Four-day Belmont Racing Festival at Saratoga to include 23 stakes

There will be 23 stakes worth $10.1 million offered during the four-day Belmont Stakes Racing Festival that will be held at Saratoga on June 6-9, with nine races having to be run at different distances than in previous years due to the difference in circumference of Saratoga compared to Belmont Park.

As previously announced, the Belmont Stakes, the third leg of the Triple Crown, will be shortened from 1 1/2 miles to 1 1/4 miles to accommodate the configuration of Saratoga. It also had its purse increased to $2 million from $1.5 million, one of seven stakes that received a purse increase.

The Belmont will be run June 8 on a card that will feature nine graded stakes, six of which are Grade 1s. The Grade 1 Manhattan, shortened from 1 1/4 miles to 1 3/16 miles on turf, received a $250,000 purse increase to $1 million. The Grade 1, $500,000 Woody Stephens; Grade 1, $500,000 Jaipur; and Grade 2, $350,000 True North each received $100,000 purse bumps. The Jaipur, on turf, will be shortened to 5 1/2 furlongs from six.

The Grade 1 Metropolitan Handicap will be run out of the Wilson Chute, which could force the New York Racing Association to limit the field to 12 starters or fewer.

“NYRA is confident the Wilson Chute can safely accommodate at least 12 runners, but will consult with both the New York State Gaming Commission and jockeys before a final determination is made,” NYRA spokesman Pat McKenna said.

:: Bet with the Best! Get FREE All-Access PPs and Weekly Cashback when you wager on DRF Bets.

The Grade 3 Poker, at one mile on turf, received an increase of $150,000 to $350,000. This comes one year after having its purse decreased by $50,000. The Grade 1, $500,000 Ogden Phipps will be run at 1 1/8 miles around two turns as opposed to 1 1/16 miles around one turn as it has been at Belmont.

The Grade 2, $350,000 Suburban has been moved from early July to this card, replacing the Grade 2 Brooklyn. The Suburban is run at 1 1/4 miles, while the Brooklyn, which has been run at 1 1/2 miles, is now expected to be run at Aqueduct at 1 1/4 miles in July.

The Grade 1 New York Stakes, on turf, will be run at 1 3/16 miles as opposed to 1 1/4 miles and received a $150,000 increase to $750,000. That race tops a June 7 card that will include the Grade 1, $500,000 Acorn; the Grade 1, $500,000 Just a Game; and the Grade 2, $200,000 Intercontinental, the latter run at 5 1/2 furlongs on turf. The Acorn, which was run at 1 1/16 miles around one turn in 2023, will be run at 1 1/8 miles around two turns this year

The June 6 card features four stakes, including the Grade 3, $250,000 Belmont Gold Cup at two miles on turf and a trio of $150,000 stakes – the Jersey Girl for 3-year-old fillies, the Tremont for 2-year-old males, and the Astoria for 2-year-old fillies.

The June 9 card features six New York-bred stakes previously held on Memorial Day, topped by the $200,000 Commentator and $200,000 Critical Eye, both races having to be run at 1 1/8 miles around two turns from their usual 1 1/16 miles around one.

Tickets for the four-day Belmont Stakes meet will go on sale in February. NYRA will offer advance pre-sale opportunities for returning Belmont Stakes ticket buyers and reserved season-ticket holders for the summer meet held at Saratoga. Attendance will be capped at 50,000 on all four days.

Wood tops Aqueduct spring

The Grade 2, $750,000 Wood Memorial for 3-year-olds heads the Aqueduct spring stakes schedule, which will include 12 stakes worth $2,675,000 during the 16-day meet that runs from April 4-28, the New York Racing Association announced Friday.

:: Get Daily Racing Form Past Performances – the exclusive home of Beyer Speed Figures

The Wood, which spreads 200 qualifying points to its top five finishers (100-50-25-15-10) toward the May 4 Kentucky Derby, will be held April 6 along with four other stakes: the Grade 2, $250,000 Carter; the Grade 3, $175,000 Distaff Handicap; the Grade 3, $200,000 Gazelle; and the $175,000 Bay Shore Stakes.

The Carter, downgraded to a Grade 2 from a Grade 1 by the North American Graded Stakes Committee, and the Gazelle each had their purses cut by $50,000. The Gazelle offers 200 qualifying points (100-50-25-15-10) toward the May 3 Kentucky Oaks.

The Bay Shore, for 3-year-old sprinters, is now a listed stakes after losing its Grade 3 status and had its purse cut by $25,000 to $175,000. The Grade 3, $175,000 Distaff for older female sprinters had its purse increased by $25,000.

:: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? Check out DRF's Handicapping 101 and Wagering 101 pages.