The Meadowlands has processed the voluminous number of horses nominated to the track's 2022 stakes program and that information is now available.
The Championship Meet kicks off on Friday, May 6 with the first leg of the Miss Versatility followed by the first leg of the Graduate Series for horses & geldings on Saturday, May 7.
The signature $700,000e Meadowlands Pace has drawn 42 eligible horses, counting among them Dan Patch Award-winning freshman Monte Miki while its companion filly stakes, the Mistletoe Shalee, features his female counterpart Niki Hill. The "Biggest Party In Harness Racing" is scheduled for Saturday, July 16.
On the topic of new stakes, the Graduate Series has added a mare division for 2022 and it drew an encouraging number of nominations. Twenty-six pacing mares led by 2021 Dan Patch Horse of the Year Test Of Faith. Among the 18 trotting mares nominated is last year's top filly Bella Bellini.
The state-bred $2 million New Jersey Classic Series for three-year-old trotters and freshmen of both gaits filled nicely toward estimates and include New Jersey's finest.
The lists of horses nominated to the 2022 stakes by the February 15 payments are posted on the track's website.
Sustaining payments come due (postmarked by) March 15.
(With files from the Meadowlands)
Canadian Horses Meadowlands Stakes Nominations
For my friends north of the border:
Bulldog Hanover was nominated to The Graduate, The Roll With Joe, The Haughton, The McKee, and The TVG
Woodmere Stealdeal was nominated to The Graduate, but not The Roll With Joe, The Haughton, The McKee, or The TVG. He was also nominated to The Borgata, which starts next week, at Yonkers, and
So Much More was nominated to The Lady Liberty, but not The Perfect Sting or The TVG