The $3 million USD (est.) Massachusetts Breeders Stakes will begin its 2024 season at Plainridge Park on Monday, Sept. 23. The series features three preliminary legs for first and second year trotters and pacers who were foaled in the state with each leg valued at $75,000 USD. The series will culminate on Thursday, Oct. 24 when eight $150,000 USD (est.) finals will be contested.

There are 177 eligible horses this year — 107 two-year-olds and 70 three-year-olds -- and representatives from that group have already won 124 races this year that include both overnights and stakes in other jurisdictions including New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Kentucky and Maine.

On Monday’s card, 34 three-year-olds will compete in five races for a total of $305,000 USD including some of last year’s two-year-old champions, in particular Keep Asking (pictured above) and Every Mans Dream.

Trotting colt Keep Asking (Chapter Seven-Sensibility) swept the Massachusetts Breeders Stakes last year after having a great run in the New York Sire Stakes (NYSS) as well, and is attempting to do the same thing this year. Keep Asking was again a multi-leg winner in the NYSS in 2024 and finished fifth in that final. He comes into the Breeders Stakes with $247,018 already on his card and will look to add to it over the course of the next month.

Pacing filly Every Mans Dream (Always B Miki-Lindys Nightmare) was a seven-time winner at two, having won multiple stakes in Kentucky before winning three of four legs and the final in Massachusetts. This year, she has been racing successfully in Kentucky, especially recently were she registered four straight board hits behind narrow margins of victory. However her first win didn’t come until her last start. A lifetime best, 1:50.2 romp in the $67,568 final of the Kentucky Goldenrod Series. She is the one to beat in her division.

There will be 37 two-year-olds in seven races on Tuesday for a total purse of $315,000 USD. Many of the starters have only a handful of lifetime starts, but there are four two-year-old male pacers who have already become quite accomplished this year.

McCusker (Cattlewash-Robocall Hanover) just won the $328,767 New Jersey Sire Stakes final at The Meadowlands on Aug. 22 in a lifetime-best clocking of 1:51.3 and his $185,269 in earnings this year is the highest among all of his peers entered this week.

Silent Weapon (Huntsville-D D Delightful) made five starts in the NYSS finishing with a win, two seconds and two cheques which put him in the final. Unfortunately, he was scratched from that race, so this will be his first start back in action.

Digging For Gold (Huntsville-Gold Orchid N) was a perfect four-for-four in the NYSS Excelsior Series before finishing second in that final. He took his lifetime mark of 1:52.4 over the five-eighths oval at Tioga Downs and is poised to make some noise at Plainridge in week one.

Jon I Love Dat (Downbytheseaside-Franney Love Dat) won a leg of the Buckeye Stallion Series at Northfield Park in July, but he made a trip to Plainridge last week to acquaint himself with the track. That trip ended up in a lifetime mark while setting a new track record of 1:52.1 for two-year-old pacing colts. It appears he’s ready for action.

Here is a complete schedule for this year’s Massachusetts Sire Stakes. First post time for all race days is 2 p.m. Any non-betting races will be held prior to the first pari-mutuel race.

• Monday, Sept. 23 - three-year-old first leg
• Tuesday, Sept. 24 - two-year-old first leg
• Monday, Sept. 30 - three-year-old second leg
• Tuesday, Oct. 1 - two-year-old second leg
• Monday, Oct. 14 - two-year-old third leg
• Tuesday, Oct. 15 - three-year-old third leg
• Thursday, Oct. 24 - two and three-year-old finals

(Standardbred Owners of Massachusetts)