Columbus, OH — The USTA has compiled the advisories provided by stakes administrators regarding upcoming nomination and sustaining payments for the races under their purview. Refer to this page for updates, as they are made available.
Charlie Hill, Jim Ewart and Next Generation nominations due May 15
Columbus, OH – Nominations must be postmarked Friday (May 15) for the Charlie Hill Trot and Jim Ewart Pace, both of which will be raced on Saturday, Sept. 12, at Eldorado Scioto Downs. Each $270,000 (est.) event, for aged horses, has a $500 nomination fee.
Nominations are also still open for the Next Generation events for Ohio-sired 2-year-olds, to be held Saturday, July 4. Those interested in securing a spot in the Next Generation can make a $10,000 nomination by May 15. Each division is limited to nine (9) entrants with (8) spots needing to be purchased in order for the event to fill. If more than three or two nomination spots, respectively, are received for that division, a lottery drawing will be held only between those nominations received since the April 15 deadline; anyone who submitted an $8,000 nomination by April 15 is guaranteed a spot.
Full conditions for all the events are available on the USTA website at horsemen.ustrotting.com.
The 91-day 2026 Eldorado Scioto Downs regular season runs through Saturday, Sept. 19. Races are held Tuesday-Saturday, with special holiday cards on Memorial Day and Labor Day instead of the Tuesday card that week. The track will then re-open for the Breeders Crown, with eliminations held Oct. 16-17 and the finals Oct. 23-24.
More information about all the racing action at Scioto can be found on the Eldorado Scioto Downs website.
– Eldorado Scioto Downs
Woodbine Standardbred stakes payments due May 15
Milton, ON – Woodbine Entertainment would like to remind all owners and trainers of Friday’s (May 15) Standardbred stakes payment deadline.
Friday’s deadline includes the final sustaining payment for all major stakes events in 2026 and nominations for the 2027 Champlain Stakes, 2028 Simcoe Stakes and 2028 SBOA Stakes.
A sustaining payment is due for following events:
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
Battle of Waterloo
Battle of the Belles
Nomination fees are also due for the following events:
2027 Champlain Open (Foals of 2025)
2027 Champlain Filly (Foals of 2025)
2028 Simcoe Open (Foals of 2025)
2028 Simcoe Filly (Foals of 2025)
2028 SBOA Stakes (Foals of 2025)
To view all the conditions and stakes schedules, click here.
To make stakes payments online, click here.
If sending stakes payments by mail, envelopes must be clearly post-marked no later than May 15, 2026, or payment will not be accepted.
– Woodbine Communications
Meadowlands May payments due
East Rutherford, NJ – The Meadowlands Racetrack would like to remind everyone that sustaining payments for the Big M’s rich stakes program are to be postmarked by Friday, May 15, 2026. Those races may be found here.
Additionally, The Meadowlands would like to remind everyone that any horse nominated to any Meadowlands stakes/event must already be in the care of an approved trainer 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 on The Meadowlands website as well.
– Meadowlands Racetrack Media Relations
DSBF eligible payments due by May 15
Dover, DE – The $40 payment is due May 15, 2026 for any Delaware Standardbred Breeders’ Fund eligible yearling. If the May 15th payment is missed, a LATE PAYMENT of $350 by March 15, 2027 must be made to stay eligible to the program.
If you use the USPS, 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.
For more information call (302) 698-4610 or E-mail Mark.Short@delaware.gov or visit Delaware Standardbred Breeders’ Fund – Delaware Department of Agriculture.
-Mark Short, Delaware Standardbred Breeders’ Fund
May 15 payments due for Maryland Standardbred Fund
Ocean Pines, MD – Two-year old payments (foals of 2024) are due to the Maryland Standardbred Fund (MD Foaled) and the Maryland Sire Stakes (MD Sired) on May 15. This payment is 2-year-olds that will be racing in 2026. The cost is $200 for each division.
Yearling nominations (foals of 2025) to the Maryland Standardbred Fund (MD Foaled) and the Maryland Sire Stakes (MD Sired) are also due on May 15. The cost is $40 for each division.
All checks must be made out to the Maryland Standardbred Race Fund.
We recommend that all payments be sent by certified mail or priority mail with tracking. Please note the mailing address: P.O. Box 1530, Ocean Pines, MD 21811.
All staking lists, staking forms and regulations can be found on our website at www.msrfonline.com or you may call 410.775.0152.
– Scott Warren, Maryland Standardbred Fund
SBOANJ yearling nominations, sustaining payments due May 15
Manalapan, NJ — Yearling nominations and sustaining payments for harness racing stakes sponsored by the Standardbred Breeders and Owners Association of New Jersey are due May 15.
The fee to nominate a yearling to the Garden State Trot #10 is $25. The fee for the Home Grown Pace #10 is $25 for all New Jersey-sired yearlings and those who are nominated to the New Jersey Sire Stakes-Standardbred Development Fund program. For horses who are not New Jersey-sired or have not nominated to the SDF program but were foaled in New Jersey, the fee is $150.
Two-year-old sustaining payments for the Garden State Trot #9 and Home Grown Pace #9 are also due on May 15. The second Garden State Trot payment is $400. The second Home Grown Pace payment is $300.
To access forms, click the following links: Yearling Nomination Form | Sustaining Payment Form
– Standardbred Breeders and Owners Association of New Jersey