The New Meadowlands Racetrack, in conjunction with the Standardbred Breeders and Owners Association of New Jersey (SBOANJ), announced on Thursday, Sept. 17 the addition of new trotting stakes races to its 2027 schedule to go along with purse increases to some of the other top events in the sport.

The biggest waves in the stakes waters are the ones that will be stirred up by the brand-new $1 million USD Meadowlands Trot, a three-year-old open, and $500,000 USD Meadowlands Oaks Trot, for three-year-old fillies.

Since the news of the departure of the Hambletonian and other Hambletonian Society stakes events, New Meadowlands Racetrack, led by Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Jeff Gural, has put together what will be an enhanced Championship Meet for next year. The following is a list of new stakes – and also current events – that will be raced for significantly increased purses. These impactful new dashes and purse increases for the others total more than $4 million USD and will be contested at the mile oval in East Rutherford, New Jersey in the summer of 2027.

“We were disappointed when the Hambletonian relocated to Indiana,” said Gural. “So, we at The Meadowlands, along with the SBOANJ, decided to make the bold move of making sure our fan base has a huge day of racing to attend to see the best horses in the world compete on its biggest stage. That’s why we are proud to announce the creation of the Meadowlands Trot and Meadowlands Oaks Trot.”

The new stakes lineup is listed below.

• Meadowlands Trot: $1 million USD – $50,000 USD eliminations on Saturday, July 24, final on Saturday, July 31
• Meadowlands Oaks Trot: $500,000 USD – $25,000 USD eliminations on Saturday, July 24, final on Saturday, July 31
• Stanley Dancer Memorial: $400,000 USD (est.) – $25,000 USD (est.) eliminations on Saturday, July 3, final on Saturday, July 10, alongside the $800,000 USD (est.) Meadowlands Pace
• Del Miller Memorial: $400,000 USD (est.) – $25,000 USD (est.) eliminations on Saturday, July 3, final on Saturday, July 10, alongside the $800,000 USD (est.) Meadowlands Pace
• Cane Pace: $500,000 USD (est.) – One dash for the cash on Saturday, July 31
• Graduate Trot (open): $400,000 USD (est.) – legs TBA, final on July 10
• Graduate Trot (mares): $200,000 USD (est.) – legs TBA, final on July 10
• Graduate Pace (open): $400,000 USD (est.) – legs TBA, final on July 3
• Graduate Pace (mares): $200,000 USD (est.) – legs TBA, final on July 3
• New Jersey Classic Series finals (trot): $300,000 USD (est.) – eliminations and finals TBA
• New Jersey Classic Series consolations (trot): $60,000 USD (est.) – TBA

New stakes payment structures have been implemented for the events as well and are listed below.

• Meadowlands Trot: A three-year-old payment of $3,000 USD is due on February 15. The starting fee is $10,000 USD.
• Meadowlands Oaks Trot: A three-year-old payment of $2,000 USD is due on February 15. The starting fee is $5,000 USD.
• Graduate Trot (mares): Payments of $1,000 USD due on February 15 and $2,000 USD on March 15
• Graduate Pace (mares): Payments of $1,000 USD due on February 15 and $2,000 USD on March 15.

The payments for the Dancer, Miller and male Graduates remain the same despite the purses being significantly higher. For a two-year-old to race at The Meadowlands, a $400 USD payment is required. If the horse was bought or sold from a sale or farm that is not a sponsor, they will have to pay $600 USD. All of the payments are going into the stakes purse account. Regardless, all payments are remaining the same except for the Meadowlands Trot and the Meadowlands Oaks Trot. Contact Gural with any questions.

To host these significant game-changing races, Gural is putting up $150,000 USD of his own money through Allerage Farms to sponsor the Meadowlands Trot and is seeking sixteen $25,000 USD sponsorships – $400,000 USD in total – for each of the eight races outside of the Meadowlands Trot. Additionally, any horse that wins the Dancer, Miller, Meadowlands Trot, Meadowlands Oaks Trot, Cane Pace or any of the Graduates, will receive a 20 per cent bonus if they are a New Jersey-sired horse, of which 10 per cent will be paid by Gural and Allerage Farms, while the other 10 per cent will come from the purse account.

The winners of the Dancer and Miller will earn byes into the Meadowlands Trot and Meadowlands Oaks Trot.

“What we are putting together should help the breeders and purchasers of yearlings, as there will be significantly more money available without leaving New Jersey,” said Gural.

(With files from Meadowlands Racetrack)