The Feb. 15 deadline is drawing near for many stakes payments. Below are a list of notices that have been submitted to the USTA Newsroom.

NJSS payments due Feb. 15

Manalapan, NJ — A payment of $300 for both 2- and 3-year-olds for the Premier Division of the New Jersey Sire Stakes is due Feb. 15.

A payment of $100 for both 2- and 3-year-olds for the Standardbred Development Fund is also due Feb. 15.

Because the 15th falls on a Saturday, the deadline is extended to Tuesday (Feb. 18).

Send payments to NJSS, P.O. Box 330, Trenton, NJ 08625.

— Courtney Stafford/SBOANJ

Woodbine stakes nominations due Tuesday

Milton, ON — Woodbine Entertainment would like to issue a final reminder to all owners and horsepeople of Tuesday’s (Feb. 18) deadline for nominations to all major stakes in 2020 at Woodbine Mohawk Park.

Nominations close on Feb. 18 for all major events, including the 37th Pepsi North America Cup (3-year-old pacers), Metro Pace (2-year-old pacers), and William Wellwood Memorial (2-year-old trotters).

The opportunity to purchase a slot in the inaugural Mohawk Million for 2-year-old trotters also closes on Feb. 18, as a purchase contract and $55,000 payment must be submitted.

The full list of events closing on Feb. 18 is listed below. Purses are all estimated except for $1 million guarantees on Pepsi North America Cup and Mohawk Million.

To download the nomination form for all major stakes, click here.

To download the 2020 Woodbine Stakes Booklet (including full conditions), click here.

Woodbine Entertainment also handles the administration of stakes races contested at various tracks across Ontario. Nominations are also due Feb. 18 for the following events.

Grand River Raceway:
Battle of Waterloo (Ontario Sired 2-Year-Old Pace)
Battle of the Belles (Ontario Sired 2-Year-Old Filly Pace)

Flamboro Downs:
Confederation Cup (4-Year-Old Pace)

Hanover Raceway:
Balanced Image (Ontario Sired 2-Year-Old Trot)
Dream Of Glory (Ontario Sired 3-Year-Old Trot)

Clinton Raceway
Kin Pace (Ontario Sired 3-Year-Old Filly Pace)

Sustaining payments are also due Feb. 18 for the following stakes at Woodbine Mohawk Park.

2020 Simcoe Open (foals of 2017)
2020 Simcoe Filly (foals of 2017)
2020 WEG SBOA Filly (foals of 2017)
(NOTE: A late nomination fee for the 2021 WEG SBOA Filly (foals of 2018) is also due if horse was not nominated in May of 2019).

Visit www.Woodbine.com/Mohawk/Horsepeople/ for full information.

To make stakes payments online, click here.

If sending nominations by mail, envelopes must be clearly postmarked no later than Feb. 18 or payment will not be accepted. Registered mail is recommended.

— Mark McKelvie

Feb. 15 stake payment deadline for $21 million in Hambletonian Society-serviced events

Cranbury, NJ — February sustaining and nominating payments for 133 Hambletonian Society stake and late-closing events are due Saturday (Feb. 15) and per USTA Rule 12 section 2, must be postmarked by midnight on Tuesday (Feb. 18).

February is the gateway payment for most 3-year-old and older stakes and closers as well as initial 2-year-old payments for Breeders Crown and Kentuckiana Stallion Management Stakes.

This includes two legs of the Trotting Triple Crown, the $1.2 million Hambletonian (with eliminations held the week prior) and $600,000 Hambletonian Oaks, as well as the MGM Yonkers Trot.

All 2-year-old Breeders Crown races are estimated at $600,000. The Breeders Crown sophomore events will be raced for $500,000 as will the Breeders Crown Trot and Pace. Mare Open events are bumped to $300,000 for the second consecutive year.

All 12 Breeders Crown races are hosted by Harrah’s Hoosier Park on Friday (Oct. 30) and Saturday (Oct. 31).

Race conditions, payment forms and much more information is available online at www.hambletonian.com. For additional information call the Society offices at 609.371.2211.

— Moira Fanning

Maryland staking payments due

Union Bridge, MD — Sustaining forms and possible payment are due Feb. 15 for the 4- and 5-year-old Open Maryland Sire Stakes for trotters and pacers (foals of 2015 and 2016).

Also, 3-year-old payments (foals of 2017) are due to the Maryland Standardbred Fund and the Maryland Sire Stakes on Feb. 15.

All stallion pedigrees, staking forms, and stake dates are now available online including a printable calendar. Please use our website www.msrfonline.com for all your current MSRF info and any updates as they become available.

We recommend that all payments be sent by certified mail. Please remember to check and make sure you use this address: Maryland Standardbred Race Fund, P.O. Box 540, Union Bridge, MD 21791.

Regulations can be found on our website at www.msrfonline.com or you may call 410.775.0152 (office) or my cell at 240.285.0326.

— Cheri Stambaugh

End-of-week deadlines for some of Yonkers’ stakes, series nominations

Yonkers, NY — The deadline for nominations is fast approaching with some of Yonkers Raceway’s more popular stakes and series closing this Saturday (Feb. 15).

Nominations close for the Mlife Reward Pacing Series, Ladies (formerly the Petticoat) and Gents (formerly the Sagamore Hill). The respective series are open to 3- and 4-year-olds who were non-winners of four races and or $50,000 through this past Dec. 1.

This Saturday, the nominations also close for the big boys and big girls. The Borgata Pacing Series (formerly the George Morton Levy Memorial) and Blue Chip Matchmaker annually attract the best free-for-allers around.

Nomination blanks for all of the above are available in the nightly racing program, the Raceway’s website and selected harness print and online publications.

For further information, please contact the race office at 914.457.2627.

— Frank Drucker

OSS 3-year-old payments due Feb. 18

Toronto, ON — Owners of Ontario Sires Stakes eligible 3-year-olds are reminded that Feb. 18 is the deadline for the C$800 3-year-old OSS sustaining payment.

Checks should be made payable and mailed (registered mail is recommended) to: Ontario Sires Stakes, c/o Woodbine Mohawk Park, P.O. Box 160, Campbellville, ON L0P 1B0.

For more information and the sustaining form, click here.

— Allison Glynn

Delaware Standardbred Breeders Fund 3-year-old payments

Dover, DE — Payments are due by Feb. 15 for any DSBF eligible 3-year old. The amount is $300. The payment will make them eligible to race in 2020 at Dover Downs and Harrington Raceway.

Eligible horses would be any 3-year-old who made a $100 sustaining payment March 15, 2019.

If using the USPS please use a service with a tracking number. All payments must be postmarked by Feb. 15.

Call 302.698.4610 or e-mail Judy.Davis-Wilson@delaware.gov for the correct form or more information.

— Judy Davis-Wilson

FSBOA stakes payments due by Feb. 15

Pompano Beach, FL — FSBOA stakes payments are due by Feb. 15 for 3-year-old Florida breds.

The payments are as follows:

FL Breeders Stake – $100; FL Stallion Stake – $100; and Sunshine State Stake – $100.

Sustaining forms and payment schedule are available on our website at www.floridaharnessracing.com.

— Rosie Huff

Meadowlands 2020 stakes information

East Rutherford, NJ — Horsemen should be aware of the following details as the nomination deadline for the 2020 Grand Circuit stakes at The Meadowlands draws near.

Payments will be accepted with a Feb. 18 postmark as per USTA guidelines, with the 15th falling on a Saturday and Monday the 17th a holiday.

The conditions for top money winning stakes format has been revised with the top 11 money winners for 2019-2020 (per USTA conversion) accepted and all Meadowlands administered/sponsored stakes raced at the distance of one mile.

It is important to note that The Meadowlands conditions contain specific language regarding eligibility to participate in Meadowlands administered stakes. As you consider nominating your horses, be aware of these two articles:

Disputes: All owners, trainers and drivers of horses nominated to this event must be accepted to participate at the Host Track or the nomination/entry may be denied without refund of previous payments. Any change of trainers made fewer than 30 days or within four starts of the date of this race will be reviewed by the sponsor and if not accepted, may result in refusal of entry. Sponsors reserve the right to amend conditions as deemed necessary without liability.

Rules: A minimum of seven separate interests may be required in any event or the event may be canceled. All starters are subject to the detention policy of the Host Track. The rules of the Host Track and its state Racing Commission along with the USTA shall govern unless otherwise specified in these conditions. These races are subject to the Stallion Restriction Condition (SRC); see Meadowlands website for details. Any horse nominated to any Meadowlands stakes/event must be in the care of an approved trainer by April 15, 2020 for any stake/event raced during the month of May and by May 15 for all other 2020 stakes/events. In addition, any owner who participates in a Meadowlands Stake or Early Closing event (with added money greater than $25,000) with a trainer who has an outstanding Class 1, Class 2 or TC02 positive test having occurred on or after Jan. 1, 2019 and under appeal in any jurisdiction will be declared ineligible to participate in any Meadowlands Stake or Early Closing event for 12 months following the conviction if such trainer is subsequently found guilty relating to the Class 1, Class 2 or TC02 positive test. Nominator also agrees that any horse paid into any Meadowlands stake/event may be required to be stabled for up to 14 days at an approved facility within a 150 mile radius of The Meadowlands or the Tioga or Vernon Downs stable area or an approved facility in a state that agrees to cooperate in an out of competition testing protocol by the date set by The Meadowlands for that stake/event for the purpose of out of competition testing. Failure to comply with these conditions may result in any agreement created by the acceptance of any stakes payment to be declared void at the discretion of The Meadowlands rendering 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. A nomination to these events is an agreement to the above terms and conditions.

Questions regarding the status of any potential nominator or trainer will be answered by the Racing Department at 201.842.5130.

All pertinent information on The Meadowlands $15 million stakes program including schedules and payments is available on the web.

New Jersey Sires Stakes information may be found here.

SBOANJ stakes information may be found here.

Hambletonian Society administered stakes information may be found here.

— Meadowlands Media Relations