Aqueduct boosts purses for lower-level, open claiming races

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Purses for lower-level, open claiming races at Aqueduct will be raised beginning this week after the New York State Gaming Commission in January relaxed regulations that limited the purse-to-claim ratio to 2:1.

According to a press release issued Sunday by the New York Racing Association, purses for $8,000 claimers will go from $16,000 to $24,000, a $10,000 claiming purse will go from $20,000 to $28,000, a $12,500 claiming purse will go from $25,000 to $32,000, and a $16,000 claiming purse will go from $28,000 to $36,000.

None of the eight races drawn Sunday for Friday’s card are impacted by these purse increases.

The purse increases will be in place for the remainder of Aqueduct’s winter meet, which concludes on March 31.

NYRA will have to reapply to the gaming commission to get these same purse considerations at the Aqueduct spring meet, which begins April 5, and again for the Belmont meet, which starts April 26.

In the fall of 2012, the purse-to-claim ratio was set at 2:1 at NYRA tracks following a report from the Task Force on Race Horse Health and Safety convened by Gov. Andrew Cuomo after the 2011-12 Aqueduct winter meet. At that meet, there were 21 reported racing-related equine fatalities. Back then, there was no cap on purse-to-claim ratio, and $7,500 claimers were running for $30,000.

The task force actually recommended the purse-to-claim ratio be 1.6:1, but it was later set at 2:1.

NYRA sought to raise purses in these claiming races in part to be more competitive with neighboring tracks. At Parx, $8,000 claimers run for $26,000, while $10,000 claimers compete for $28,000 and $16,000 claimers run for $31,000.

At its December meeting, the New York State Gaming Commission gave final approval to NYRA to lift the 2:1 purse-to-claim ratio provided NYRA met “increased requirements to ensure the competitiveness, soundness, and safety of the horses that enter any such race,” according to a transcript of the meeting.

In its press release Sunday, NYRA said that “in addition to its standard level of prerace safety scrutiny applied to all horses racing at a NYRA track, NYRA will apply an additional, secondary level of scrutiny to all horses competing in races with adjusted purse-to-claim ratios.”

According to information provided by NYRA, those secondary-level protocols include discussions with the trainer about reasons, when applicable, why a horse didn’t start racing until it was 4 years old, was off for 180 days or more, is dropping two or more class levels, or has been given multiple corticosteroid injections. Based on answers to those questions, the NYRA chief examining veterinarian may require further diagnostic evaluation (ultrasound, radiography, or other advanced imaging) before allowing the horse to race.

Since Aqueduct’s winter meet began Dec. 7, there have been six racing-related fatalities. None came in the claiming levels at which these purses would be increased. Two came in maiden-claiming races with tags of $40,000 or $30,000.