Horses shipping into Belmont for fall meet can qualify for bonuses
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The New York Racing Association will offer bonuses for horses who ship in from out of town to run at the Belmont Park fall meet, the company announced Tuesday.
Dubbed the Big Apple Bonus, horses who ship in or relocate to Belmont Park from other racing jurisdictions can earn their connections up to $8,500 in awards. Owners and trainers currently based at NYRA are eligible for these bonuses.
The Belmont fall meet opens Sept. 18. Starting then, horses relocating or shipping from racetracks less than 400 miles from Belmont Park qualify for a $3,000 bonus for their first start at the fall meet. The owner of the horse would get $2,000, the trainer $1,000.
Horses relocating or shipping from racetracks more than 400 miles from Belmont Park will qualify for a $6,000 bonus for their first start of the fall meet. This geographic area includes, but is not limited to, Woodbine, Turfway Park, Keeneland, Churchill Downs, Ellis Park, Tampa Bay Downs, Oaklawn Park, Gulfstream Park, Fair Grounds, Del Mar, and Santa Anita Park. The bonus will be divided between the owner and the trainer with $4,000 paid to the owner and $2,000 paid to the trainer.
Horses from either region who receive the Big Apple Bonus could qualify for an additional owner incentive of $2,500 should the horse make three consecutive starts at Belmont Park. A horse that starts a race at any non-NYRA track following the initial Big Apple Bonus payment will forfeit eligibility in the third consecutive start bonus.
Stakes races are not included in the Big Apple Bonus program.
To qualify for the Big Apple Bonus, the horse’s previous start or recorded workout must have taken place at a non-NYRA track.
The announcement of the bonus comes on the heels of a recently announced purse increase across the board for the Belmont fall meet. Maiden and allowance purses will increase between 15 and 20 percent while claiming purses will increase between 4.6 and 15.79 percent, depending on class level.
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