| The Messenger Stakes has a long history of tradition | | | | Messenger Stakes was hosted by several different |
| and is the third and final race of the Triple Crown of | | | | racetracks including Yonkers Raceway in Yonkers, |
| Harness Racing for Pacers. The event was first | | | | New York, Freestate Raceway in Maryland and |
| started in 1956 and was immediately paired with the | | | | Rosecroft Raceway, also in Maryland. In 1995, the |
| Little Brown Jug and the Cane Pace to form the | | | | Stakes moved to The Meadows in the Pittsburg, |
| Triple Crown. The Messenger Stakes was named to | | | | Pennsylvania area. |
| honor that great pacing sire Messenger. The horse | | | | The race was supposed to move back to Yonkers |
| was born in 1780 in England and was later sent to | | | | Raceway in 2004; however, the track was |
| the United States. Messenger proved to be one of | | | | undergoing major renovations and it was held at |
| the greatest sires of pacing race horses and virtually | | | | Harrington Raceway in Delaware for the 2004 and |
| all the pacers seen in today's sport can be traced | | | | 2005 racing season. In 2006, the Messenger Stakes |
| back to this magnificent stallion. | | | | returned to Yonkers Raceway. The great thing about |
| When the race was first created, it was hosted by | | | | this event being hosted by Yonkers Raceway is that |
| Roosevelt Raceway. The race remained at Roosevelt | | | | the race is run on the same night at the final leg of |
| raceway from 1956 until 1988, when it was forced to | | | | the trotting Triple Crown, which means that there is |
| change locations due to the closure of the track. For | | | | the potential for harness racing fans to see the |
| the next several years it was hosted by several | | | | crowning of two Triple Crown winners on the same |
| different racetracks. | | | | day. |
| For six years between 1989 and 1994, the | | | | |