Pending approval by the New York State Racing and Wagering Board, many of the
The prestigious, nine-furlong Woodward was moved in an effort to spread out
Additionally, the Brooklyn H. (G2), formerly run in June, will now become the
|
Purses in five of NYRA’s biggest stakes have been slashed for 2006. The
Jockey Club Gold Cup has been decreased from $1 million to $750,000. The
Metropolitan H. (G1), Flower Bowl Invitational H. (G1), Beldame S. (G1) and Joe
Hirsch Turf Classic Invitational S. (G1) have all been cut from $750,000 to
$600,000.
“There are a lot of changes on this schedule, including some purse reductions
or eliminations of stakes, but we made sure that NYRA’s commitment to excellence
remains intact,” NYRA Senior Vice President Bill Nader said. “The overall dollar reduction in stakes is nearly
$4 million, but much of that money will be added back in overnight stakes that
will be announced from condition book to condition book. This helps NYRA strike
a better balance with dollars allocated to stakes and overnight races, and be
more responsive to the available horse inventory from meet to meet.
“Looking forward, we will continue our unified efforts with horsemen and
breeders to seek final Aqueduct VLT (video lottery terminal) approval from
Albany. We would like to be open by December of next year and then increase
purses by 35 to 40 percent in 2007.”
After two years of experimentation, Saratoga will again offer three historic
stakes races for juveniles and juvenile fillies. The $100,000 Schuylerville S.
(G3), which was not run in 2005, returns to its traditional spot as the
opening-day feature at the Spa on July 26, with the $150,000 Adirondack S. (G2)
on August 16 and the $250,000 Spinaway S., which has regained its Grade 1
status, on September 3. The $150,000 Sanford S. (G2), which was not run in 2005,
returns on July 27 and kicks off the three-race series for two-year-olds that also
includes the $150,000 Saratoga Special S. (G2) on August 17 and the $250,000
Hopeful S. (G1), which has become the closing-day feature on Labor Day,
September 4.
By running the Woodward on September 2, Labor Day Weekend at the Spa is
loaded with top-quality racing. The $250,000 Forego H. (G1) will be run along
with the Woodward on September 2, the $100,000 Saranac S. (G3) will be decided
along with the Spinaway on September 3, and the $100,000 Glen Falls H. (G3) will
help close out the meet with the Hopeful on September 4.
“We placed four Grade 1 stakes on Labor Day Weekend at Saratoga and made a
bold decision in moving the Woodward to the final Saturday of America’s most
popular racetrack,” Nader said. “We also brought
back the full compliment of two-year-old stakes to give the younger stars of our
sport every opportunity to succeed.”
Also at Saratoga, the $200,000 Bernard Baruch H. (G2) has switched places
with the $150,000 Fourstardave H. (G2). The grassy 8 1/2-furlong Fourstardave
will be run on August 6, while the Bernard Baruch at nine furlongs on the turf,
will be run on Travers Day, August 26.
The $250,000 Saratoga Breeders’ Cup H. (G2) at 10 furlongs on the turf has
been eliminated to make room for the Woodward.
Belmont Stakes Day on June 10 will now feature the Woody Stephens Breeders’
Cup S. (G2) for three-year-olds at seven furlongs, which replaces the Riva Ridge
Breeders’ Cup S. (G2). Named for the late Hall of Fame trainer who remains the
only person to win five straight Belmonts, the Woody Stephens received a $50,000
purse increase to $250,000. Belmont Stakes Day will now include the $250,000
Acorn S. (G1) for three-year-old fillies at one mile as part of a blockbuster $1
million guaranteed Pick 6 pool that will include three Grade 1 races and three
Grade 2 races. Horses prepping for the $1 million Belmont S. (G1), the 1
1/2-mile “Test of Champions,” will probably consider the nine-furlong, $200,000
Peter Pan S. (G2), which will now be run on May 20, three weeks before the
Belmont.
At Aqueduct, the major change involves the Gotham S. (G3) on March 18, which
switches from the main track to the inner dirt track and increases in distance
from a mile to 1 1/16 miles. The Gotham gets a $50,000 purse increase
to $200,000.
Some of the stakes races that were eliminated include the $100,000 Flash S.,
the $100,000 Astarita S., the $75,000 Cowdin S., the $75,000 Lawrence
Realization S. and the $75,000 Huntington S.
NYRA has scheduled 257 racing days for 2006. The 84-day Aqueduct
Winter/Spring Meet will run from January 1 through April 30; the 59-day Belmont
Park Spring/Summer Meet from May 3 through July 22; the 36-day Saratoga meet
from July 26 through September 4; the 33-day Belmont Park Fall Championship Meet
from September 8 through October 22; and the 45-day Aqueduct Fall Meet from
October 25 through December 31.