The New Jersey Sire Stakes (NJSS) will add a third preliminary leg to the program's Premier Division for two-year-old pacers and trotters in 2024.
This expansion serves the considerable increase in both the quantity and quality of New Jersey breds over the past several years.
This growth is a direct result of the New Jersey legislators vision to support and nurture the growth of NJ's regional breeding program with an annual grant beginning in 2019.
Mike Gulotta, Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the New Jersey Sire Stakes, observed, “Adding a third leg to the two-year-old Sire Stakes represents yet another step forward for the NJSS program, which only recently raised its purses by 20 per cent.”
Tentatively, the two-year-old NJSS will be raced at The Meadowlands throughout the month of July with all leg purses set at $25,000 and the finals for each division on Hambletonian weekend at $240,000.
"Adding a third leg gives the trainer the option of giving the horse a week off if they choose. It also provides another chance for those who need it for one reason or another," was Meadowlands President Jeff Gural's take.
Further information on the program may be found on the NJSS website.
(Meadowlands Racetrack)