Belmont Stakes Racing Festival, Stars & Stripes Day highlight Belmont Spring/Summer Meet

By Heather Pettinger —-

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Racing will commence at Belmont Park on Friday, April 28 with the 54-day spring/summer meet highlighted by the 149th running of the Grade 1, $1.5 million Belmont Stakes on Saturday, June 10.

The oldest and longest leg of racing’s vaunted Triple Crown will serve as the centerpiece of the three-day Belmont Stakes Racing Festival, from June 8-10, that comprises 18 stakes worth more than $9.6 million.

Bringing down the curtain on three days of world-class racing, the 1 ½-mile Belmont Stakes, dubbed “the Test of the Champion,” will be supported by eight additional graded stakes on Saturday, including five prestigious Grade 1’s: the $1.2 million Metropolitan Handicap at a mile, a “Win and You’re In” contest for the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile; the $1 million Woodford Reserve Manhattan at 1 ¼ miles on the turf; the $750,000 Ogden Phipps for fillies and mares going 1 1/16 miles, a Breeders’ Cup qualifier for the Distaff; the $700,000 Longines Just A Game for turf fillies and mares; and the $700,000 Acorn for 3-year-old fillies at a mile.

Contributing to the stellar Belmont Stakes Day undercard will be the Grade 2, $500,000 Woody Stephens for 3-year-olds at seven furlongs, the Grade 2, $400,000 Brooklyn Invitational for 4-year-olds and up going 1 ½ miles, the Grade 3, $300,000 Jaipur Invitational for turf sprinters 4-years-old and up at six furlongs and the $150,000, 1 1/16-mile Easy Goer for sophomores.

With the Belmont Stakes Draw scheduled on Wednesday, June 7 at Rockefeller Center in Manhattan, the Belmont Stakes Racing Festival will kick off June 8 with a trio of stakes for fillies and mares: the Grade 3, $250,000 Intercontinental for turf fillies and mares going seven furlongs; the Grade 3, $200,000 Wonder Again for sophomores at 1 1/8 miles on the grass; as well as the $150,000 Astoria for 2-year-olds going 5 ½ furlongs.

The BSRF continues Friday, June 9 with six more stakes, topped by the Grade 2, $500,000 New York for turf fillies and mares at 1 ¼ miles, the Grade 2, $250,000 True North for older sprinters and the Grade 3, $400,000 Belmont Gold Cup Invitational at two miles on the turf.

The second must-see event of the Belmont spring/summer meet will be the return of the popular Stars & Stripes Festival on Saturday, July 8. Launched in 2014, the internationally themed day will once again feature a pair of prestigious Grade 1 races on the turf for 3-year-olds in the $1.2 million Belmont Derby Invitational and the $1 million Belmont Oaks Invitational for fillies, both at 1 ¼ miles.

Three additional graded stakes round out the superlative card, including the Grade 3, $400,000 Dwyer for 3-year-olds at a mile, the Grade 2, $350,000 Belmont Sprint Championship, and the Grade 2, $750,000 Suburban Handicap at 1 ¼ miles, both for older horses.

The $100,000 Lynbrook for New York-breds will put the final touches on the Belmont spring/summer meet on Sunday, July 16, before live racing moves to Saratoga Race Course on Friday, July 21.

THE NEW YORK RACING ASSOCIATION 2017 BELMONT SPRING STAKE SCHEDULE

BELMONT SPRING / SUMMER MEETING

Fri., Apr. 28 Sat., Apr. 15 Affirmed Success (NYB) 100,000 4&UP 6 Furlongs
Sat., Apr. 29 ” Elusive Quality 150,000 4&UP 7 Furlongs (Turf)
Sun., Apr. 30 ” License Fee 150,000 F&M 4&UP 6 Furlongs (Turf)
Fri., May. 5 Sat.; Apr. 22 Vagrancy III 200,000 F&M 4&UP 6 1/2 Furlongs
Sat., May. 6 ” Sheepshead Bay II 200,000 F&M 4&UP 1 3/8 (Turf)
Sat., May. 6 ” Westchester III 200,000 4&UP 1 Mile
Sat., May. 6 ” Fort Marcy III 150,000 4 & UP 1 1/8 (Turf)
Sun., May. 7 ” Diablo 100,000 4&UP 6 Furlongs
Sun., May. 7 ” Flat Out 100,000 4&UP 1 3/8
Sat., May. 13 Sat., Apr. 29 Man o’ War I 400,000 4&UP 1 3/8 (Turf)
Sat., May. 13 ” Ruffian II 250,000 F&M 4&UP 1 Mile
Sat., May. 13 ” Peter Pan III 200,000 3YO 1 1/8
Sat., May. 13 ” Beaugay III 150,000 F&M 4&UP 1 1/16 (Turf)
Sun., May. 14 ” Gold Fever 100,000 3YO 6 Furlongs
Sat., May 20 Sat., May. 6 Soaring Softly 100,000 F3YO 7 Furlongs (Turf)
Sat., May 27 Sat., May. 13 Paradise Creek 100,000 3YO 7 Furlongs (Turf)
Mon., May 29 ” Commentator (NYB)* 200,000 3&UP 1 Mile
Mon., May 29 ” Critical Eye (NYB)* 200,000 F&M 3&UP 1 Mile
Mon., May 29 ” Kingston (NYB) 125,000 3&UP 1 Mile (Turf)
Mon., May 29 ” Mount Vernon (NYB) 125,000 F&M 3&UP 1 Mile (Turf)
Mon., May 29 ” Mike Lee (NYB) 125,000 3YO 7 Furlongs
Mon., May 29 ” Bouwerie (NYB) 125,000 F3YO 7 Furlongs
Sat., June 3 Sat., May. 20 Pennine Ridge III 200,000 3YO 1 1/8 (Turf)
Thurs., June 8 Sat., May. 27 Intercontinental III 250,000 F&M 4&UP 7 Fulongs (Turf)
Thurs., June 8 ” Wonder Again III 200,000 F3YO 1 1/8 (Turf)
Thurs., June 8 ” Astoria 150,000 F2YO 5 1/2 Furlongs
Fri., June 9 Invitational Belmont Gold Cup Invitational III 400,000 4&UP 2 Miles (Turf)
Fri., June 9 Sat., May. 27 New York II 500,000 F&M 4&UP 1 1/4 (Turf)
Fri., June 9 ” True North II 250,000 4&UP 6 Furlongs
Fri., June 9 Invitational Bed o’ Roses Invitational III 250,000 F&M 4&UP 7 Furlongs
Fri., June 9 Sat., May. 27 Tremont 150,000 2YO 5 1/2 Furlongs
Sat., June 10 Closed Belmont Stakes I 1,500,000 3YO 1 1/2
Sat., June 10 Sat., May. 27 Metropolitan Handicap (BC) I 1,200,000 3&UP 1 Mile
Sat., June 10 ” Woodford Reserve Manhattan I 1,000,000 4&UP 1 1/4 (Turf)
Sat., June 10 ” Ogden Phipps (BC) I 750,000 F&M 4&UP 1 1/16
Sat., June 10 ” Acorn I 700,000 F3YO 1 Mile
Sat., June 10 ” Longines Just A Game I 700,000 F&M 4&UP 1 Mile (Turf)
Sat., June 10 ” Woody Stephens II 500,000 3YO 7 Furlongs
Sat., June 10 Invitational Brooklyn Invitational II 400,000 4&UP 1 1/2
Sat., June 10 Invitational Jaipur Invitational III 300,000 4&UP 6 Furlongs (Turf)
Sat., June 10 Sat., May. 27 Easy Goer 150,000 3YO 1 1/16
Sun., June 11 ” Jersey Girl 150,000 F3YO 6 Furlongs
Sat., June 17 Sat., June 3 Dancin Renee (NYB) 100,000 F&M 3&UP 6 Furlongs
Sun., June 18 ” Poker III 300,000 4&UP 1 Mile (Turf)
Sat., June 24 Sat., June 10 Wild Applause 100,000 F3YO 1 Mile (Turf)
Sun., June 25 RESTRICTED New York Stallion Stakes 100,000 F3YO 7 Furlongs (Turf)
Cupecoy’s Joy Division
Sun., June 25 RESTRICTED New York Stallion Stakes 100,000 3YO 7 Furlongs (Turf)
Spectacular Bid Division
Sat., July 1 Sat., June 17 Mother Goose II 250,000 F3YO 1 1/16
Sat., July 1 ” Perfect Sting 100,000 F&M 4&UP 1 Mile (Turf)
Sun., July 2 ” Saginaw (NYB) 100,000 4&UP 1 1/16
Mon., July 3 ” State Dinner (NW of SS in 2017) 100,000 4&UP 1 1/16
Tues., July 4 ” Manila 100,000 3YO 1 Mile (Turf)
Sat., July 8 Invitational Belmont Derby Invitational I 1,200,000 3YO 1 1/4 (Turf)
Sat., July 8 Invitational Belmont Oaks (BC) Invitational I 1,000,000 F3YO 1 1/4 (Turf)
Sat., July 8 Sat., June 24 Suburban (Hdcp.) II 750,000 4&UP 1 1/4
Sat., July 8 ” Dwyer III 400,000 3YO 1 Mile
Sat., July 8 ” Belmont Sprint Championship II 350,000 3&UP 7 Furlongs
Sun., July 9 ” Victory Ride III 150,000 F3YO 6 1/2 Furlongs
Sun., July 9 ” River Memories 100,000 F&M 4&UP 1 1/2 (Turf)
Sat., July 15 Sat., July 1 Forbidden Apple 150,000 4&UP 1 Mile (Turf)
Sat., July 15 ” Rockville Centre (NYB) 100,000 2YO 6 Furlongs
Sun., July 16 ” Lynbrook (NYB) 100,000 F2YO 6 Furlongs