Officials with the Meadowlands Racetrack have announced that one of its popular invitational races will return to the track’s Hambletonian Day program this year.

The Meadowlands has announced the return of the Vincennes Invitational Trot on Hambletonian Day (Saturday, August 4).

The Vincennes played an important role for many years as a complement to harness racing's biggest day, as it provided a race for top older trotters that were not eligible to the marquee John Cashman Memorial. It also pays homage to the ‘Big M’s pari-mutuel partners, the French PMU, a betting union controlled by France that takes wagers on the Hambo program.

Over the years a number of horses have used the Vincennes as a springboard to bigger and better things. Verlin Yoder's Natural Herbie came to the race in 2014 as a regional sensation from Indiana to gain national respect and win the International Preview later that season.

The purse for the 2018 Vincennes will be $30,000.

Interested parties should contact Meadowlands Director of Racing Peter J. Koch at 201-842-5130.

(Meadowlands Racetrack)