The Meadowlands announced on Saturday, Jan. 4 that its 2025 stakes season will offer more than $18 million USD in purses to the connections of competing horses in both Grand Circuit and New Jersey restricted stakes from late April through November.
At the top of the list are the track’s signature Meadowlands Pace, the focal point of a night with more than $2.5 million USD in total stakes purses scheduled for Saturday, July 12 and the 100th edition of America's Trotting Classic, the $1 million USD Hambletonian final and its nearly $2 million USD worth of supporting stakes on Saturday, Aug. 2.
The time honoured trotting stakes, the Dexter Cup, has been added to The Meadowlands' Grand Circuit stakes roster and will be contested in a new format, dropping the eliminations and being split into divisions if necessary. The Dexter Cup, along with its filly counterpart, the Lady Suffolk, will kick off the sophomore trotting season on Saturday, May 3.
The Arthur J. Cutler Memorial Free-For-All Trot will retain its customary position kicking off the Grand Circuit stakes season for older horses on Saturday, May 17.
The “Championship Meet” hits full stride on Saturday, June 28 when the Dave Brower Memorial, Perfect Sting, Crawford Farms and Six Pack stakes for older horses set the table for six great weeks of Grand Circuit racing.
The Graduate Series for four-year-old pacers and trotters returns with the first $75,000 USD leg at Woodbine Mohawk Park on Saturday, May 31 followed by two June legs at The Meadowlands leading into the $250,000 finals on Pace elimination night, July 5.
The Hambletonian Maturity offers four-year-old trotters a chance to race for more than $400,000 USD on Pace night, July 12
Older trotting mares will have five $40,000 USD Miss Versatility leg starts leading into the $100,000 USD final on Jug Day in Delaware, Ohio.
The Kindergarten Series for freshmen has been re-worked for 2025. The founding purpose of the Kindergarten was to provide races for developing two-year-olds, but over time the purse for the finals had become so rich as to attract the top stakes-winning freshmen, defeating the intended purpose. This season, the Kindergarten finals will be raced for a purse of $125,000 USD guaranteed, no more, no less. The purse for each of the five legs will increase to $25,000 USD.
The curtain falls on Grand Circuit stakes season when the $1 million USD FanDuel Championships will again be paired with the $1.6 million USD freshman Fall Four stakes on a blockbuster Nov. 15 program.
The New Jersey Sire Stakes (NJSS) season begins on May 3 with the three-year-old pacers (sophomore trotters will start two weeks later this season) competing in two $30,000 USD legs with $240,000 USD finals. Beginning in mid-July, the NJSS two-year-olds have three legs with the purses set at $25,000 USD and $240,000 USD for those finals.
The New Jersey Standardbred Development Fund races, formerly raced at Freehold Raceway, have been integrated into the schedule throughout the season, insuring no loss of racing opportunities to those horses.
The New Jersey Classic Series for two and three year-olds is back with the same format of eliminations and finals with consolations. Trotting finals are at $250,000 USD with the pacers at $150,000 USD.
The purse for the William R. Haughton Memorial for Free-For-All pacers has been reduced to match the Sam McKee Memorial at $275,000 USD and the payments have dropped to the same level as the McKee for the 2025 season.
The Meadowlands recognizes and appreciates the contribution of its stakes sponsors, who help to make this ambitious undertaking possible, and welcomes the support of any and all who may desire information on becoming a Meadowlands stakes sponsor.
Stakes payments begin on Feb. 15 and all pertinent information is available on The Meadowlands website at playmeadowlands.com. Questions should be directed to 607-972-5500.
All purses are estimates unless otherwise stated and all dates are subject to New Jersey Racing Commission approval.
(Meadowlands Racetrack; Photo of 2024 Meadowlands Pace winner Legendary Hanover)