The Standardbred Breeders and Owners Association of New Jersey (SBOANJ) would like to clarify its involvement with the New Jersey Classic and Miss New Jersey stakes races, which the Meadowlands Racetrack previously announced as being cancelled for 2017.

At one time, purses for the New Jersey Classic and Miss New Jersey were supported in part by the New Jersey Sires Stakes (NJSS). In a Nov. 20, 2009 letter to the SBOANJ, the NJSS advised that it was withdrawing its guaranteed support of the races. In 2009, the NJSS contributed $50,000 to the Classic and Miss New Jersey, but between 2010 and 2015 no payments were made to the races.

The SBOANJ has been collecting nominating and sustaining payments for both the New Jersey Classic and Miss New Jersey to be put in the purses of the races. The SBOANJ has not contributed funding to the purses of the races.

“The New Jersey Classic and Miss New Jersey were raced with short fields in 2016, with just five in the Classic and only four in the Miss New Jersey, which prompted the filly stake to be raced as a non-betting event. It appears that there would be fewer entries for this year’s editions,” said SBOANJ president Mark Ford.

(SBOANJ)