$2.6M at The Meadowlands Tonight

As is the case every year, Grand Circuit action wraps up at The Meadowlands in mid-November. To turn this final program into a true event, the racetrack has, over the past few years, added the FanDuel Free-For-All Championships—races where older horses can take on 3-year-olds. It’s the only time of the season this happens. These events are held in addition to the Fall Final Four, which are reserved for 2-year-olds in the four major categories.

The FanDuel Free-For-Alls
To be eligible for these lucrative events, there is a complete points system in place that brings together the very best performers, both among 4-year-olds and up as well as the 3-year-olds. A horse that wins the Canadian Pacing Derby earns a certain number of points; another that wins the Little Brown Jug gets so many points—points for winners and points for those who participate and finish in the money. This system ensures that only the most competitive horses qualify. On paper, it’s not easy for the 3-year-olds, and recent years have proven that. A few years ago, the then-champion 3-year-old Captaintreacherous tried his luck against the older horses. At that time, he was virtually unbeatable among his age group. He couldn’t quite keep up and finished fifth. But there are also exceptional 3-year-olds—especially trotters—who manage to hold their own. In any case, it’s definitely worth watching and it makes for outstanding racing.

The FanDuel events feature male trotters and pacers, as well as mares in their respective divisions. Purses range from $175,000 to $350,000. Naturally, there are some notable absentees. One need only think of a mare like Sylvia Hanover, whose season has already been declared over. But there are also major stars entered, particularly among the veteran pacers such as Ervin Hanover.

The Fall Final Four
These races have a long-standing tradition. For almost all of these 2-year-olds, it will be their final start of the season. Some will argue—perhaps rightly—that it’s getting late in the year for a 2-year-old. Opinions vary on that topic. The lineup includes the Valley Victory for 2-year-old trotters for $425,000, the Goldsmith Maid for trotting fillies at $460,000, the Three Diamonds for pacing fillies with a purse of $360,000, and the Governor’s Cup for pacing colts at $325,000. In all cases, these are estimated purses. Will major stars like Beau Jangles and Loua Dipa be there? If they show up, it adds star power; if not, it opens the door for the rest.