Major tuning of BEL & SAR stakes/purses

[Kasept]

BEL SPRING AND SAR MEET STAKES SCHEDULES AND PURSE STRUCTURES

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – The New York Racing Association, Inc. (NYRA) has released the stakes schedules and purse structures for the 2012 Belmont Park spring and Saratoga Race Course meets. Stakes purses during the 56-day Belmont spring meet will increase approximately $1.9 million, or 26.6 percent, to $9.05 million in 2012, while stakes purses during the 40-day Saratoga meet will increase approximately $2.85 million, or 27 percent, to $13.35 million in 2012.

Purses for overnight races – overnight stakes, allowance, claiming, and maiden special weights – will increase approximately $8.7 million during the Belmont spring meet and approximately $7.7 million during the Saratoga meet. Average daily purses, including stakes and overnight races, will go from approximately $430,000 to $620,000 (44 percent increase) for the 2012 Belmont spring meet and from approximately $670,000 to $930,000 (39 percent increase) for the 2012 Saratoga meet.

“The purse increases for overnight and stakes races for the upcoming Belmont Park and Saratoga meets confirm NYRA’s leadership position in thoroughbred racing,” said NYRA Vice President and Director of Racing P. J. Campo. “The enhanced purses should result in larger field sizes, stimulate additional wagering activity, and increase profitability for NYRA.”

NYRA purse increases are also creating a demand for New York-breds in the marketplace, which is sparking a renaissance in the state’s breeding industry. Breeders from out of state are once again sending their mares to New York, quality stallions have moved to the state, and several large commercial breeding farms have reopened. Purse increases also translate into bigger incentive awards from the New York Thoroughbred Breeding & Development Fund for individual breeders, who typically cycle the money right back into their businesses. All of this has the wide-ranging positive effect of creating and sustaining agricultural jobs across the Empire state.

The centerpiece of the 2012 Belmont spring meet falls on Saturday, June 9 with the 144th running of the $1 million Belmont Stakes, the third jewel of thoroughbred racing’s Triple Crown. Also on Belmont Stakes Day are the Grade 1, $500,000 Manhattan Handicap, the Grade 1, $500,000 Just a Game, the Grade 2, $400,000 Woody Stephens, and the Grade 2, $400,000 True North Handicap.

One of the most notable stakes purse increases for the Belmont spring meet is for the Grade 1 Metropolitan Mile Handicap, which will be run on Memorial Day, Monday, May 28 with a $750,000 purse, up $250,000 from last year. Additional stakes on Met Mile Day include the Grade 1, $400,000 Ogden Phipps Handicap and the Grade 2, $200,000 Sands Point. Also, the Grade 1, $300,000 Acorn will be run on Met Mile Day for the first time, allowing for optimal spacing between it and the Grade 1, $300,000 Mother Goose on June 23. The final Grade 1 of the Belmont spring meet will be the $600,000 Man o’ War on Saturday, July 14.