NYRA, Chester partner with automatic qualifiers

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – The New York Racing Association and Chester Racecourse in England announced a partnership where two races run during Chester’s Boodles May Festival will serve as automatic qualifiers to a pair of stakes run during the first week of June at Saratoga.

The winner of the 13-furlong Ormonde Stakes, run May 7 at Chester, will earn an automatic berth – including entry, starter, and shipping fees – into the Grade 2, $250,000 Belmont Gold Cup, a two-mile turf race run June 4 at Saratoga.

In addition, the about 10-furlong, Group 2 Huxley Stakes, run May 8 at Chester, will provide the same expenses-paid berth into the Grade 1, $1 million Manhattan, run at 1 3/16 miles on turf on the June 6 Belmont Stakes Day card.

This is the third – and expected to be final – year that the Belmont Stakes and its supporting graded stakes will be held at Saratoga. Belmont Park is expected to open in September to limited capacity.

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