Change at Big M for elims

Stakes race elimination winners will get to pick their post positions for the finals of major stakes, beginning with the Fall Final Four later this year at the Meadowlands.



The first stakes impacted by the change in conditions will be the quartet of finals for two-year-olds on Dec. 4. The eliminations for the trotting events--the Goldsmith Maid for fillies and the Valley Victory for colts--take place on Nov. 26. The pacers have their elims for the Three Diamonds for fillies and the Governor's Cup for colts on Nov. 27.



The Fall Final Four are the highlight of the Nov. 19 through Dec. 18 harness meet.



"This assures that the elimination winners are rewarded with their choice of post positions in the rich finals of most of our major stakes," said Director of Racing and Racing Secretary Tad Stockman. "This puts an extra premium on winning the eliminations."



"We listened to what the industry had to say, regarding the selection of post positions," Stockman explained. "The Fall Final Four will be the first of our major stakes in 2004-2005 to offer this, and it will supplant our two-year test of the 10 percent plan, which rewarded the winner with more of the purse if he also captured his elimination."



Nominations for the Fall Final Four races closed on July 1 and the last sustaining payment was collected on Sept. 1. The ValleyVictory has 50 eligibles, the Goldsmith Maid has 41, the Governor's Cup has 41 and the Three Diamonds has 37.



"We expect each of the four races to meet the estimated total value of $240,000," said Stockman. "It was late to announce the races this year, and we appreciated the response. It was important to keep these races alive. When we have the Breeders Crown races (for 2 and 3 year olds) every other year, starting in 2005, the Fall Final Four races will be hosted by the Woodbine Entertainment Group in Ontario. We expect the purses will climb to their previous values in subsequent years when we return to the traditional payment schedule."



The conditions and nominations for the Fall Final Four stakes are available on the Meadowlands website at http://www.thebigm.com/stakesNom.asp

« Back