Overnight purses boosted for Belmont Stakes Racing Festival

Purses for overnight races offered during the four-day Belmont Stakes Racing Festival at Saratoga will receive increases between $10,000 to $13,000 compared to what will be offered at the Belmont at Aqueduct spring meet, according to the New York Racing Association.

Open maiden special weights will get a purse increase of $10,000 to $100,000, while New York-bred maiden special weights will get a $10,000 bump to $85,000.

The open second-level allowance purse will be increased by $13,000 to offer $115,000, while the first-level allowance category will be upped by $10,000 to $110,000. The New York-bred entry-level allowance division will be boosted by $10,000 to $90,000.

“The 2024 Belmont Stakes Racing Festival will offer purse levels commensurate with the stature and importance of this historic event,” Andrew Offerman, NYRA senior vice president of racing and operations, said in a press release. “Beyond the appeal of Saratoga Race Course, these overnight purses should further incentivize participation in what is sure to be a thrilling edition of the festival.”

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The Belmont Stakes Racing Festival will be held June 6-9. The Belmont Stakes card is June 8.

NYRA previously announced purse increases to several stakes, including the Belmont itself, which increased from $1.5 million to $2 million. In addition, the Grade 1 Manhattan went from $750,000 to $1 million and the Grade 1 New York went from $600,000 to $750,000. The Grade 3 Poker went from $200,000 to $350,000, while the Grade 1 Woody Stephens, Grade 1 Jaipur, and Grade 2 True North each received purse increases of $100,000. The Woody Stephens and Jaipur are now worth $500,000, with the True North is $350,000.

The barn area at Saratoga opened Monday, with the Oklahoma training track scheduled to open Thursday. The Saratoga main track will open May 6.

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