Plainridge Park is anxiously awaiting the return of the $3.2 million USD (est.) Massachusetts Breeders Stakes on Monday, Sept. 28, to welcome what could be the most talented group of Massachusetts-bred trotters and pacers ever to line up behind the gate to compete over the speedy Ridge oval, that has already produced an inordinate number of lifetime marks this season.
A total of 202 eligibles -- 128 pacers and 74 trotters -- may enter over the three weeks of eliminations, to determine the final fields that will produce the 2026 champions on Thursday, Oct. 29.
Horses from many prominent stables will be taking part and most have already started their seasons over the summer in preparation for this event.
Plainridge Park has hosted a series of $15,000 USD “Romper Room” races over the past several weeks that are designed to help educate two-year-old Massachusetts-breds behind the gate and in actual competition over the track they will be competing. Many other two and three-year-olds have already made their marks in stakes action in other jurisdictions, thanks to the Massachusetts resident mare program that facilitates state-breds the ability to compete in multiple stake programs, bringing more value to the Standardbred breeding program in Massachusetts.
The following two-year-olds are a few that fans may see competing in these stakes and that have already excelled elsewhere this season.
Trainer Travis Alexander’s pacing colt Bastonata Bluechip (American Courage-Ascending) won an early New York Sire Stakes this year while hitting the board four more times in the series. But his big day came in the NYSS final at Yonkers Raceway where he won in a career-best time of 1:54.4 to push his earnings to $328,151.
The George Ducharme-trained pacing filly Huntsvilles Honey (Huntsville-Thats Incredible) has raced exclusively in the NYSS this year so far, winning three races and never missing a cheque in her other starts for $295,119 in earnings. Her biggest payday was in the NYSS final at Yonkers when she swooped the group late to be a runaway winner in a lifetime best of 1:55.2.
The Ron Burke-trained pacing colt Bacchus Blue Chip (American Ideal-Sunnynseventyfive) competed in five NYSS Excelsior Series races over the summer, winning three legs and finishing second in the other two. He then won the six-figure final at Tioga Downs and set his career mark of 1:51.4 in the process, pushing his bankroll to $129,172.
There is also a host of three-year-olds who are racing at an elite level this year, including some returning Massachusetts Breeder Stakes champions from last year.
The Domenico Cecere-trained trotting gelding Mothers Moni (International Moni-Mother Theresa) won two legs of the Massachusetts stakes last year, but made a break in the final. This year, Mothers Moni has already won three overnight events at Plainridge then went on to win the Muscle Hill Trot at The Meadowlands in 1:52 and the Grade 3 Simcoe Stakes at Woodbine Mohawk Park in a career-best 1:50.4. That winning time made Mothers Moni the fastest three-year-old trotting gelding ever foaled in the state of Massachusetts. The career winner of $295,365 comes into this series looking to avenge last year’s championship miscue.
Trainer Paul Kelley’s trotting gelding Geologic (Captain Corey-Crystalline) was the Massachusetts two-year-old male trotting champion last year and his 2026 campaign has started out even better for him so far. After finishing first and second in two legs of the Pennsylvania Sire Stakes, Geologic won the final at Harrah’s Philadelphia in a lifetime best 1:52.1. Geologic also has two wins in overnight action at Plainridge this year and boasts career earnings of $541,774.
Another Domenico Cecere trainee, trotting filly Lindy In My Dreams (Ready For Moni-Lindy Of My Dreams) was the two-year-old filly Massachusetts trotting champion last year. This year, she has been racing overnights at Plainridge against older horses where she took a season's mark of 1:53.4 in August. Her only sophomore stakes start so far was a third-place finish in an Ohio Sire Stakes at Scioto Downs, but she will be looking to defend her title in the Massachusetts series coming up and add to her $323,660 bankroll.
Trainer George Ducharme’s trotting filly Cash Out Express (International Moni-Maliziosa Lindy) won two legs of the Massachusetts stakes last year, including a career-best 1:54.1 effort, before finishing second by a quarter-length to Lindy In My Dreams after cutting the mile. This year, she has raced in the Pennsylvania Sire Stakes and finished second in the consolation at Harrah’s Philadelphia. A career winner of $265,295, also raced in the Zweig at Vernon Downs and Delmonica Hanover consolation at Pocono Downs, giving her a lot of stakes experience coming into this series and taking another shot at the championship.
The Deborah Daguet-trained pacing filly Two Twenty Swift (Huntsville-Jag Out), was the Massachusetts two-year-old filly pacing champion after she won the final of the New York Excelsior Series at Saratoga Raceway in 2025. This year, she has found success on the New York circuit again, making the Sire Stakes final at Yonkers where she finished sixth. The career winner of $416,902 also competed in the Park MGM at Yonkers where she finished second and the Empire Breeders Classic at Tioga Downs.
Trainer Tahnee Camilleri's pacing filly Vainglorious (Bettors Delight-Bronskiemackenzie A), was a player in the Massachusetts stakes last year, posting a win and two seconds, one of which was in the final behind Two Twenty Swift. This year, the filly got off to a bit of a slow start, but now seems to be peaking at the right time. The career winner of $154,022 just won back-to-back starts at The Red Mile in the Wildcat Series while posting back-to-back lifetime marks of 1:52.1 and 1:51.3, with identical :27.3 final quarters.
The list of eligibles goes on and the talent pool is deep with horses ready to make their mark on the Commonwealth's harness racing scene.
Here is a complete schedule for the 2026 Massachusetts Breeders Stakes:
- Monday, Sept. 28 - two-year-old first leg
- Tuesday, Sept. 29 - three-year-old first leg
- Monday, Oct. 5 - two-year-old second leg
- Tuesday, Oct. 6 - three-year-old second leg
- Monday, Oct. 19 - two-year-old third leg
- Tuesday, Oct. 20 - three-year-old third leg
- Thursday, Oct. 29 - two and three-year-old final
(With files from Standardbred Owners of Massachusetts)