Saratoga stakes schedule released; Travers will be run Aug. 8

The Grade 1 Travers Stakes, traditionally run in late August, has been moved to Aug. 8 and will serve as New York’s last major stepping-stone to the Kentucky Derby, one of a bevy of changes to the 2020 Saratoga stakes schedule released by the New York Racing Association on Friday morning.

The distance of the Travers will remain at 1 1/4 miles but the purse will be lowered to $1 million from $1.25 million. The Travers will be worth 170 points in qualifying for the Kentucky Derby, distributed on a 100-40-20-10 basis to the top four finishers.

Saratoga will host 71 stakes worth $14.45 million at the 40-day meet, which runs from July 16 through Sept. 5. In 2019, Saratoga ran 76 stakes worth $20.85 million. Purse cuts are due to the lack of purse money coming from Resorts World, the casino at Aqueduct which has been closed since late March due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The casino funds approximately 38 percent of purse money for NYRA.

Churchill’s decision to move the Kentucky Derby from May 2 to Sept. 5 prompted NYRA to move the Travers and make several changes to that card, which would have been run Aug. 29. Also, the Jim Dandy, traditionally run early in the meet, has been moved to Sept. 5 and could be used as a stepping-stone to the Preakness on Oct. 3.

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NYRA will run the Grade 3 Peter Pan at 1 1/8 miles on opening day, July 16. The Peter Pan is traditionally run in early May as a Belmont Stakes prep. This year, the top four finishers in the Peter Pan will earn Derby qualifying points on a 50-20-10-5 scale.

While there will be a Grade 1 stakes race run each Saturday of the 40-day Saratoga meet, the calendar will look a bit different. The Coaching Club American Oaks for 3-year-old fillies will be run July 18, followed by the Alfred G. Vanderbilt on July 25. The CCA Oaks will be a qualifying race for the Kentucky Oaks, with top four finishers earning points on a 100-40-20-10 scale.

The Aug. 1 card will include Grade 1 stakes such as the Whitney, the Personal Ensign, and the H. Allen Jerkens, the latter two moved from the Travers Day card. The purse of the Whitney was lowered from $1 million to $750,000, while the Personal Ensign went from $700,000 to $500,000 and the Jerkens from $500,000 to $300,000.

The Aug. 8 Travers card includes the Grade 1 Ballerina and Grade 1 Test, both races going from $500,000 to $300,000. Other races on the Aug. 8 card include the Grade 3, $200,000 Troy and Grade 3, $150,000 Waya.

The Grade 1 Alabama tops the Aug. 15 card. It will be worth $500,000, a $100,000 cut from a year ago. The Alabama will also be a qualifying race for the Kentucky Oaks, with 170 points distributed on a 100-40-20-10 basis, as well as a Win and You're In qualifier for the Breeders' Cup Distaff at Keeneland on Nov. 7.

The Grade 1 Fourstardave Handicap will be the lone stakes offered on Aug. 22.

On Aug. 29, what would have been the Travers Day card, the Grade 1 Sword Dancer, which had its purse cut in half to $500,000, will top a program that includes the Grade 1 Forego, Grade 2 Amsterdam, and Grade 3 Saranac.

The Grade 1 Woodward, which this year has been lengthened to 1 1/4 miles from 1 1/8 miles and will be a handicap, will top the Sept. 5 card. The Woodward will be worth $500,000, down from $750,000. That card will include the Jim Dandy, Grade 2 Prioress, and Grade 2 Glens Falls.

As of Friday, the Saratoga meet will be run without spectators.