Empire Trillium Series draws 703 nominations for 2026 debut

The Empire Trillium Series opened with a split that tells the whole story: New York is bringing the heavier punch, but Canada is far from a side note. Woodbine Entertainment and The New York Racing Association said the 2026 2-year-old crop drew 703 nominations, with 547 foaled in New York and 156 foaled in Canada, for a 14-race program restricted to regional-bred horses and carrying $3.2 million in purses.

That mix matters because the series was built as more than a one-off stakes dump. It is a staged, cross-border ladder for juveniles and, later, older horses, with Belmont Park’s portion set to open December 26 on the new one-mile Tapeta oval in Elmont, New York, after the track’s planned reopening on September 18. The Belmont leg will feature eight stakes worth $1.8 million, starting with four $200,000 races on December 26, followed by two $300,000 races on January 23, 2027, and two more $200,000 races on February 27.

The series then shifts to Woodbine Racetrack in Toronto on April 24, 2027, where six more stakes are scheduled, worth $1.4 million. Four of those races will be run on Tapeta and two on turf, giving the Canadian side a different profile and a separate path for horses that can carry their speed onto grass.

The early nomination count points to where the first wave of strength is likely to sit. New York barns, breeders and owners accounted for nearly four out of every five juvenile noms, which gives the New York-bred pipeline the first numerical edge in a series designed to keep local stock in rich races past the usual 2-year-old window. But Canada’s 156 noms are enough to matter, especially once the Woodbine leg starts assigning black-type opportunities and staking out its own class ladder.

The race names, announced June 18, give the Belmont segment a distinct identity: the opening quartet includes the Tiz the Law, Bar of Gold, Gander and Saratoga Dew, while the January 23 headliners are the Long Island Derby and Long Island Oaks, and the late-February sprints are the Elmont and Queens Village. Juvenile enrollment closed June 19, at a $600 fee, and horses already enrolled can nominate for free. Nominations for the 3-year-olds and up scheduled to run at Woodbine are due November 20, 2026, at a one-time enrollment fee of $350.

Tim Lawson called the response a sign of real enthusiasm for the new program, while NYRA racing secretary Rob MacLennan framed it as a boost for New York-bred racing. Najja Thompson of New York Thoroughbred Breeders said it marks a meaningful step for regional breeding on both sides of the border, and the numbers back that up: New York has the lead now, but the series was built to make sure Canada has a route to fight back once the starters are called.