Aqueduct will offer 33 stakes, 10 graded, during its fall meet
The stakes schedule for the 2023 fall meet at Aqueduct will offer 33 stakes, 10 of them graded events, worth $6,385,000.
After the conclusion of Belmont at the Big A fall meet, which spans Thursday, Sept. 14, through Sunday, Oct. 29, the 31-day Aqueduct fall meet will run from Thursday, Nov. 2, through Sunday, Dec. 31.
The Aqueduct fall meet will be highlighted by the Grade 2, $500,000 Cigar Mile Handicap for 3-year-olds and up Dec. 2. The Cigar Mile Day program co-features the Remsen (G2) going 1 1/8 miles for juveniles as well as the 1 1/8-mile Demoiselle (G2) for juvenile fillies. Also slated for the card is the Go for Wand Handicap (G3) for fillies and mares 3-years-old and up traveling a one-turn mile over the main track.
The stakes action begins Nov. 3 with the listed Turnback the Alarm for fillies and mares 3 years old and up going 1 1/8 miles and the listed Discovery for sophomores traveling the same distance. The stakes action continues Nov. 4 with a pair of turf sprints in the Atlantic Beach for 2-year-olds and the Stewart Manor for juvenile fillies. The Nov. 5 program will offer a pair of listed $150,000 one-mile dirt routes with the Nashua for 2-year-olds and the Tempted for juvenile fillies.
The following weekend will see a trio of graded-stakes events, including the Pebbles (G3) for sophomore fillies going one mile on the turf Nov. 11, which previously was run during the Belmont Park fall meet. The card will also feature the Red Smith (G2) for 3-year-olds and up going 11 furlongs on the grass. On Nov. 12, fillies and mares 3 years old and up will contest the Long Island (G3) going 11 furlongs over the grass, and 3-year-olds and up will line up for the listed Artie Schiller, a one-mile turf test.
Stakes action resumes Nov. 17 with a pair of turf stakes, including the $150,000 Autumn Days for fillies and mares 3 years old and up going six furlongs and the $120,000 Tepin for juvenile fillies traveling one mile.
The following day will see four stakes events, including the Hill Prince (G2) for sophomores going 1 1/8 miles on the turf which was previously run during the Belmont fall meet. The day also features the listed Aqueduct Turf Sprint Championship for 3-year-olds and up going six furlongs, as well as a pair of six-furlong main track stakes for New York-bred juveniles in the Key Cents for fillies and the Notebook.
Nov. 19 will feature a pair of turf stakes in the Central Park for juveniles traveling one mile, as well as the Forever Together for fillies and mares 3-years-old and up going 1 1/16 miles.
Thanksgiving weekend will feature a pair of Grade 3 events in the Fall Highweight Handicap for 3-year-olds and up going six furlongs Nov. 24 and the Comely for sophomore fillies going 1 1/8 miles Nov. 25.
The popular New York Stallion Stakes Series, open to progeny of eligible New York sires, returns to the Big A with four divisions offered in December. Dec. 3 will feature the NYSSS Thunder Rumble for 3-year-olds and up sprinting seven furlongs on the main track, as well as the NYSSS Staten Island for fillies and mares 3 years old and up at the same distance.
Dec. 9 will feature the Garland of Roses for fillies and mares 3 years old and up going six furlongs. The NYSSS returns for a pair of stakes for juveniles Dec. 16 with a card that will see eligible New York-sired fillies contest the NYSSS Fifth Avenue at seven furlongs and the NYSSS Great White Way going the same distance.
After a 10-day break from Dec. 18 to Dec. 27, the stakes schedule concludes with the Bay Ridge for New York-bred fillies and mares 3 years old and up going a one-turn mile Dec. 28, one day before the Alex M. Robb for 3-year-olds and up at the same distance.
Rounding out the yearly stakes action are the listed Gravesend for 3-year-olds and up going six furlongs Dec. 30 and the listed $150,000 Queens County for 3-year-olds and up going 1 1/8 miles Dec. 31.
| Date | Stakes | Purse | Age | Dist. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fri., Nov. 3 | Turnback the Alarm (listed) | $150,000 | f&m 3 & up | 1 1/8 mi |
| Discovery (listed) | $150,000 | 3yo | 1 1/8 mi | |
| Sat., Nov. 4 | Atlantic Beach | $120,000 | 2yo | 6 f (t) |
| Stewart Manor | $120,000 | 2yo f | 6 f (t) | |
| Sun., Nov. 5 | Nashua (listed) | $150,000 | 2yo | 1 mile |
| Tempted (listed) | $150,000 | 2yo f | 1 mile | |
| Sat., Nov. 11 | Red Smith (G2) | $300,000 | 3 & up | 1 3/8 (t) |
| Pebbles (G3) | $200,000 | 3yo f | 1 mi (t) | |
| Sun., Nov. 12 | Long Island (G3) | $300,000 | f&m 3 & up | 1 3/8 (t) |
| Artie Schiller (listed) | $150,000 | 3 & up | 1 mi (t) | |
| Fri, Nov. 17 | Autumn Days | $150,000 | f&m 3 & up | 6 f (t) |
| Tepin | $120,000 | 2yo f | 1 mi (t) | |
| Sat., Nov. 18 | Hill Prince (G2) | $250,000 | 3yo | 1 1/8 (t) |
| Aqu. Turf Sprint Ch. (listed) | $150,000 | 3 & up | 6 f (t) | |
| Key Cents (NYB) | $100,000 | 2yo f | 6 f | |
| Notebook (NYB) | $100,000 | 2yo | 6 f | |
| Sun., Nov. 19 | Forever Together | $135,000 | f&m 3 & up | 1 1/16 (t) |
| Central Park | $120,000 | 2yo | 1 mi (t) | |
| Fri., Nov. 24 | Fall Highweight Hcp. (G3) | $200,000 | 3 & up | 6 f |
| Sat., Nov. 25 | Comely (G3) | $200,000 | 3yo f | 1 1/8 mi |
| Sat. Dec. 2 | Cigar Mile Hcp. (G2) | $500,000 | 3 & up | 1 mile |
| Remsen (G2) | $250,000 | 2yo | 1 1/8 mi | |
| Demoiselle (G2) | $250,000 | 2yo f | 1 1/8 mi | |
| Go for Wand Hcp. (G3) | $200,000 | f&m 3 & up | 1 mile | |
| Sun., Dec. 3 | NYSS Thunder Rumble Div. | $125,000 | 3 & up | 7 f |
| NYSS Staten Island Div. | $125,000 | f&m 3 & up | 7 f | |
| Sat., Dec. 9 | Garland of Roses | $120,000 | f&m 3 & up | 6 f |
| Sat., Dec. 16 | NYSS Great White Way Div. | $500,000 | 2yo | 7 f |
| NYSS Fifth Ave. Div. | $500,000 | 2yo f | 7 f | |
| Thu., Dec. 28 | Bay Ridge (NYB) | $100,000 | f&m 3 & up | 1 mile |
| Fri., Dec. 29 | Alex M. Robb (NYB) | $100,000 | 3 & up | 1 mile |
| Sat., Dec. 30 | Gravesend (listed) | $150,000 | 3 & up | 6 f |
| Sun., Dec. 31 | Queens County (listed) | $150,000 | 3 & up | 1 1/8 mi |
| Total purses | $6,385,000 | |||
| NYSS - N.Y. Stallion Series | ||||
| t - turf |