For the upcoming season, The Meadowlands will institute an Early Closer Participation (ECP) payment on foals of 2024 which will be required to be made to The Meadowlands to gain eligibility for nomination to all Meadowlands two-year-old Early Closers in 2026.
This $400 USD payment is not a stakes payment. It is a separate one-time payment that will provide eligibility for nomination to Meadowlands administered races only, for the life of the horse.
Failure to make this $400 USD ECP payment, regardless of intentions to race in the two-year-old races or not, will result in the exclusion of any horse from Meadowlands added-money events for the life of the horse.
Any horse by a sire who is listed as eligible must make the one-time $400 USD ECP payment due (postmarked by) Feb. 15, 2026 to gain the option of nominating to Meadowlands two-year-old Early Closers for the 2026 season and/or make the two-year-old sustaining payment or plan to make the supplemental payment for the 2027 Meadowlands Pace.
Meadowlands races affected by the ECP payment on the foals of 2024 are the Kindergarten (all divisions), New Jersey Classic Series (all divisions), Freshman Fall Four (Governor's Cup, Three Diamonds, Valley Victory, Goldsmith Maid) and 2027 Meadowlands Pace two-year-old sustaining payment/two-year-old supplemental payment.
The entire series of nominating and sustaining payments as listed in the race conditions must then be made for the horse to be eligible for any Early Closer or stakes.
Nomination payments on Meadowlands Early Closers for two-year-olds in 2026 will be pushed back to begin on March 15 and sustaining payments have been adjusted accordingly.
Only those two-year-olds who have made the one-time $400 USD Meadowlands ECP payment will be permitted to race in the two-year-old baby races at The Meadowlands.
All pertinent information and the necessary form are available on The Meadowlands website at playmeadowlands.com.
The ECP payment is not required on horses older than two in 2026. Horses three years old and older may be nominated by Feb. 15 to the 2026 Meadowlands Early Closers by making the nominating and sustaining payments for the events as normally done.
The entire list of 2026 Meadowlands Early Closers, with racing dates and payment schedules, is available on The Meadowlands website.
Staking to the New Jersey Sires Stakes (Platinum & Silver legs and finals), New Jersey Standardbred Development Fund (legs and finals) and SBOANJ stakes (Garden State, Homegrown, Renaissance) does not require this ECP payment.
(Meadowlands Racetrack)