NYRA announces stakes schedule for 48-day Belmont spring/summer meet

NYRA Press Office —-

Three-day Belmont Stakes Racing Festival to feature 18 total stakes including eight Grade 1s on Belmont Stakes Day

OZONE PARK, N.Y. –The New York Racing Association, Inc. (NYRA) today announced the stakes schedule for a 48-day Belmont Park spring/summer meet, featuring 59 total stakes races worth $18.4 million, to commence on Friday, April 26 and run through Sunday, July 7.

The meet is highlighted by the three-day Belmont Stakes Racing Festival from Thursday, June 6 through Saturday, June 8 that will encompass 18 total stakes, including eight Grade 1s, featuring the 151st running of the $1.5 million Belmont Stakes on June 8.

The Belmont Stakes Racing Festival opens with three stakes races on June 6, including a pair of Grade 3 turf events, the Intercontinental for older fillies and mares and the Wonder Again, for 3-year-old fillies. The next day will offer four graded stakes, led by the Grade 2, $600,000 New York for older fillies and mares going 1 ¼ miles on the turf.

Belmont Stakes Day will feature nine graded stakes, including eight Grade 1s. The Grade 1, $1.2 million Runhappy Metropolitan [Dirt Mile], the Grade 1, $700,000 Ogden Phipps [Distaff] and the Grade 1, $400,000 Jaipur [Turf Sprint], recently upgraded to Grade 1 status, are “Win and You’re In” qualifiers for the Breeders’ Cup in November at Santa Anita.

Rounding out the Grade 1 races is the $1 million Woodford Reserve Manhattan for 4-year-olds and up on the turf, the $700,000 Acorn for 3-year-old fillies, the $700,000 Longines Just a Game for fillies and mares 4-years-old and up on the turf and the upgraded $400,000 Woody Stephens for 3-year-old sprinters. The packed card will lead up to the Belmont Stakes, the final leg of racing’s famed Triple Crown, contested at 1 ½ miles in the “Test of the Champion.”

The Man o’ War Racing Festival set for May 11 boasts five stakes, including four graded events, led by the Grade 1, $700,000 Man o’ War at 1 3/8-miles on the turf for 4-year-olds and upward.

The action-packed card is also highlighted by the Grade 3, $300,000 Peter Pan, the local prep for the Belmont Stakes, for sophomores at 1 1/8 miles. Rounding out the day’s stakes are a pair of Grade 3 contests for fillies and mares with the $200,000 Beaugay at 1 1/16 miles on the grass and the $200,000 Vagrancy for sprinters, and the $150,000 Runhappy for sprinters 4-years-old and up.

The spotlight will shine on New York-breds on Monday, May 27, as part of Big Apple Showcase Day. The lucrative Memorial Day card features six stakes worth $900,000 for horses bred in the Empire State led by the $200,000 Commentator at a mile for 3-year-olds and up and the $200,000 Critical Eye at the same distance for fillies and mares, 3-years-old and upward. Also featured on Big Apple Showcase Day card are a quartet of $125,000 stakes for New York-breds, including the Kingston, Mount Vernon, Mike Lee and Bouwerie.

In 2019, the Stars & Stripes Racing Festival will be contested over three days beginning on Thursday, July 4 and concluding on Saturday, July 6, when five graded stakes will be offered on the Belmont spring/summer meet’s penultimate day.

The packed card will include the Grade 1, $1 million Belmont Derby Invitational for 3-year-olds going 1 ¼ miles on the turf and the Grade 1, $750,000 Belmont Oaks Invitational over the same surface and distance, as well as the Grade 3, $250,000 Dwyer for 3-year-olds.

The docket will also include the Grade 2, $700,000 Suburban for 4-year-olds and up at 1 ¼ miles, and the renamed Grade 2, $300,000 John A. Nerud, formerly the Belmont Sprint Championship, a “Win and You’re In” qualifier for the Breeders’ Cup Sprint.

Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1972, Nerud, who trained such legends of the sport as Dr. Fager and Gallant Man, was a founding member of the Breeders’ Cup, serving as chairman of the Breeders’ Cup marketing committee in its early years. The longtime trainer, president and general manager for William L. McKnight’s Tartan Farms passed away in 2015 at the age of 102.

Opening Day on April 26 will kick off the meet’s stakes action with the $100,000 Affirmed Success for New York-breds. The graded stakes action will commence on Saturday, May 4 with the Grade 2, $200,000 Sheepshead Bay, the Grade 3, $200,000 Westchester and the Grade 3, $150,000 Fort Marcy.

Closing Day on Sunday, July 7 will bring the curtain down on the meet with the $100,000 State Dinner before the racing action moves to Saratoga Race Course for the Thursday, July 11 opening card.

2019 Belmont spring/summer schedule

DATE RACE GR. PURSE ($) AGE DISTANCE

Fri., Apr. 26 Affirmed Success (NYB) 100,000 4&UP 6 Furlongs
Sat., Apr. 27 Elusive Quality 125,000 4&UP 7 Furlongs (Turf)
Sun., Apr. 28 License Fee 125,000 F&M 4&UP 6 Furlongs (Turf)
Fri., May. 3 Flat Out 100,000 4&UP 1 3/8
Sat., May. 4 Sheepshead Bay II 200,000 F&M 4&UP 1 3/8 (Turf)
Sat., May. 4 Westchester III 200,000 4&UP 1 Mile
Sat., May. 4 Fort Marcy III 150,000 4 & UP 1 1/8 (Turf)
Sun., May. 5 Ruffian II 250,000 F&M 4&UP 1 Mile
Man o’War Racing Festival
Sat., May. 11 Man o’ War I 700,000 4&UP 1 3/8 (Turf)
Sat., May. 11 Peter Pan III 300,000 3YO 1 1/8
Sat., May. 11 Beaugay III 200,000 F&M 4&UP 1 1/16 (Turf)
Sat., May. 11 Vagrancy III 200,000 F&M 4&UP 6 1/2 Furlongs
Sat., May. 11 Runhappy 150,000 4&UP 6 Furlongs
Sun., May. 12 Gold Fever 100,000 3YO 6 Furlongs
Sat., May 18 Soaring Softly III 100,000 F3YO 7 Furlongs (Turf)
Sat., May 25 Paradise Creek 100,000 3YO 7 Furlongs (Turf)
Belmont Park New York Breeders’ Showcase Day
(Big Apple Showcase Day)
Mon., May. 27 Commentator (NYB) 200,000 3&UP 1 Mile
Mon., May. 27 Critical Eye (NYB) 200,000 F&M 3&UP 1 Mile
Mon., May. 27 Kingston (NYB) 125,000 3&UP 1 Mile (Turf)
Mon., May. 27 Mount Vernon (NYB) 125,000 F&M 3&UP 1 Mile (Turf)
Mon., May. 27 Mike Lee (NYB) 125,000 3YO 7 Furlongs
Mon., May. 27 Bouwerie (NYB) 125,000 F3YO 7 Furlongs
Sat., June 1 Pennine Ridge III 200,000 3YO 1 1/8 (Turf)
Belmont Stakes Racing Festival
Thurs., June 6 Intercontinental III 200,000 F&M 4&UP 7 Furlongs (Turf)
Thurs., June 6 Wonder Again III 200,000 F3YO 1 1/8 (Turf)
Thurs., June 6 Astoria 150,000 F2YO 5 1/2 Furlongs
Fri., June 7 New York II 600,000 F&M 4&UP 1 1/4 (Turf)
Fri., June 7 Belmont Gold Cup Invitational II 400,000 4&UP 2 Miles (Turf)
Fri., June 7 True North II 250,000 4&UP 6 1/2 Furlongs
Fri., June 7 Bed o’ Roses Invitational III 250,000 F&M 4&UP 7 Furlongs
Fri., June 7 Tremont 150,000 2YO 5 1/2 Furlongs
Sat., June 8 Belmont Stakes I 1,500,000 3YO 1 1/2
Sat., June 8 Runhappy Metropolitan (BC) I 1,200,000 3&UP 1 Mile
Sat., June 8 Woodford Reserve Manhattan I 1,000,000 4&UP 1 1/4 (Turf)
Sat., June 8 Ogden Phipps (BC) I 700,000 F&M 4&UP 1 1/16
Sat., June 8 Acorn I 700,000 F3YO 1 Mile
Sat., June 8 Longines Just A Game I 700,000 F&M 4&UP 1 Mile (Turf)
Sat., June 8 Woody Stephens I 400,000 3YO 7 Furlongs
Sat., June 8 Brooklyn Invitational II 400,000 4&UP 1 1/2
Sat., June 8 Jaipur Invitational (BC) I 400,000 3&UP 6 Furlongs (Turf)
Sat., June 8 Easy Goer 150,000 3YO 1 1/16
Sun., June 9 Jersey Girl 150,000 F3YO 6 Furlongs
Sat., June 15 Dancin Renee (NYB) 100,000 F&M 3&UP 6 Furlongs
Sun., June 16 Poker III 300,000 4&UP 1 Mile (Turf)
Sat., June 22 Wild Applause 100,000 F3YO 1 Mile (Turf)
Sun., June 23 New York Stallion Stakes 150,000 F3YO 7 Furlongs (Turf)
Cupecoy’s Joy Division
Sun., June 23 New York Stallion Stakes 150,000 3YO 7 Furlongs (Turf)
Spectacular Bid Division
Sat., June 29 Mother Goose II 250,000 F3YO 1 1/16
Sat., June 29 Perfect Sting 100,000 F&M 4&UP 1 Mile (Turf)
Sun., June 30 Saginaw (NYB) 100,000 4&UP 1 1/16
Stars & Stripes Racing Festival
Thurs., July 4 Manila 100,000 3YO 1 Mile (Turf)
Fri., July 5 Victory Ride III 150,000 F3YO 6 1/2 Furlongs
Fri., July 5 River Memories 100,000 F&M 4&UP 1 1/2 (Turf)
Sat., July 6 Belmont Derby Invitational I 1,000,000 3YO 1 1/4 (Turf)
Sat., July 6 Belmont Oaks Invitational I 750,000 F3YO 1 1/4 (Turf)
Sat., July 6 Suburban II 700,000 4&UP 1 1/4
Sat., July 6 John A. Nerud (BC) II 300,000 3&UP 7 Furlongs
Sat., July 6 Dwyer III 250,000 3YO 1 Mile
Sun., July 7 State Dinner 100,000 4&UP 1 1/16