The April 15 deadline is drawing near for many stakes payments. Below is a list of notices that have been submitted to the USTA Newsroom. The following information regarding upcoming stakes payments is not meant to be a complete list of every required stakes payment. It is a list of only those notifications that have been provided directly to the USTA for posting here. For more information on payments, click here.
The best way to keep track of nominations and sustaining payments is with the USTA Stakes Guide. For more information, click here.
MASSACHUSETTS BREEDERS STAKES PAYMENTS DUE APRIL 15
Plainville, MA — Owners and trainers of horses eligible to the Massachusetts Breeders Stake are reminded that the 2026 sustaining payments for all 2- and 3-year-old contenders are due by Wednesday (April 15).
The 2-year-old payment is $200 and the 3-year-old payment is $300. If there has been a change of name or ownership, please submit a copy of the registration certificate at the same time.
The necessary form for this payment is available for download at sominc.net.
— by Tim Bojarski, for the Standardbred Owners of Massachusetts
WOODBINE STANDARDBRED STAKES PAYMENTS DUE APRIL 15
Milton, ON – Woodbine Entertainment would like to remind all owners and trainers of the upcoming April 15 stakes payment deadline for events this season at Woodbine Mohawk Park and racetracks across Ontario.
Sustaining payments are due for all of Woodbine’s major stakes in 2026. To view the current list of eligible horses, click here.
Below are all the events requiring a sustaining payment by April 15:
| Pepsi North America Cup Metro Pace Armbro Flight Canadian Pacing Derby Canadian Trotting Classic Casual Breeze Dream Maker Elegantimage Eternal Camnation Fan Hanover Goodtimes | Maple Leaf Trot Millard Farms Milton Nassagaweya Peaceful Way Pure Ivory Roses Are Red Shes A Great Lady Somebeachsomewhere Whenuwishuponastar William Wellwood Memorial SBOA Stakes |
In addition, stakes payments are also due for several stakes at other racetracks in Ontario.
Nominations close on April 15 for the Little Saratoga Series at Dresden Raceway. The Little Saratoga offers two pacing events (Open and Mares), with each for Non-Winners of 1 Race of C$5,000 Lifetime as of midnight on March 31, 2026.
The Little Saratoga will offer C$5,000 preliminary legs on June 7 and 14, before a C$12,000 added money final on June 21. To view the nomination form, click here.
Grand River Raceway’s Battle of Waterloo and Battle of the Belles also have their next sustaining payment due April 15. Each event is for Ontario sired two-year-old pacers.
The final sustaining payment for Flamboro Downs’ Charles Juravinski Memorial Cup is due Wednesday. The event sponsored by Great Canadian Entertainment is restricted to 4-year-old pacers and eliminations are quickly approaching on May 10.
To make stakes payments online, click here.
If sending stakes payments by mail, envelopes must be clearly post-marked no later than April 15, 2026, or payment will not be accepted.
— from Woodbine Communications
HAMBLETONIAN SOCIETY STAKING PAYMENTS DUE APRIL 15
Cranbury, NJ – Horsemen are reminded that staking payments for the following races are due April 15.
Participants are encouraged to review the events listed at this link and ensure all payments are submitted to the Hambletonian Society by the deadline to maintain eligibility.
If you have any questions regarding staking payments or eligibility, please contact the Stakes Manager, Nadia Tarnawa, at 609-371-2211 or nadia@hambletonian.org.
Please ensure all required payments are submitted by April 15 to avoid ineligibility.
— from the Hambletonian Society
MEADOWLANDS STAKES PAYMENTS REMINDER
East Rutherford, NJ – The Meadowlands Racetrack would like to remind everyone that sustaining payments for our rich stakes program are to be postmarked by Wednesday (April 15).
Those races may be found here by clicking on the link provided here.
Additionally, we would like to remind everyone that any horse nominated to any Meadowlands stakes/event must be in the care of an approved trainer by April 15 for any stake/event raced during the month of May and by May 15 for all other stakes/events. Failure to comply with any published stakes conditions may result in any agreement created by the acceptance of any stakes payment to be declared void at the discretion of The Meadowlands and may render the horse(s) in question ineligible to race in those stakes/events with no liability to The Meadowlands and no assurance of a refund of payments previously made to the stake/event in question.
Current Racing Application must be on file and can be found at the Meadowlands website.
— from Meadowlands Racetrack Media Relations
DSBF 2 YO PAYMENT DUE APRIL 15
Dover, DE – A $300 payment is due April 15, 2026 for any Delaware Standardbred Breeders’ Fund eligible 2-year-old.
The May 15, 2025 yearling payment (OR 3-15-2026 LATE PAYMENT) must have been made to be eligible as a 2-year-old in 2026. If the April 15 payment is missed, a LATE PAYMENT of $1,000 by June 1, 2026 MUST BE MADE.
If using the U.S. Postal Service, please use a service with a tracking number. All payments must be postmarked by April 15, 2026 and mailed to Department of Agriculture at 2320 South DuPont Highway, Dover, DE 19901.
Credit cards are an acceptable payment through the online portal on the DSBF website at: https://agriculture.delaware.gov/delaware-standardbred-breeders-fund/ and owners can make multiple payments on horses in one transaction.
Payments may be made at Harrington Raceway until 6 p.m. on Monday, April 13 through– Wednesday, April 15t for those wanting to make payments at the track.
For more information call (302) 698-4610, E-mail Mark.Short@delaware.gov or visit Delaware Standardbred Breeders’ Fund – Delaware Department of Agriculture online.
— from the Delaware Standardbred Breeders’ Fund