NYRA increases purses for Belmont Stakes meet at Saratoga
The New York Racing Association announced its purse schedule for the four-day 2024 Belmont Stakes racing festival at Saratoga, slated for Thursday, June 6, through Sunday, June 9.
The following categories at the Belmont Stakes racing festival will see an increased purse to that offered during the Belmont at the Big A spring/summer meet.
Open maiden special weights will feature a purse increase of $10,000 to $100,000, and New York-bred maiden special weights will be increased by $10,000 increase to offer a purse of $85,000.
The open non-winners-of-two category will be increased by $13,000 to offer a purse of $115,000, while the non-winners-of-one category will be upped by $10,000 for a purse of $110,000. The New York-bred non-winners-of-one category will be boosted by $10,000 to $90,000.
NYRA previously announced the purse of the Belmont Stakes will increase from $1.5 million to $2 million in 2024. In addition, NYRA has increased the purse of the Manhattan (G1) from $750,000 to $1 million and boosted the New York (G1) from $600,000 to $750,000.
Additional graded events with purse increases are the Poker (G3) from $200,000 to $350,000, along with $100,000 increases to the purses of the Woody Stephens (G1), the Jaipur (G1) and the True North (G2). Accordingly, the Woody Stephens and Jaipur will offer a purse of $500,000, with the True North rising to $350,000.
Highlighted by the 156th edition of the Belmont Stake on Saturday, June 8, the Belmont Stakes racing festival will include 24 stakes races with purses totaling $10.25 million, the highest purse levels and number of stakes offered since the launch of the multi-day Belmont Stakes racing festival in 2014.
The Oklahoma training track at Saratoga will open for the 2024 season on Thursday, April 18, with the barn area open to horsemen beginning Monday, April 15. As preparations continue for the 2024 Belmont Stakes racing festival, the main track at the Spa will open roughly one month earlier than is customary on Monday, May 6.