After a banner year of American National Stakes that attracted the sport’s top pacers and trotters in 2012, Balmoral Park is looking forward to another stellar season as February nominations for the prestigious stakes are up in total and once again read like a who’s who of standardbred royalty.

Nominations for the aged pace are up four in total to 47 and feature the likes of such millionaires and World Record holders Golden Receiver, Foiled Again, Sweet Lou, Betterthancheddar and Little Brown Jug winner Michaels Power.

The aged trot nominations are up by five and now total 53 of the sport's elite diagonally-gaited specialists. Heading up the list is last year’s three-year-old champion Market Share, who is coming off a $2 million (U.S.) season. Other nominees include such stars as Arch Madness, Uncle Peter and Wishing Stone while the “ladies” are represented by standouts like Check Me Out and Maven.

On the three-year-old side of the docket, the sophomore pacing colt nominations are up three to a total of 70. While it’s still quite a ways off, this promises to be a marquee match-up with such two-year-old stars as Captaintreacherous, Odds On Equuleus and Breeders Crown winner Rockin Amadeus all among those nominated to this event.

The other three-year-old divisions are all even in terms of the number of early nominations received. Among those nominated in the three-year-old filly pace are I Luv The Nitelife and L Dees Lioness. In the three-year-old colt trotting division, freshman standouts like Royalty For Life and Major Athens have been nominated while the sophomore filly trot has attracted Handover Belle and local sensation Trot Fudge Sundae.

The three-year-old divisions all have a sustaining payment of $1,500 due on March 15. The aged horses have a sustaining payment of $2,000 due on April 15. Nominations for all the two-year-old divisions are due March 15 as well.

For a complete list of all Balmoral Park stake nominations including American National’s, Hanover Stakes and Super Night stakes, visit balmoralpark.com.

(Balmoral Park)