from Harness Publicists across North America

Columbus, OH — The May stakes payment deadline is Friday, May 15, and many stakes sponsors have sent out reminder notices. Listed below are the notices that have been sent to the USTA Newsroom.

Yearling nomination payments are due for the following stakes including their filly divisions: Delvin Miller Adios; Arden Downs; Art Rooney Pace; Breeders Crown; Cane Pace; Cleveland Classic; Currier & Ives Trot; James Dancer Memorial Stakes; Dexter Cup; Fox Stake; Hambletonian; Historic Series; Hoosier Cup; Hoosier Stake; The Horseman; Landmark Stakes; Max Hempt Memorial; Messenger Stakes; Progress Pace; Ralph Wilfong Memorial; W.N. Reynolds Memorial; John Simpson Memorial Colt & Filly Stakes; Tompkins-Geers Stakes and Yonkers Trot.

A nomination form and more information is available in Hoof Beats or online at www.hambletonian.org.

Conditions are available online at www.hambletonian.org or from the USTA at http://www.ustrotting.com/trackside/stakes_futurities/conditions.cfm.

Sustaining payments are due for the following 2-year-old stakes and early closing events to be raced in 2009: Breeders Crown; Fox Stake; Goldsmith Maid; Governor’s Cup; Hoosier Stake; Kentuckiana Stallion Management Pace; Kentuckiana Stallion Management Trot; Keystone Classics; Matron Series; Three Diamonds, Valley Victory and Ralph Wilfong (Horseman Stake).

This is the final sustaining payment for all these races. All of these races required previous payments. Forms and an eligibility list of those horses for which the previous payments, including the Breeders Crown stallion nominations for foals of 2008 and the April sustaining payments, were made, are available at www.hambletonian.org.

For further information, contact the Hambletonian Society/Breeders Crown at (609) 371-2211 or visit the above Web site.

— The Hambletonian Society, Inc.

Pennsylvania payments are due May 15

Harrisburg, PA — A reminder of Pennsylvania Sire Stakes payments that must be postmarked by this Friday, May 15:

Yearlings — $50 for pari-mutuel nomination; $5 for fairs. Send a copy of the horse’s registration paper along with the check.

2-Year-Olds — $400 for pari-mutuel, $50 for fairs. This payment is required only if racing in the stakes at 2 (including the Stallion Series); if not, the earlier March 15 payments carry a horse to next year’s payments at 3.

3-Year-Olds — $100 for fair eligibility. No further pari-mutuel payments.

You can reach the PA Sire Stakes at 2301 N. Cameron, Rm 301, Harrisburg PA 17110; 717.787.5539.

— Jerry Connors

Delaware yearling nominations due May 15

Dover, DE — All yearling nominations are due May 15, 2009. Fee is $40 and requires a copy of the USTA registration papers.

The 2-year-old sustaining payments of $200 are also due on the same day. Only 2-year-olds who made the March 15, 2009 sustaining payment are eligible to make this payment. The payment doesn’t have to be made if one is not going to race their 2-year-old in 2009.

Forms are available at www.desbf.com.

For more information contact the Director at (302) 698-4610 or e-mail Judy.Davis-Wilson@state.de.us.

— Judy Davis-Wilson

NYSS yearling nominations due May 15

Albany, NY — The Agriculture & New York State Horse Breeding Development Fund reminds horsemen that New York Sire Stakes yearling nomination payments are due Friday, May 15. The payments are $50 for each yearling you wish to nominate to the New York Sire Stakes #50.

Payments are accepted in checks or money orders and must be postmarked by Friday, May 15, 2009. To make your nomination(s), please fill out the NYSS No. 50 Nomination Form and mail it with your payment and a copy of the USTA Registration Certificate to
The Agriculture & New York State Horse Breeding Development Fund, 90 State Street, Suite 809, Albany, NY 12207.

Please make checks or money orders payable to the Agriculture & NYS Horse Breeding Development Fund.

If you miss the May 15, 2009 deadline, you must pay a $500 supplemental payment, which is payable from May to February 15 of the 2-year-old year.

If you use the USTA’s paperless registration, please indicate so on the NYSS form.

The NYSS No. 50 Nomination Form is available for download at www.nysirstakes.com, on the “Forms and Downloads” page.

For more information, please visit www.nysirestakes.com.

— Agriculture & New York State Horse Breeding Development Fund

Rags to Riches nominations close May 15

Nichols, NY — The Rags to Riches, a popular series for mid-level claiming horses, will be raced at Tioga Downs each Sunday throughout the month of June in 2009.

Series conditions call for nominees to have raced for a claiming price of $10,000 or less between April 1 and May 25, 2009. The series is raced in a single elimination format and offers a final purse of $100,000 (est.).

Nominations to the Rags to Riches close on May 15, 2009.

Entry forms and other pertinent information may be found on the Tioga Downs Web site, www.tiogadowns.com.

— Jason Bluhm

NJ Sire Stakes yearling nominations due May 15

Trenton, NJ — Important payments are due May 15 to make and keep horses eligible to the lucrative New Jersey Sire Stakes program and other special stakes races for New Jersey-sired horses.

Nominations are due for foals of 2008 that are yearlings in 2009. All horses nominated must be registered with the United States Trotting Association (USTA) or Canadian Standardbred Horse Society (CSHS).

For eligibility to the Sire Stakes Program (Premier and Green Acres divisions), payments should be mailed to NJSS, P.O. Box 330, Trenton, NJ 08625.

NJSS Executive Director Christopher Castens said that registered mail is strongly suggested to avoid potential problems in mailing or delivery of payments. No late payments are accepted.

The fee is $50 for the NJSS Premier and Green Acres divisions if a copy of the yearling’s registration certificate accompanies the nomination. Without a copy of the certificate, the fee is $75. The Lou Babic Pace nomination fee is an additional $25 for the open division and $15 for the filly division.

It is important to note that the yearling nomination fee is $250 if the foal being nominated is the result of the interstate transport of a registered New Jersey stallion’s semen to a mare outside the state of New Jersey, provided a copy of the certificate accompanies the fee. Without the certificate, the interstate semen transport nomination fee is $275.

— Leon Zimmerman

Masters Series deadline approaches

Innisfil, ON — Georgian Downs reminds horsepeople that nominations for the annual Masters Series close on Friday, May 15.

Open to Ontario sired older trotters and pacers, the Masters Series is one of the principal events headlining the C$1 million Georgian Gold Rush on July 11. Masters Series finals each carry an estimated purse of C$130,000.

The Masters Series includes two preparatory C$20,000 legs on June 23 and 30. The C$1 million Georgian Gold Rush will include all four of the Masters Series Finals and four Ontario Sires Stakes Gold Series Finals for 3-year-olds.

For more information on the Masters Series, click on the following link.

Horsemen seeking more information should contact the Georgian Downs Race Office at (905) 627 0535.

— Chris Roberts

WEG stakes nomination reminder

Campbellville, ON — Woodbine Entertainment Group would like to remind all owners, horsemen and women, of the upcoming stakes closing on Friday, May 15, 2009.

There are numerous stakes nominations and sustaining payments that are due for the circuit’s major stakes events. Sustaining payments are due for the 2009 Champlain Open and Champlain Fillies (2-year-olds).

Envelopes must be clearly postmarked no later than the said due date or payment will not be accepted. Registered mail is recommended.

For more detailed information, please visit the Standardbred page by clicking on this link.

— Greg Blanchard