A $2.7 million stakes schedule - highlighted by the $500,000 Meadowlands Breeders' Cup (gr. II) Oct. 13 - will be offered during the 33-date Thoroughbred meet which gets underway Sept. 29 at the Meadowlands.There will be four graded events among the 34 stakes races on the calendar, beginning with the $150,000 Cliff Hanger Stakes (gr. III) on opening night. The meet concludes Nov. 11."The positioning of each of our major events should ensure the fullest fields possible," said Dennis Dowd, senior vice president of racing for the New Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority. "This stakes schedule spans all condition levels - on dirt and turf - and should prove quite popular with the horsemen and our fans."
In addition to the Meadowlands Breeders' Cup and the Cliff Hanger, both for 3-year-olds and up, the two other graded stakes on the
2006 calendar are the $250,000 Pegasus Stakes (gr. III) Oct. 6 for 3-year-olds and the $150,000 Violet Stakes (gr. IIIT) Oct. 20 for fillies and mares, 3-years-old and up.Following opening weekend, the Meadowlands will offer live racing Tuesday through Saturday. Post time will be 1:10 p.m. Tuesday and 7:30 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday. There will be a special Monday matinee card Nov. 6 with a 1:10 p.m. post.