The Hambletonian Society, which owns and administers the Breeders Crown series, will raise the purses of the four freshman divisions of the Breeders Crown races to $600,000 each for 2018, making those races the richest events for two-year-olds of each gender and gait in the country.
All 12 year-end Championship events will be held on Saturday, Oct. 27 at The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono Downs in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania.
Given the Society’s longstanding mission to support and promote the breeding of Standardbred horses and in a continued effort to address the issue of declining foal crops, an immediate boost to two-year-old purses will benefit breeders, owners and yearling buyers.
“This will be the fourth straight year we’ve been able to bump the two-year-old Breeders Crown purses to $600,000,” said John Campbell, president of the Hambletonian Society. “With the spike in February and March payments we want to give owners an immediate return on their investment in young horses.”
Eliminations for two-year-old races will be held Friday, Oct. 19, while three-year-old and older eliminations will be held Oct. 20.
The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono hosted the Breeders Crown events in 2010 and 2013, setting new handle and attendance records each year.
The complete purse schedule for the Breeders Crown is as follows:
Harness Racing’s Championship Series
Presented by The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono
Twelve Events • $6 Million Estimated in Purses
Saturday, October 27
$600,000 TWO-YEAR-OLD FILLY TROT
$600,000 TWO-YEAR-OLD FILLY PACE
$600,000 TWO-YEAR-OLD COLT TROT
$600,000 TWO-YEAR-OLD COLT PACE
$500,000 THREE-YEAR-OLD FILLY TROT
$500,000 THREE-YEAR-OLD COLT PACE
$500,000 THREE-YEAR-OLD COLT TROT
$500,000 THREE-YEAR-OLD FILLY PACE
$400,000 BREEDERS CROWN PACE
$250,000 MARE PACE
$500,000 BREEDERS CROWN TROT
$250,000 MARE TROT
(Hambletonian Society)