The Board of Trustees of the New Jersey Sire Stakes has announced that it will institute four new races for four-year-old trotters and pacers beginning in the spring of 2020.

The new races, called the New Jersey Breeders’ Maturity, will be open to all horses that were nominated as yearlings to either the New Jersey Sire Stakes Premier Division or the New Jersey Standardbred Development Fund.

It is expected that the races will be conducted at the Meadowlands Racetrack in late March or early April and will consist of a preliminary leg and a final. Preliminary legs will race for a purse of $12,500 or $15,000, depending upon the number of entries (the top ten point earners will advance to the finals).

All preliminary legs will be contested, regardless of the number of entries. Purses for the finals shall be tiered based upon the number of entries. If less than five horses enter, the purse for the final will be $30,000. If five to seven horses are entered, the purse will be $40,000. If more than seven enter, the purse will increase to $50,000.

To remain eligible, a nomination fee of $200 must be made for each horse by January 15, 2020. A $200 starting fee will be required to enter the preliminary leg. There will be no additional starting fees for horses that qualify for the finals.

(NJSS)