When the FanDuel Championships (formerly known as the TVG) were founded in 2013, Jeff Gural's vision was a year-end race that would provide a stage for the top three-year-olds to end their season by facing the best older horses, much as the Breeders' Cup has done.
The entries have been taken for the 2023 races and that vision has become reality.
As anticipated, Confederate (pictured above), whose season has seen him win nearly every major sophomore stakes while becoming the fastest three-year-old pacer in history, will face division leaders Bythemissal and Tattoo Artist among the 10-horse, $350,000 (estimated) Open Pace, quite possibly the "Race of the Year."
Confederate has drawn post nine for driver Tim Tetrick and trainer Brett Pelling and owner Diamond Creek Racing. Bythemissal (PP3, Yannick Gingras) and Tattoo Artist (PP4, Louis-Philippe Roy) drew more favourably. Confederate and Tattoo Artist will be racing for the final time on Saturday, with the Open Race carded as Race 11.
Tactical Approach dominated this year's class of sophomore trotters with the Hambletonian and Kentucky Futurity among his 10 wins on the season and will take on a talented field of six veterans led by Its Academic, Alrajah One IT and Southwind Tyrion (Breeders Crown Open Trot winner by invitation) in the $350,000 (est.) Open Trot.
Scott Zeron has drawn post 10 his fair share of times this season with Tactical Approach, but for Saturday's test the Nancy Takter trainee has the inside starting spot. Alrajah One (PP3, Dexter Dunn), Its Academic (PP4, David Miller) and Southwind Tyrion (PP5, Ake Svanstedt) occupy the middle of the gate in the evening's 10th race.
Twin B Joe Fresh has accepted an invitation to face her older rivals, led by Breeders Crown winner Max Contract, in an abbreviated five-mare field for the $175,000 (est.) Open Mare Pace.
These two mares will line up side-by-side in Saturday's fourth race with Twin B Joe Fresh (PP2, Dunn) to the inside of her older rival Max Contract (PP3, Andy Miller).
Bond will use her Breeders Crown golden ticket to gain entry into the $175,000 Mare Open Trot division where she'll go against the likes of Jiggy Jog S and M Ms Dream in a five-mare race.
Leaving from post two in the sixth race, Bond (Ake Svanstedt) will look to topple her accomplished stablemate and current divisional leader Jiggy Jog S (PP4, Dunn) with M Ms Dream (PP1, D. Miller) looming the danger to her inside.
The $1 million FanDuel Championships will go on a stakes-laden Saturday, Nov. 25 card with total purses of more than $2.5 million that includes the freshman Fall Four stakes finals.
Full entries for Saturday are available on The Meadowlands' website.
(The Meadowlands)