NYRA announces Belmont Gold Cup winner will earn Melbourne Cup berth

The winner of the Grade 2, $250,000 Belmont Gold Cup will receive an automatic berth into the Group 1 Melbourne Cup, the New York Racing Association and Victoria Racing Club announced jointly on Friday.

The Belmont Gold Cup, a two-mile turf race, is scheduled for June 6 at Saratoga. The Melbourne Cup, a two-mile race at Flemington Racecourse in Victoria, Australia is scheduled for Nov. 5. The purse of the Melbourne translates to $5.6 million in U.S. currency.

To mark the occasion, Flemington Racecourse announcer Matt Hill will travel to Saratoga to call the Belmont Gold Cup. He will also be bringing the Melbourne Cup trophy with him. The 18-carat trophy will be available for photo opportunities for fans through the June 6 program.

Meanwhile, NYRA confirmed that Frank Mirahmadi will be the ontrack announcer for the four-day Belmont Stakes Racing Festival (June 6-9). Mirahmadi, who is the regular announcer at Santa Anita, called the Saratoga meet last summer and will do so again this summer. The regular Saratoga summer meet runs from July 11 through Sept. 2.

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