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Jockey Club Gold Cup and Flower Bowl Added to Saratoga’s 2021 Stakes Schedule

The New York Racing Association unveiled the stakes schedule for the Saratoga meet, which will feature 76 stakes worth $21.5 million in total purses, including the GI Jockey Club Gold Cup and GI Flower Bowl S., both of which were previously run at Belmont.

Both races will be run Sept. 4 and, to accommodate this change, the GI Woodward S. and GIII Fasig-Tipton Waya S. will be moved to the Belmont fall meet. The Jockey Club Gold Cup will be worth a $1 million for the first time since 2016, up from $750,000. The Flower Bowl was cut from $500,000 to $250,000 last year due to COVID-19, but will be boosted to $600,000 this season.

Whitney day will also include the GI Longines Test S.; GI Saratoga Derby, which is being run as a Grade I for the first time this year; GII Glens Falls S.; and Fasig-Tipton Lure S.

The blockbuster Travers day card will also include the GI Sword Dancer S., GI Personal Ensign S., GI Ballerina S., GI Forego S., GI H. Allen Jerkens Memorial S. and GII Ballston Spa S. The first three on that list are Breeders' Cup Win and You're In events, just like the Whitney.

New York Showcase Day will retain its traditional spot on the calendar on Travers eve, Aug. 27, with six stakes for Empire-breds worth a total of $1.15 million.

The local prep for the Travers, the GII Jim Dandy S. will be held July 31, as will the GI Alfred G. Vanderbilt H. and GII Bowling Green S. The GII Amsterdam S. for sophomore sprinters will take place the following day, Aug. 1.

The GIII Schuylerville S. and GIII Quick Call S. highlight the opening day card July 15 and the first Grade I of the season is the Diana S. July 17. Other Grade Is at the Spa include the GI CCA Oaks July 24; the GI Alabama S. Aug. 21; and the GI Fourstardave H. Aug. 14, a qualifier for the GI Breeders' Cup Mile.

In addition to the Jockey Club Gold Cup and Flower Bowl, the final Saturday of the meet, Sept. 4, will include the GII Prioress S. and GIII Saranac S. The GI Spinaway S. will take place Sept. 5 and the GI Hopeful S. remains in its traditional spot on closing day, Sept. 6, as does the GII Bernard Baruch H.

Additional upgraded races for the Saratoga summer meet include the previously listed $200,000 GIII Caress S. July 24, in addition to 20 stakes receiving a $20,000 boost to offer a $120,000 purse.

Beginning in 2021, the use of Furosemide (Lasix) is prohibited within 48 hours of all stakes races conducted at NYRA tracks.

Earlier this month, New York Governor Andrew M. Cuomo announced that live sports and entertainment venues with a minimum reserved seating capacity of 10,000 will be permitted to re-open to a limited number of spectators beginning Feb. 23 with approval from the New York State Department of Health. All attendees must present a negative COVID-19 PCR test taken within 72 hours of the event and adhere to health and safety requirements, including mandatory facial coverings and social distancing.

NYRA will continue to closely monitor New York State-issued regulations to determine how they impact Saratoga Race Course. Additional details on fan attendance and tickets for the 2021 summer meet will be provided as information becomes available.

Click here to view the complete stakes schedule.

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Jockey Club Gold Cup, Flower Bowl Both Moved To Saratoga Meet

The New York Racing Association, Inc. (NYRA) today announced the stakes schedule for the 40-day summer meet at historic Saratoga Race Course, which will feature 76 stakes worth $21.5 million in total purses. The summer meet will open on Thursday, July 15, and conclude on Monday, Sept. 6.

Earlier this month, New York Governor Andrew M. Cuomo announced that live sports and entertainment venues with a minimum reserved seating capacity of 10,000 will be permitted to re-open to a limited number of spectators beginning on Feb. 23 with approval from the New York State Department of Health. All attendees must present a negative COVID-19 PCR test taken within 72 hours of the event and adhere to health and safety requirements, including mandatory facial coverings and social distancing.

The 2021 summer meet, which will offer at least one stakes race every live racing day, will be highlighted by the 152nd renewal of the Grade 1, $1.25 million Travers on Aug. 28 and the Grade 1, $1 million Whitney on Aug. 7, as the anchors of two of the most prestigious racing days in North America.

The Saratoga meet will also include the Grade 1, $1 million Jockey Club Gold Cup and the Grade 1, $600,000 Flower Bowl, both previously run during the fall meet at Belmont Park.

Following the four-day opening weekend, racing will be conducted five days a week, Wednesdays through Sundays, with the exception of the final week, when the meet will conclude on Labor Day.

Whitney Day will feature three Grade 1 events, led by the Whitney at 1 1/8 miles offering an automatic berth to the Breeders' Cup Classic on Nov. 6 at Del Mar.

Completing the trio of Grade 1s on Whitney Day will be the $500,000 Longines Test for sophomore fillies and the $1 million Saratoga Derby Invitational, the second jewel of the Turf Triple series for sophomore males in its first running with Grade 1 status. Whitney Day will also include the Grade 2, $250,000 Glens Falls for older fillies and mares on turf, and the $120,000 Fasig-Tipton Lure.

Whitney weekend kicks off Aug. 6, with the Grade 2, $200,000 National Museum of Racing Hall of Fame for sophomore turf milers; the Grade 3, $200,000 Troy, presented by Horse Racing Ireland, for 4-year-olds and up going 5 ½ furlongs on the turf; and the $120,000 Alydar at nine furlongs for older horses.

Whitney weekend concludes on Aug. 8, with three stakes highlighted by the upgraded Grade 3, $700,000 Saratoga Oaks Invitational, the second leg of the Turf Triple series for sophomore fillies. The August 8 card will also include the Grade 2, $200,000 Adirondack, a 6 1/2-furlong sprint for juvenile fillies, and the $120,000 Fasig-Tipton De La Rose at one mile on turf for older fillies and mares.

New York-breds will take center stage on Friday, Aug. 27, for New York Showcase Day, featuring six stakes for state-breds worth a combined $1.15 million. The lucrative card is headlined by the $250,000 Albany, a nine-furlong test for sophomores. Also featured are a trio of $200,000 stakes in the Fleet Indian for sophomore fillies; the Funny Cide, presented by Rood and Riddle Equine Hospital, for juvenile sprinters; and the Seeking the Ante for juvenile filly sprinters. Rounding out a special Empire State-bred slate are a pair of $150,000 turf events with the West Point Handicap presented by Trustco Bank for 3-year-olds and up and the Yaddo for fillies and mares 3-years-old and up.

The 152nd edition of the Travers is the centerpiece of a blockbuster day of racing on Saturday, Aug. 28. The 2021 Travers Day card will include seven stakes, including six Grade 1 events, offering $4.6 million in total purse money with automatic berths in the Breeders' Cup to the winner of the Grade 1, $750,000 Sword Dancer [Turf], the Grade 1, $600,000 Personal Ensign [Distaff], and the Grade 1, $500,000 Ballerina [Filly & Mare Sprint].

In addition, the Travers Day card will also include the Grade 1, $600,000 Forego, a seven-furlong sprint for 4-year-olds and upward, and the Grade 1, $500,000 H. Allen Jerkens Memorial for 3-year-olds going seven furlongs. Rounding out the signature day at the Spa is the Grade 2, $400,000 Ballston Spa for turf fillies and mares.

The traditional local prep for the Travers, the Grade 2, $600,000 Jim Dandy, will be held on Saturday, July 31. It will be joined by the Grade 1, $350,000 Alfred G. Vanderbilt Handicap, a six-furlong sprint for 3-year-olds and up, and the Grade 2, $250,000 Bowling Green at 1 3/8 miles on the turf. Closing out Jim Dandy weekend on Aug. 1 is the Grade 2, $200,000 Amsterdam for 3-year-olds at 6 ½ furlongs.

Additional upgraded races for the Saratoga summer meet include the previously listed Grade 3, $200,000 Caress, a 5 1/2-furlong turf sprint for older fillies and mares slated for Saturday, July 24, in addition to 20 stakes receiving a $20,000 boost to offer a $120,000 purse.

Opening Day, Thursday, July 15, will begin with a pair of graded stakes: the Grade 3, $150,000 Schuylerville for 2-year-old fillies and the Grade 3, $120,000 Quick Call for 3-year-olds going 5 ½ furlongs on the grass.

Saratoga's first Grade 1 of 2021 is the $500,000 Diana for turf fillies and mares on Saturday, July 17. The following Saturday, July 24, will see the Grade 1, $500,000 Coaching Club American Oaks take center stage.

Among the other 20 Grade 1 races at the Spa will be the $150,000 A.P. Smithwick Memorial on July 29, and the $150,000 New York Turf Writers Cup on Aug. 26 for steeplechasers; the $600,000 Alabama on Saturday, Aug. 21; and the $500,000 Fourstardave Handicap, a Breeders' Cup qualifier for the Mile, on Saturday, Aug. 14, to be held on the same card as the Grade 2, $200,000 Saratoga Special presented by Miller Lite.

Closing Weekend of the Saratoga meet will feature a pair of Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Win and You're In events previously held in the fall at Belmont Park with the $1 million Jockey Club Gold Cup [Classic] at 10 furlongs for 3-year-olds and up, and the $600,000 Flower Bowl [Filly and Mare Turf], an 11-furlong turf test for older fillies and mares, to anchor a Saturday, Sept. 4 card that also includes the Grade 2, $250,000 Prioress and the Grade 3, $300,000 Saranac.

To accommodate the Jockey Club Gold Cup and Flower Bowl, the Grade 1, $750,000 Woodward and the Grade 3, $200,000 Fasig-Tipton Waya will move from Saratoga to the Belmont fall meet.

On Sept. 5, 2-year-old fillies will sprint seven furlongs in the Grade 1, $300,000 Spinaway.

Closing Day on Monday, Sept. 6, will feature the Grade 2, $200,000 Bernard Baruch Handicap as well as the prestigious Grade 1, $300,000 Hopeful for 2-year-olds going seven furlongs to conclude the 153rd Saratoga meeting.

Beginning in 2021, the use of Furosemide (Lasix) is prohibited within 48 hours of all stakes races conducted at NYRA tracks.

To view the complete stakes schedule for the 2021 summer meet, visit NYRA.com/stakes.

The post Jockey Club Gold Cup, Flower Bowl Both Moved To Saratoga Meet appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Belmont’s Spring/Summer Meet To Offer Highest Ever Overnight Purses

The New York Racing Association, Inc. (NYRA) will offer its highest ever overnight purse schedule at the upcoming 48-day Belmont Park spring/summer meet slated for Thursday, April 22 through Sunday, July 11.

The condition book for the Belmont spring/summer meet is available online now at https://www.nyra.com/belmont/horsemen. Hard copies of the condition book will be available in the race office next week.

“NYRA is pleased to be able to offer the highest overnight purse levels in the history of Belmont Park,” said Martin Panza, NYRA Senior Vice President of Racing Operations. “These increases come at an important time in support of horsemen and will drive the industry forward as we emerge from the challenges wrought by COVID-19.”

Significant increases were made across most race categories which will see horsemen at the Belmont spring/summer meet compete for some of the highest purses in North America.

Open maiden special weight races at the Belmont spring/summer meet will feature a purse of $90,000 and horsemen participating in the claiming ranks will compete for purse money ranging up to $100,000.

New York-bred maiden special weight races will offer a purse of $75,000, while horses bred in the Empire State will benefit from an $85,000 purse for non-winners of two / $45,000 claiming and an $80,000 purse for the non-winners of one category.

“There has never been a better time to race or breed right here in New York state,” Panza continued. “The New York-bred program continues to thrive, and the purses and incentives that will begin this spring will continue through the summer at Saratoga making an investment in New York-breds all the more enticing.”

Joe Appelbaum, president of the New York Thoroughbred Horsemen's Association (NYTHA), expressed his support for the newly announced purse structure.

“It's gratifying to see these significant purse increases to the overnight and NY-bred races,” said Appelbaum. “These races are the foundation of the NYRA racing program and the continued investment in them has proven to be successful.”

Pari-mutuel wagering funds the majority of the NYRA purse account, which is awarded to horsemen and, in turn, benefits hundreds of small businesses operating at NYRA tracks and others dependent on the thoroughbred racing industry.

In addition to pari-mutuel wagering, the remainder of the NYRA purse account is funded through VLT revenues generated by casinos located in downstate New York, most notably at Resorts World Casino at Aqueduct. Due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, all casinos in New York were closed on March 16. The phased re-opening of the New York state economy authorized casinos to re-open to the public at limited capacity on September 9, 2020.

Live racing at Aqueduct continues Friday, February 19 with an eight-race card. First post on Friday is 1:20 p.m.

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Stakes From Laurel, Aqueduct Highlight Coverage On America’s Day At The Races

Exciting live racing from Aqueduct Racetrack, Laurel Park, Fair Grounds and Tampa Bay Downs will comprise nine hours of live coverage this weekend on America's Day at the Races, the acclaimed national telecast produced by the New York Racing Association, Inc. (NYRA) in partnership with FOX Sports.

Presented by America's Best Racing and Claiborne Farm, America's Day at the Races will air Saturday and Sunday from 1:00 p.m. – 5:30 p.m. Eastern on FS2, including live coverage on Saturday of the Grade 3, $250,000 General George and Grade 3, $250,000 Runhappy Barbara Fritchie from Laurel Park and the $100,000 Maddie May at the Big A.

The Runhappy Barbara Fritchie, a seven-furlong sprint for older fillies and mares, attracted a field of eight led by popular Maryland-bred Hello Beautiful for trainer Brittany Russell. The 4-year-old Golden Lad filly, to be piloted from the outside post by Sheldon Russell, enters from a trio of wins in stakes company at Laurel Park including a last-out score in the What A Summer. Steep opposition will be provided by Sharp Starr, trained by Horacio DePaz for owner-breeder Barry K. Schwartz, who won the Grade 3 Go for Wand Handicap in December at Aqueduct.

The Grade 3 General George, a seven-furlong sprint for 4-year-olds and up, will feature Gatsas Stables, R.A. Hill Stable and Swick Stable's New York-bred Funny Guy. Trained by John Terranova, the 5-year-old Big Brown bay, bred in the Empire State by Hibiscus Stables, boasts a record of six wins and six seconds from 17 starts with purse earnings of $638,645. A wide-open field of 10 also includes 2020 Grade 3 Fall Highweight-winner Share the Ride; 2020 Grade 3 Bold Ruler-victor Majestic Dunhill; and 2020 Grade 3 Frank J. De Francis Memorial Dash winner Laki.

America's Day at the Races will also feature live coverage of stakes action on the Laurel Park undercard including the Miracle Wood, John B. Campbell, Nellie Morse, and Wide Country.

Stakes action at the Big A on Saturday is led by the Maddie May, a one-turn mile for New York-bred sophomore fillies. The field of nine is headlined by OXO Equine's impressive maiden winner Brattle House, who is trained and co-bred by Christophe Clement. The Malibu Moon bay earned a 65 Beyer Speed Figure in her 5 1/4-length debut romp on November 22 at Aqueduct. She will have to fend of the multiple graded stakes placed Make Mischief, who completed the exacta in the Grade 3 Schuylerville and Grade 2 Adirondack last summer at Saratoga. Last out, Chris Englehart saddled the Into Mischief bay to an impressive score in her seasonal debut in an optional-claiming sprint on January 31 at the Big A.

Weekend coverage will also include live racing action from Tampa Bay Downs and Fair Grounds Race Course.

America's Day at the Races is also broadcast on NYRA's YouTube channel which boasts more than 64,000 subscribers. Fans can subscribe to NYRA's channel and set a reminder to watch the show on YouTube Live. NYRA's YouTube channel also hosts a plethora of race replays, special features, America's Day at the Races replays and more.

Free Equibase-provided past performances are available for races that are part of the America's Day at the Races broadcast and can be accessed at https://www.nyra.com/aqueduct/racing/tv-schedule.

NYRA Bets is the official online wagering platform of Aqueduct Racetrack, Belmont Park and Saratoga Race Course. Available to horseplayers nationwide, NYRA Bets is currently offering a $200 new member bonus in addition to a host of special weekly offers. The NYRA Bets app is available for download today on iOS and Android at www.NYRABets.com.

For the current broadcast schedule and additional programming information, visit NYRA.com.

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