The Prince Edward Island Harness Racing Industry Association (PEIHRIA) would like to notify industry participants of changes to conditions for PEIHRIA-administered stakes.

These changes will take effect in 2024 for foals of 2021 and 2022 that will race as two and three-year-olds in 2024. These changes were made so that all PEIHRIA-administered stakes would have the same due date for two-year-old payments to simplify payments for participants. Changes were also made to those stakes with thresholds for Gold and Grassroots events for them to be more in line with the current purse structure of both stakes and overnight events.

Below is a list by stakes of the changes. These changes can also be found in the conditions for each stakes in the Online Stakes Guide posted on Standardbred Canada under condition changes.

Brian Andrew Memorial Stakes: For foals of 2022 that sold at the 2023 Atlantic Classic Sale, nomination payments will increase from $100 to $200. The due date for nomination payments will move from April 15, 2024 to March 15, 2024, to align with other two-year-old stakes payments.

Joe O'Brien Stakes: The thresholds for the Joe O’Brien Stakes for pacing colts have been changed to the following: Events will be raced in Gold and Grassroots formats. If, at the time of declaration, the entry has earned less than $10,000 lifetime for two-year-olds and less than $20,000 lifetime for three-year-olds the entry may, at the owners’ discretion, compete in a Grassroots division. All other entries will compete in a Gold division.

Lady Slipper Stakes: The thresholds for the Lady Slipper Stakes for pacing fillies have been changed to the following: Events will be raced in Gold and Grassroots formats in the pacing divisions. If, at the time of declaration, the entry has earned less than $10,000 lifetime for two-year-olds and less than $20,000 lifetime for three-year-olds the entry may, at the owners’ discretion, compete in a Grassroots division. All other entries will compete in a Gold division.

PEI Colt Stakes: The thresholds for the two- and three-year-old pacing events have been changed to the following: For any event held before Aug. 15, two-year-old pacers with $5,000 or less in lifetime earnings at the time of declaration will be eligible to race in a Grassroots division and three-year-olds with $15,000 or less in lifetime earnings at the time of declaration will be eligible to race in a Grassroots division. For any event held after Aug. 15, two-year-old pacers with $10,000 or less in lifetime earnings at the time of declaration will be eligible to race in a Grassroots division, and three-year-old pacers with $20,000 or less in lifetime earnings at the time of declaration will be eligible to race in a Grassroots division. Owners of horses fitting the preceding conditions will have the ability to choose between entry in a Grassroots or Gold division at the time of entry. All other horses with earnings exceeding the above thresholds must compete in the Gold division. Trotting events will separate filly and colt divisions of the same age group if there is a minimum of three horses of the same sex in each division. Trotting events are not separated into Gold and Grassroots formats.

(PEIHRIA)