55 stakes to be held at Aqueduct and Saratoga from early May to July 6
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The stakes program for the Belmont at Aqueduct spring/summer meet, to be conducted in three parts, will have a somewhat different look to it in 2025.
Despite the fact eight stakes were furloughed for this year - including the Grade 2 Brooklyn - there will be 55 stakes worth $17.25 million offered over 37 cards from May 1 through July 6 compared to 56 stakes worth $16.85 million in 2024.
Of those 37 racing programs, 28 will be held at Aqueduct and nine at Saratoga.
For the second straight year, the $2 million Belmont Stakes, the third leg of the Triple Crown, will be conducted at Saratoga as the renovation project at Belmont Park continues. It will be part of a five-day Belmont Stakes Racing Festival held June 4-8 when 27 stakes will be offered. The June 7 Belmont Stakes program will offer eight stakes. Aside from the Belmont, four other Grade 1s will be run - the $1 million Metropolitan Handicap, the $1 million Manhattan, the $500,000 Woody Stephens, and the $500,000 Jaipur.
Added to the Belmont Stakes program are the $300,000 Pennine Ridge and $300,000 Wonder Again - 1 1/16-mile turf stakes for 3-year-olds and 3-year-old fillies, respectively. Those races each received $100,000 purse increases.
The True North remains on the Belmont Stakes card. The Grade 3 race, increased in value by $50,000 to $400,000, will be lengthened to seven furlongs for the first time after being run at 6 1/2 the previous six years and six furlongs before that.
Moved from the 2024 Belmont Stakes card for 2025 are the Grade 3, $300,000 Poker, which will anchor a four-stakes June 5 card, and the Grade 2, $400,000 Suburban, which has been moved back to its traditional calendar spot of July 4.
Four Grade 1 stakes will be held on June 6 - the $750,000 New York, the $500,000 Acorn, the $500,000 Ogden Phipps, and the $500,000 Just a Game - as part of a six-stakes card.
The New York Showcase program, held the day after the Belmont Stakes last year, will now be held on June 4, a Wednesday card that did not exist in 2024. All six stakes for New York-breds held that day will be worth $200,000. That means $75,000 purse increases for the Mike Lee, Bouwerie, Kingston, and Mt. Vernon. The Grade 1 Beverly Steinman Steeplechase, will also be part of the June 4 card.
The Belmont Stakes Racing Festival concludes on June 8 with the Grade 3, $175,000 Soaring Softly and listed $150,000 Jersey Girl Stakes.
The two biggest days in May at Aqueduct will be May 4 and May 10. On May 4, a trio of Grade 3, $175,000 stakes - the Westchester, Vagrancy, and Beaugay - as well as the $150,000 License Fee will be run. On May 10, there will be five stakes including the Grade 2, $400,000 Man o’ War and the John Nerud, the latter moved from July 4 to this date and shortened to six furlongs to replace the Grade 3 Runhappy which has been furloughed.
The Nerud, downgraded to a Grade 3, also had its purse cut by $25,000 to $175,000. The May 10 card includes the Grade 3, $200,000 Peter Pan and Grade 2 Ruffian. A new race, the Take the A Train Stakes, a $150,000 race for 3-year-old fillies at six furlongs on turf, has been created.
Other changes to the stakes program include the moving of the Wilton, a one-mile stakes for 3-year-old fillies named for a neighboring town of Saratoga, to Aqueduct. The Ashley T. Cole and John Hettinger, both for New York-breds on turf, have been moved from mid-September to June 29. Those races have been shortened from 1 1/16 miles to six furlongs and take the place of the Port Washington and Hudson Valley, two relatively new stakes that have been furloughed.
The Grade 2, $200,000 Brooklyn has been furloughed despite the fact it has averaged eight horses over its last six runnings. The Grade 3 Dwyer for 3-year-olds, which averaged six horses the last six years, was also furloughed as were the Affirmed Success, Dancin Renee, and Gold Fever.
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Racing the first week of July, typically held downstate, will be held this year at Saratoga from July 3-6 and billed as the July Fourth Racing Festival. It will include 10 stakes. Five of those races will be held on Friday July 4 - the Grade 1, $750,000, Belmont Derby, which received a $150,000 purse increase; the Grade 2, $400,000 Suburban; the Grade 3, $200,000 Manila; the $150,000 Schuylerville; and the $150,000 Harvey Pack, the latter moved from closing weekend at Saratoga.
The July 5 card will be topped by the Grade 1, $500,000 Belmont Oaks, and include the Grade 3, $175,000 Sanford, and the Grade 3, $175,000 Kelso.
The stakes program for the regular 40-day Saratoga meet that begins July 10 has not yet been released.
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