(TRENTON) –  The Board of Trustees of the New Jersey Sire Stakes has announced that it will institute four new events for 4-year-old harness racing trotters and pacers beginning in the spring of 2020. The new races, called the New Jersey Breeders’ Maturity, will be open to all horses that were nominated as yearlings to either the New Jersey Sire Stakes Premier Division or the New Jersey Standardbred Development Fund.

“We are pleased to offer this set of races to the Standardbred industry,” said New Jersey Department of Agriculture Secretary Douglas Fisher, who is also a Trustee of the Sire Stakes Board. “New Jersey has a wonderful tradition in horse racing and we believe these new races will be a great addition to the sport in our state.”

The races will be conducted at The Meadowlands on March 20 and 27 and April 17 and 24 and will consist of a preliminary leg and a final. Preliminary legs will go for $12,500 or $15,000 depending upon the number of entries, with the top 10 point earners advancing to the finals.

All preliminary legs will be contested, regardless of the number of entries.  Purses for the finals shall be tiered based upon the number of entries.  If less than five horses enter, the purse for the final will be $30,000; if five to seven horses enter the purse for the final will be $40,000; and if more than seven enter the purse will increase to $50,000.

To remain eligible, a nomination fee of $200 must be made for each horse by February 15, 2020.  A $200 starting fee will be required to enter the preliminary leg.  There will be no additional starting fees for horses that qualify for the finals.

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