As the Feb. 15 deadline for all of the Grand Circuit stakes payments at The Meadowlands draws near, the time for a reminder of their importance is now.
"As you peruse the list of Dan Patch Award-winning horses from the 2023 stakes season, you get a sense that the road to recognition goes through The Meadowlands," said Meadowlands Racetrack's Nick Salvi. "Those who have experienced the thrill of winning one of the marquee races on Meadowlands Pace or Hambletonian Day know, you make your bones in them. Those stakes are the stallion makers. They are the races that separate the prospects from the suspects.
"And for those who have not yet had that thrill, who dream about it, that day looms but only if you take this first step. If they're not in, they cannot win. And it is a monumentally different feeling. Ask anyone who has done it."
For more information on Meadowlands stakes, click here to visit the track's website or call 607-972-5500 with any issues.
(With files from The Meadowlands)