With the promise of another exciting summer stakes season looming, The Meadowlands reminds horsepersons that nomination payments for its 2022 stakes have a closing date of February 15.

All information pertinent to this process may be found on the Meadowlands website.

Brand new for 2022 is the New Jersey Classic Series for New Jersey Sired freshmen and sophomores. Meadowlands is excited to add a mare division to the Graduate Series, hoping to give the gals the same transitional opportunity into open competition that the series has provided to horses in the past. It is also important to note that the Freshman Fall Final Four will revert back to an elimination and final format in 2022.

There are several "housekeeping" details to note so far for the 2022 stakes and some changes of note within the conditions.

Previously announced was the "Win & You're In" to the Breeders Crown bonus for the Peter Haughton and Jim Doherty two-year-old trotting stakes. This clause offers a lucrative incentive provided by the Breeders Crown for those competing in these top freshman trotting stakes.

Also previously released is the adoption of a new draw formula for the finals of stakes that require eliminations races. By rewarding more than only the winner of the elimination race with the chance to draw a preferred post, the goal is to encourage more competitive racing in the elimination races. This new clause will be restricted to Meadowlands administered stakes.

The TVG FFA Championship now includes a clause that reads "Mare Buy Up," which states that: If, after all of the above conditions are exhausted there remain unfilled positions, mares that are eligible to the TVG Mare divisions may buy into and race in the TVG Open. To gain eligibility, the difference in payments between the Mare and Open divisions must be paid along with the Open declaration fee.

The Meadowlands and the Hambletonian Society have partnered to provide tiered entry fee discounts (as below) contingent upon nomination to other Meadowlands two-year-old stakes to encourage participation in the first freshman Grand Circuit stake of the season, the June 17 Tompkins-Geers stakes:

• The entrance fee is $500.
• If a two-year-old has made all payments to the Fall Final Four and Kindergarten Series, the entrance fee will be waived. 
• If a two-year-old has made all payments to the Fall Final Four only, the entrance fill will be discounted 50 per cent to $250. 
• If a two-year-old has made all payments to the Kindergarten Series only, the entrance fee will be discounted 25 per cent to $375.

Those staking are reminded of the Stallion Restriction Condition (SRC), which applies to all Meadowlands administered stakes and Hambletonian Society stakes raced at The Meadowlands that include the SRC within their conditions. The list of stallions and affected stakes is available here.

The Meadowlands cautions those owners and trainers considering nominating horses to its stakes that any/all horses nominated by those persons determined by the FBI to have purchased performance enhancing drugs from the labs of Dr. Seth Fishman or Louis Grasso will not be eligible to compete in the stakes and all payments made will be forfeited.

All Meadowlands stakes conditions will be available on the USTA website.

(With files from The Meadowlands)