One of the biggest live horse racing events on the annual calendar is Saturday, October 18th.

The one-day event at the Far Hills Race Meet has become an official part of the annual New Jersey Thoroughbred racing calendar, as the Garden State features only steeplechase races at Far Hills this weekend.

Saturday’s card is the 104th edition of the Far Hills Race Meet. The event has been continually run on the same site – today known as Far Hills, or Moorland Farm – since 1916. The races were not run during World War II nor in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. 

This year’s race card at Far Hills will include six races – all Stakes – with purses on the undercard ranging from $50,000 to $150,000 per race.

The centerpiece event for Saturday is the $250,000 dollar, Grade 1, American Grand National Steeplechase, which will be run at 2 5/8 miles over 14 fences.

The Grand National is one of only seven Grade 1 races on the 2025 National Steeplechase Association schedule.

The Grand National was previously known as the Breeders’ Cup Steeplechase, or Breeders’ Cup Grand National Steeplechase for six years from 2000-’05, with purses ranging from $175,000 to $250,000 dollars.

The Breeders’ Cup Steeplechase had origins dating back to 1986 when it was run at Fair Hill (not to be confused with Far Hills) in Cecil County, Maryland, until 1987.

It then became an annual $250,000 dollar race that was considered an official part of the Breeders’ Cup but was not run as a part of the main Breeders’ Cup program.

The race was often contested at Belmont Park as a part of its Super Saturday Breeders’ Cup Preview Day, (often on national television), until its final running in 1993.

The race was later revived from 2000-’05 under a partnership agreement between Breeders’ Cup and the National Steeplechase Association.

However, the race was never again an official part of the Breeders’ Cup program following the race’s cancellation following the 1993 running at Belmont.

The Far Hills Races on Saturday will be broadcast on national television as a part of the America’s Day at the Races broadcast on FOX Sports’ FS2 channel.

The track announcer for this year’s event will be well-known and well-traveled, Larry Collmus.