NYRA announces special wager sequences for Belmont festival

The New York Racing Association announced a selection of special wagers to be offered during the five-day 2025 Belmont Stakes racing festival to be held from Wednesday through Sunday at Saratoga.

Highlighted by the 157th edition of the Belmont Stakes on Saturday, the festival will include 27 stakes races with purses totaling $11,275,000, the richest purses and highest number of stakes offered since the launch of the multi-day Belmont Stakes racing festival in 2014.

An array of two-day wagers is highlighted by the all-dirt Pick 6, which will open on Friday and concludes with the Grade 1, $2 million Belmont Stakes on Saturday. The all-dirt Pick 6 will feature a 20-cent base wager and 15% takeout.

The two-day all-turf Pick 5 will offer a $0.50 base and 15% takeout, featuring grass racing in all legs beginning Friday and continuing on Belmont Stakes Day. There also will be various two-day Pick 4s and special doubles across the Belmont Stakes racing festival.

Two-day all-dirt Pick 6

The two-day all-dirt Pick 6 opens Friday and continues Saturday, ending with a mandatory payout in the Belmont Stakes.

The sequence begins on Friday with the Bed o’ Roses (G2) and Ogden Phipps (G1), continuing Saturday with the True North (G3), Metropolitan Handicap (G1) and Woody Stephens (G1), before concluding with the Belmont Stakes.

Two-day all-turf Pick 5

The two-day all-turf Pick 5 opens on Friday with the New York (G1) and the Just a Game (G1), resuming on Saturday with the Jaipur (G1), the Pennine Ridge (G3) and ending with the Manhattan (G1).

Two-day Pick 4

There will be three two-day Pick 4 wagers across the Belmont Stakes racing festival, starting on Wednesday with race 9, the Mount Vernon, and race 10, ending on Thursday with race 1, the Tremont, and race 2.

The same setup is offered on Thursday with a Pick 4 that begins with the final two races, race 9, the Poker (G3) and race 10, the sequence concluding with Friday’s first two events races 1-2.

Friday will feature a similar format with a two-day Pick 4 starting in race 13, the Just a Game (G1) and race 14, finishing with Belmont Stakes day’s races 1-2. The above two-day Pick 4 sequences include a 50-cent minimum, 24% takeout and a mandatory payout.

Doubles

There are four special double wagers on offer that conclude with the Belmont Stakes, offering a $5 minimum and 18.5% takeout. These wagers begin with the Acorn and New York on Friday, and Saturday’s offerings start with the Metropolitan Handicap and the Woody Stephens.

Epsom-Belmont double

There will be one additional special double with overseas action from the Epsom Derby (G1) at Epsom Downs, race 5 on Saturday. and the Belmont Stakes, offered at a $2 minimum with 18.5% takeout.

The traditional $1 Pick 6 will be offered on each day of the Belmont Stakes racing festival. On Saturday, it includes five Grade 1 races among six graded events, races 8-13, concluding with the Belmont Stakes.

Belmont Stakes Day will feature six Pick 5 wagers with all but the opening and late Pick 5 offering a mandatory payout. In addition to the traditional early and late Pick 5s, there will be sequences from races 3-7, 5-9, 7-11 and 9-13.

An additional middle Pick 5 wager with a mandatory payout will be offered on Wednesday, races 4-8, and Thursday, races 3-7. The Friday card will include three additional middle Pick 5 sequences in races 3-7, 5-9, and 7-11 with mandatory payouts. Sunday’s nine-race card will feature a middle Pick 5 , races 3-7, on closing day of the five-day Belmont Stakes racing festival.