The Meadowlands Racetrack has announced that nominations to its two-year-old stakes events are up, that it will be resuming live Thursday racing later this month, and that it has moved the date of one of its major stakes events to attract top drivers.

Nominations Up For Freshmen Stakes At Meadowlands

Lower fees help boost nominations to Meadowlands Racetrack’s summer stakes events for two-year-old horses by over 35 per cent in 2012.

Nomination fees were reduced by 20 per cent, resulting in significant increases in horses eligible to the track’s marquee events for freshmen, including the Peter Haughton for trotting colts (84 vs. 61), the Merrie Annabelle for filly trotters (80 vs. 51) and the Woodrow Wilson for pacing colts (60 vs. 38 in 2011).

Nominations also increased to the Golden Girls (25 vs. 18) and Lady Liberty (23 vs. 15) for older mare pacers and the Titan Cup for older trotters (22 vs. 18).

The $201,700 final of the Titan Cup will be raced on Friday, June 29. The $375,000 Peter Haughton and $350,000 Merrie Annabelle, $290,000 Woodrow Wilson and $225,000 Lady Liberty finals are slated for Hambletonian Day, Saturday, August 4. The $200,000 Golden Girls is scheduled for the summer season finale on Friday, August 17 (final purse amounts are estimates).

Meadowlands Moves Titan Cup Final To June 29

In the interest of having the sport’s leading drivers available, and with the consent of all the connections involved in the race, the Meadowlands has moved the $201,700 Titan Cup final to Friday, June 29.

The race was previously scheduled for Saturday, June 30.

Thursday Racing Returns To Meadowlands; Entry Box Closes Saturday

The Meadowlands will resume racing Thursday nights on June 28.

The entry box for Thursday will close at 4:00 p.m. Saturday, June 23. A condition sheet will be available on meadowlandsracetrack.com later today.

(Meadowlands)