Manalapan, NJ — Yesterday the Meadowlands canceled the Governor’s Cup and the Three Diamonds, fall races for 2-year-old pacing colts and fillies, respectively, with nominations due next week on Feb. 15.

The Standardbred Breeders and Owners Association of New Jersey had not been notified of these cancellations prior to the announcement, and to clarify the Meadowlands release, while the $6 million earmarked for the Meadowlands from the proposed New Jersey state $10 million appropriation cannot be used for stakes events, that is not the case for the minimum of $1 million guaranteed to be received from sports betting revenues as that would be part of the general purse account, and can, in fact, be used for stakes and added money events.

The $4 million balance of the purse allocation will be directed to Freehold overnight purses and the New Jersey Sire Stakes and other breeding related programs.

The SBOA plans to communicate this to the Meadowlands for further discussion, with the hope that these two important events can be reinstated.