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. :: Access the most trusted data and information in horse racing! DRF Past Performances and Picks are available now. 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. :: Subscribe to the DRF Post Time Email Newsletter: Get the news you need to play today's races!  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. :: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? Check out DRF's Handicapping 101 and Wagering 101 pages.