses scheduled Saturday, July 12th and the 100th edition of America’s Trotting Classic, the $1 million Hambletonian final and its nearly $2 million worth of supporting stakes on Saturday, August 2nd.
The time honored trotting stake Dexter Cup has been added to The Meadowlands Grand Circuit stakes roster and will be contested in a new format, dropping the eliminations and being split into divisions if necessary. The Dexter, along with its filly counterpart Lady Suffolk will kick off the sophomore trotting season on Saturday, May 3.
The Arthur Cutler Memorial Free For All Trot will retain its customary position kicking off the Grand Circuit stakes season for older horses on Saturday, May 17.
The “Championship Meet” hits full stride on Saturday, June 28 when the Dave Brower Memorial, Perfect Sting, Crawford Farms and Six Pack stakes for older horses set the table for six great weeks of Grand Circuit racing.
The Graduate Series for four-year-old pacers and trotters returns with the first $75,000 USD leg at Woodbine Mohawk Park on Saturday, May 31 followed by two June legs at The Meadowlands leading into the $250,000 finals on Pace elimination night, July 5.
The Hambletonian Maturity offers 4-year-old trotters a chance to race for over $400,000 on that same evening.
Older trotting mares will have five $40,000 Miss Versatility leg starts leading into the $100,000 final on Jug Day in Delaware, Ohio.
The Kindergarten series for freshmen has been reworked for 2025. The founding purpose of the Kindergarten was to provide races for developing 2 year-olds, but over time the purse for the finals had become so rich as to attract the top stakes winning freshmen, defeating the intended purpose. This season, the Kindergarten finals will be raced for a purse of $125,000 guaranteed, no more, no less. The purse for each of the five legs will increase to $25,000.
The curtain falls on Grand Circuit stakes season when the $1MM FanDuel Championships will again be paired with the $1.6 million Freshman Fall Fall Four on a blockbuster Nov. 15 program.
The NJSS season begins on May 3 with the three-year-old pacers, (sophomore trotters will start two weeks later this season) competing in two $30,000 legs with $240,000 finals. Beginning in mid-July, the NJSS two-year-olds have three legs with the purses set at $25,000 and $240,000 for those finals.
The NJ Standardbred Development Fund races, formerly raced at Freehold, have been integrated into the schedule throughout the season, insuring no loss of racing opportunities to those horses.
The New Jersey Classic Series for two and three year-olds is back with the same format of eliminations and finals with consolations. Trotting finals are at $250,000 with the pacers at $150,000.
The purse for WR Haughton FFA Pace has been reduced to match the McKee Memorial at $275,000 and the payments have dropped to the same level as the McKee for the 2025 season.
The Meadowlands recognizes and appreciates the contribution of its stakes sponsors, who help to make this ambitious undertaking possible and welcomes the support of any and all who may desire information on becoming a Meadowlands stakes sponsor.
Stakes payments begin on Feb. 15 and all pertinent information is available on The Meadowlands website. Questions should be directed to (607) 972-5500.
From The Meadowlands
