The New York Racing Association today announced the stakes schedule for the spring-summer meet at Belmont Park, which will feature 54 stakes races worth $15.57 million in total purses. The 40-day spring/summer meet will open on Thursday, May 4, and continue through Sunday, July 9.
Highlighted by the 155th running of the $1.5 million Belmont Stakes on Saturday, June 10, the spring/summer meet will include 12 Grade 1 races, with nine of those contests scheduled during the three-day Belmont Stakes racing festival from Thursday, June 8, through Saturday, June 10.
The Belmont Stakes day program on June 10 will culminate with the 1 1/2-mile “test of the champion” and feature three Breeders’ Cup “win and you're in” qualifiers: the Metropolitan Handicap (G1) for 3-year-olds and up going one mile (Dirt Mile); the Ogden Phipps (G1) for older fillies and mares at 1 1/16 miles on the main track (Distaff]) and the Jaipur (G1) for 3-year-olds and up sprinting six furlongs on the grass (Turf Sprint).
Five additional graded events are slated for Belmont Stakes Day: the Woody Stephens (G1) for sophom*ores sprinting seven furlongs; the Manhattan (G1) for older horses traveling 1 1/4 miles on the turf; the True North (G2) for older horses sprinting 6 1/2 furlongs; the Brooklyn (G2) at 1 1/2 miles for older horses; and the Poker (G3) for older horses going one mile on the grass, which has been moved up one week from its traditional spot in the schedule.
The total Belmont Stakes purse remains at $1.5 million, but NYRA will increase the money awarded to the winning connections from 53.3 percent to 60 percent, which will result in a winner’s share of $900,000 compared with $800,000 in 2022. NYRA will continue to award Belmont Stakes purse money through eighth place with 18 percent to second, 10 percent to third, 5 percent to fourth, 3 percent to fifth, 2 percent to sixth and 1 percent to seventh and eighth.
The Belmont Stakes racing festival begins with two stakes on Thursday, June 8: the Wonder Again (G2) for sophom*ore fillies traveling nine furlongs on the turf and the listed Jersey Girl for sophom*ore fillies sprinting six furlongs on the main track. The Jersey Girl previously has been run on the Sunday after the Belmont Stakes.
Friday, June 9, will include five graded stakes highlighted by a trio of Grade 1 events: the New York, the Just a Game and the Acorn, which will be lengthened to 1 1/16 miles after it was previously run at one mile. The Just a Game and Acorn have been moved to the second day of the Belmont Stakes racing festival after having been previously run on Belmont Stakes day. In addition, the June 9 program will include the Belmont Gold Cup (G2) and the Intercontinental (G3)
Racing continues Sunday, June 11, with two 5 1/2-furlong juvenile stakes, each offering new incentives for 2023. The listed Tremont and its female counterpart, the Astoria, each will offer a shipping bonus of $1,000 for horses stabled outside of NYRA racetracks and a $2,000 bonus ($1,000 to the owner and $1,000 to the trainer) to each starter in the race.
The Manila (G3), a one-mile turf test for sophom*ores slated for Friday, July 7, was upgraded from listed status for 2023, and its purse was increased by $150,000. The Manila will lead into a lucrative Saturday, July 8, card featuring two Grade 1 turf routes for sophom*ores: the Belmont Derby Invitational and the Belmont Oaks Invitational, both at 1 1/4 miles.
The July 8 card also will include the Suburban (G2) for older horses going 1 1/4 miles and the Victory Ride (G3) for sophom*ore fillies sprinting 6 1/2 furlongs.
The spring/summer meet stakes action kicks off on Friday, May 5, with the Sheepshead Bay (G2) for older fillies and mares going 1 3/8 miles on the turf and the Westchester (G3) for older horses at one mile on the main track. The Affirmed Success, which has recently opened the stakes racing at Belmont, has been moved to April 30 and will drop the curtain on the spring meet at Aqueduct.
Opening Weekend at Belmont continues with three more stakes on Saturday, May 6: the Ruffian (G2), the Fort Marcy (G2) and the listed Elusive Quality. Sunday, May 7, offers two additional stakes, the Beaugay (G3) and listed License Fee.
The following weekend will see the start of Grade 1 action at the spring/summer meet as the Man o’ War, a 1 3/8-mile turf route for older horses, headlines a loaded card on Saturday, May 13. The day will also feature the Peter Pan (G3) for sophom*ores traveling nine furlongs and the Runhappy (G3) for older horses sprinting six furlongs.
The Man o’ War card is bookended by the listed Gold Fever for sophom*ores sprinting six furlongs on Friday, May 12, and the Vagrancy (G3) for older fillies and mares at 6 1/2 furlongs on Sunday, May 14. Stakes action resumes the following weekends with the listed Paradise Creek on Saturday, May 20, and the Soaring Softly (G3) on Saturday, May 27.
New York-breds will take center stage on the Big Apple Showcase day card slated for Memorial Day, Monday, May 29. The day will offer six state-bred stakes worth $900,000, headlined by a pair of $200,000 contests in the Critical Eye Handicap for fillies and mares 3-years-old and up at 1 1/16 miles, and the Commentator Handicap for 3-year-olds and up at the same distance. The Critical Eye and Commentator previously were contested at a distance of one mile.
Big Apple Showcase day will include a quartet of $125,000 contests – the Kingston at 1 1/16 miles on turf for older horses; the Mount Vernon for older fillies and mares traveling one mile on the grass; the Mike Lee for sophom*ores sprinting seven furlongs; and the Bouwerie for sophom*ore fillies at seven furlongs.
Graded-stakes action returns on Saturday, June 3, with the Pennine Ridge (G2) for sophom*ore turf specialists going 1 1/8 miles.
The weekend of Saturday, June 17, kicks off with the Bed o’ Roses (G2) for fillies and mares 4-years-old and up sprinting seven furlongs before attention turns to the New York stallion program on Sunday, June 18, for two divisions of the New York Stallion Stakes Series. The NYSSS Spectacular Bid is slated as a seven-furlong turf sprint for sophom*ores with the NYSSS Cupecoy’s Joy set for the same distance and course for sophom*ore fillies.
Saturday, June 24, will feature the listed Wild Applause for sophom*ores fillies at one mile on the turf, before the weekend closes out on Sunday, June 25, with the Dancin Renee for older New York-bred fillies and mares sprinting six furlongs.
Independence Day weekend kicks off on Saturday, July 1, with a pair of graded events, the John A. Nerud (G2) for older sprinters at seven furlongs and the Dwyer (G3) for sophom*ores traveling one mile on the main track.
Sunday, July 2, will be headlined by the listed Perfect Sting, setting the stage for holiday racing on Mondayand Tuesday, July 3 and 4. The two cards each will offer a new stake for New York-breds, the Hudson Valley at one mile on the turf for older horses on July 3; and the Port Washington, a 1 1/16-mile turf route for older fillies and mares, on July 4.
The 40-day spring/summer meet will conclude on Sunday, July 9, before racing moves to Saratoga Race Course for the annual summer meet beginning Thursday, July 13.
The Mother Goose (G2), which traditionally has been contested during the Belmont spring/summer meet, will be run during the Belmont at the Big A fall meet in 2023.
| Date | Race | Purse | Age | Dist. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fri., May 5 | Sheepshead Bay (G2) | $200,000 | 4+ f&m | 1 3/8 (T) |
| Westchester (G3) | $175,000 | 4+ | 1 mile | |
| Sat., May 6 | Ruffian (G2) | $200,000 | 4+ f&m | 1 mile |
| Fort Marcy (G2) | $200,000 | 4+ | 1 1/8 (T) | |
| Elusive Quality (L) | $150,000 | 4+ | 7 f (T) | |
| Sun., May 7 | Beaugay (G3) | $175,000 | 4+ f&m | 1 1/16 (T) |
| License Fee (L) | $150,000 | 4+ f&m | 6 f | |
| Fri., May 12 | Gold Fever (L) | $150,000 | 3yo | 6 f |
| Sat., May 13 | Man o' War (G1) | $600,000 | 4+ | 1 3/8 (T) |
| Peter Pan (G3) | $200,000 | 3yo | 1 1/8 | |
| Runhappy (G3) | $175,000 | 4+ | 6 f | |
| Sun., May 14 | Vagrancy (G3) | $175,000 | 4+ f&m | 6 1/2 f |
| Sat., May 20 | Paradise Creek (L) | $150,000 | 3yo | 7 f (T) |
| Sat., May 27 | Soaring Softly (G3) | $175,000 | 3yo f | 7 f (T) |
| Mon., May 29 | Commentator Hcp. (NYB) | $200,000 | 3+ | 1 1/16 |
| Critical Eye Hcp. (NYB) | $200,000 | 3+ f&m | 1 1/16 | |
| Kingston (NYB) | $125,000 | 4+ | 1 1/16 (T) | |
| Mount Vernon (NYB) | $125,000 | 4+ f&m | 1 mi (T) | |
| Mike Lee (NYB) | $125,000 | 3yo | 7 f | |
| Bowerie (NYB) | $125,000 | 3yo f | 7 f | |
| Sat., June 3 | Pennine Ridge (G2) | $200,000 | 3yo | 1 1/8 (T) |
| Thu., June 8 | Jersey Girl (L) | $150,000 | 3yo f | 6 f |
| Wonder Again (G2) | $200,000 | 3yo f | 1 1/8 (T) | |
| Fri., June 9 | Intercontinental (G3) | $200,000 | 4+ f&m | 6 f (T) |
| Belmont Gold Cup (G2) | $250,000 | 4+ | 2 mi (T) | |
| Just A Game (G1) | $500,000 | 4+ f&m | 1 mi (T) | |
| New York (G1) | $600,000 | 4+ f&m | 1 1/4 (T) | |
| Acorn (G1) | $500,000 | 3yo f | 1 1/16 | |
| Sat., June 10 | Belmont (G1) | $1,500,000 | 3yo | 1 1/2 mi |
| Manhattan (G1) | $750,000 | 4+ | 1 1/4 (T) | |
| Metropolitan (G1) | $1,000,000 | 3+ | 1 mile | |
| Ogden Phipps (G1) | $500,000 | 4+ f&m | 1 1/16 | |
| Jaipur (G1) | $400,000 | 3+ | 6 f (T) | |
| Woody Stephens (G1) | $400,000 | 3yo | 7 f | |
| True North (G2) | $250,000 | 4+ | 6 1/2 f | |
| Brooklyn (G2) | $250,000 | 4+ | 1 1/2 mi | |
| Poker (G3) | $200,000 | 4+ | 1 mi (T) | |
| Sun., June 11 | Astoria (BT) | $150,000 | 2yo f | 5 1/2 f |
| Tremont (L) | $150,000 | 2yo | 5 1/2 f | |
| Sat., June 17 | Bed o' Roses (G2) | $200,000 | 4+ f&m | 7 f |
| Sun., June 18 | Cupcoy's Joy Div. (NYSS) | $150,000 | 3yo f | 7 f (T) |
| Spectacular Bid Div. (NYSS) | $150,000 | 3yo | 7 f (T) | |
| Sat., June 24 | Wild Applause (L) | $150,000 | 3yo f | 1 mi (T) |
| Sun., June 25 | Dancin Renee (NYB) | $125,000 | 4+ f&m | 6 f |
| Sat., July 1 | John A. Nerud (G2) | $250,000 | 4+ | 7 f |
| Dwyer (G3) | $200,000 | 3yo | 1 mile | |
| Sun., July 2 | Perfect Sting (L) | $150,000 | 4+ f&m | 1 mi (T) |
| Mon., July 3 | Hudson Valley (NYB) | $125,000 | 4+ | 1 mi (T) |
| Tue., July 4 | Port Washington (NYB) | $125,000 | 4+ f&m | 1 1/16 (T) |
| Fri. July 7 | Manila (G3) | $250,000 | 3yo | 1 mi (T) |
| Sat. July 8 | Belmont Derby Inv. (G1) | $750,000 | 3yo | 1 1/4 (T) |
| Belmont Oaks Inv. (G1) | $500,000 | 3yo f | 1 1/4 (T) | |
| Suburban (G2) | $350,000 | 4+ | 1 1/4 mi | |
| Victory Ride (G3) | $175,000 | 3yo f | 6 1/2 f |
