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NYRA’s 2023 Belmont Park Meet Features $15.57 Million Total Purses For Stakes

Fifty-four stakes races worth $15.57 million in total purses will highlight the 40-day Belmont spring/summer meet, which is scheduled to open Thursday, May 4 and continue through Sunday, July 9, the New York Racing Association announced Wednesday.

Highlighted by the 155th running of the $1.5 million GI Belmont S. presented by NYRA Bets on Saturday, June 10, the spring/summer meet will include 12 Grade I races, with nine of those contests scheduled during the three-day Belmont Stakes Racing Festival from Thursday, June 8 through Saturday, June 10. The Thursday-through-Sunday event features purses totaling $7.65 million.

The Belmont Stakes Day program June 10 will culminate with the 1 1/2-mile “Test of the Champion” and feature three Breeders' Cup “Win And You're In” qualifiers: the $1 million GI Hill 'N' Dale Metropolitan H. for 3-year-olds and up, going one mile on the dirt [GI BC Dirt Mile]; the $500,000 GI Ogden Phipps S. for older fillies and mares at 1 1/16 miles on the main track [GI BC Distaff]; and the $400,000 GI Jaipur for 3-year-olds and up sprinting six furlongs on the grass [GI Turf Sprint].

Five additional graded events are slated for Belmont Stakes Day: the $400,000 GI Woody Stephens S. presented by Mohegan Sun for sophomores sprinting seven furlongs; the $750,000 GI Manhattan S. Resorts World Casino Manhattan for older horses traveling 1 1/4 miles on the turf; the $250,000 GII True North for older horses sprinting 6 1/2 furlongs; the $250,000 GII Brooklyn S. at 1 1/2 miles for older horses; and the $200,000 GIII Poker S. for older horses going one-mile on the grass, which has been moved up one week from its traditional spot in the schedule.

For the first time, FOX will present comprehensive live coverage and analysis of the Belmont Stakes presented by NYRA Bets. In 2022, FOX Sports secured the exclusive media rights for the Belmont Stakes and Belmont Stakes Racing Festival through 2030. As part of the eight-year agreement, FOX Sports will expand national television coverage of the Belmont Stakes Racing Festival.

While the total Belmont Stakes purse remains at $1.5 million, NYRA will increase the money awarded to the winning connections from 53.3 percent to 60 percent, which will result in a winner's share of $900,000 compared with $800,000 in 2022. NYRA will continue to award Belmont Stakes purse money through eighth place with 18 percent to 2nd, 10 percent to 3rd, five percent to 4th, three percent to 5th, two percent to 6th and one percent to 7th and 8th.

The Belmont Stakes Racing Festival begins with two stakes on Thursday, June 8: the $200,000 GII Wonder Again S. for sophomore fillies traveling nine furlongs on the turf and the $150,000 Jersey Girl S., a Listed race for sophomore fillies sprinting six furlongs on the main track. The Jersey Girl has been previously run on the Sunday after the Belmont Stakes.

Friday, June 9 will include five graded stakes highlighted by a trio of Grade I events: the $600,000 GI New York S., the $500,000 GI Just a Game S. and the $500,000 GI Acorn S., which will be lengthened to 1 1/16 miles after it was previously run at one mile. The Just a Game and Acorn have been moved to Day 2 of the Belmont Stakes Racing Festival after having been previously run on Belmont Stakes Day. In addition, the June 9 program will include the $250,000 GII Belmont Gold Cup and the $200,000 GIII Intercontinental S.

Following the conclusion of the three-day Belmont Stakes Racing Festival, the high-quality racing continues Sunday, June 11 with two 5 1/2-furlong juvenile stakes, each offering new incentives for 2023. The $150,000 Tremont S. and its female counterpart, the $150,000 Astoria, both Listed events, will each offer a shipping bonus of $1,000 for horses stabled outside of NYRA racetracks, and a $2,000 bonus [$1,000 to the owner and $1,000 to the trainer] to each starter in the race.

The $250,000 GIII Manila S., a one-mile turf test for sophomores slated for Friday, July 7, has been upgraded from Listed status for 2023, and its purse increased by $150,000. The Manila will lead into a lucrative Saturday, July 8, card featuring two Grade I turf routes for sophomores: the $750,000 GI Belmont Derby Invitational and the $500,000 GI Belmont Oaks Invitational, both at 1 1/4 miles.

The July 8 card will also include the $350,000 GII Suburban S. for older horses going 1 1/4 miles and the $175,000 GIII Victory Ride for sophomore fillies sprinting 6 1/2 furlongs.

The spring/summer meet stakes action kicks off on Friday, May 5 with the $200,000 GII Sheepshead Bay for older fillies and mares going 1 3/8 miles on the turf and the $175,000 GIII Westchester for older horses at one-mile on the main track. The Affirmed Success, which has recently opened the stakes competition at Belmont, has been moved to April 30 and will close the spring meet at Aqueduct Racetrack.

Opening Weekend at Belmont continues with three more stakes on Saturday, May 6: the $200,000 GII Ruffian S., the $200,000 GII Fort Marcy S., and the $150,000 Elusive Quality S. Sunday, May 7 offers two additional stakes with the $175,000 GIII Beaugay S. and $150,000 License Fee S.

The following weekend will see the start of Grade I action at the spring/summer meet as the $600,000 GI Man o' War S., a 1 3/8-mile turf route for older horses, headlines a loaded Saturday, May 13 card. The day will also feature the $200,000 GIII Peter Pan for sophomores traveling nine furlongs and the $175,000 GIII Runhappy S. for older horses sprinting six furlongs.

The lucrative Man o' War card is bookended by the $150,000 Gold Fever S. for sophomores sprinting six furlongs on Friday, May 12 and the $175,000 GIII Vagrancy S. for older fillies and mares at 6 1/2 furlongs on Sunday, May 14. Stakes action resumes the following weekends with the $150,000 Paradise Creek S. on Saturday, May 20 and the $175,000 GIII Soaring Softly S. on Saturday, May 27.

New York-breds will take center stage on the Big Apple Showcase Day card slated for Memorial Day on Monday, May 29. The day will offer six state-bred stakes worth $900,000, headlined by a pair of $200,000 contests in the Critical Eye H. for fillies and mares 3-years-old and up at 1 1/16 miles, and the Commentator H. for 3-year-olds and up at the same distance. The Critical Eye and Commentator were previously contested at a distance of one-mile.

Big Apple Showcase Day will include a quartet of $125,000 contests–the Kingston S. at 1 1/16 miles on turf for older horses; the Mount Vernon S. for older fillies and mares traveling one-mile on the grass; the Mike Lee S. for sophomores sprinting seven furlongs; and the Bouwerie S. for sophomore fillies at seven furlongs.

The 40-day spring/summer meet will conclude on Sunday, July 9 before racing moves to historic Saratoga Race Course for the annual summer meet beginning Thursday, July 13.

The GII Mother Goose S., which has been traditionally contested during the Belmont spring/summer meet, will be run during the Belmont at the Big A fall meet in 2023.

For the 2023 Belmont spring/summer stakes schedule, visit NYRA.com/BelmontSpringSummer.

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Pletchers To Be Honored By NYRTC

The New York Race Track Chaplaincy (NYRTC) will honor Tracy and Todd Pletcher for their generous and continued support of the New York backstretch community at its 16th Annual Fundraising Brunch, which will be held on Wednesday, Aug. 16 at the Saratoga National Golf Club in Saratoga Springs, New York.

“This honor means the world to Tracy and to me,” said Todd Pletcher. “Our record reflects a team effort and the members of the backstretch are key members of our team. The New York Chaplaincy does great work serving those who care for our horses and we are humbled to join their list of honorees.”

“The Pletchers have demonstrated a deep commitment to the backstretch community, and their support has come in many forms over the years,” said Ramón Dominguez, President of the Board of the NYRTC. “We are thrilled to honor them in this way for all they have done and all they continue to do.”

Previous recipients have included Anne Campbell, Edgar Prado, Michael Dubb, Fay and David Donk, Marylou Whitney and John Hendrickson, Letty and Kiaran McLaughlin, Lisa and Kenny Troutt, Debbie and Terry Finley, the New York Thoroughbred Horsemen's Association, Irad Ortiz Jr. and Andy Serling.

Additional information, including tickets and sponsorships for the event, may be found at www.rtcany.org.

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New Ruling on Changes Leaves NYRA, Trainers Puzzled

The notice began appearing on the overnight in early January. “By order of the stewards. Pursuant to NYSGC RULE 4033.8. Effective February 1^st, only equipment specifically approved by the stewards shall be worn or carried by a jockey or a horse in a race. No equipment change (including shoes) will be allowed once the overnight is published.”

“There is no new rule,” wrote Brad Maoine, Director of Communications for the New York State Gaming Commission in response to TDN's request for information about the new posting on the overnight. “The intent of the message is (to) ensure that the betting public has access to accurate information regarding equipment changes in a timely fashion.”

But a reading of the NYSGC's rule 4033.8 reveals no mention of a horse's equipment, and reads only, “Only equipment specifically approved by the stewards shall be worn or carried by a jockey or a horse in a race.” There is no mention of equipment changes for horses after the publishing of the overnight in the ruling as stated on the Gaming Commission's website.

Trainers, horsemen's representatives and the NYRA expressed confusion over what the impetus for the rule was, and concern over the repercussions.

Right now, NYRA races are drawn either five, three or two days in advance of the race, with any late changes announced on the t.v. and general address system at the track, and off.

“NYRA has mechanisms in place to inform the betting public in the event of a late equipment change,” said NYRA spokesman Patrick McKenna. “This new rule does nothing to further protect horseplayers and will likely penalize owners for administrative errors that can easily be corrected in real time.”

“I think there are several issues with it,” said trainer Todd Pletcher. “My first concern would be over an occasional shoe situation. We've had scenarios where a horse sheds a frog and we train the horse in an aluminum pad, and we try to keep it on to complete their training, which is usually right up to the day of the race. If you want to make that shoe change you sometimes literally don't know until game day. Entries in most jurisdictions are becoming further and further out, so that's one concern.”

Secondly, he said, “everyone makes mistakes occasionally, and maybe you made an honest mistake and didn't enter with blinkers, and caught it after the overnight came out, or maybe the racing office made a mistake and didn't note blinkers on. It seems as if there should be a 24-hour grace period.”

Trainer David Donk conceded that in a perfect world, trainers would and should indicate changes of equipment at entry time, but that the current system of taking entries by phone, rather than by computer with mandatory fields filled out, made it more likely for errors to be made.

“Why can't I enter online?” said Donk. “Listen, it is the trainer's responsibility. I probably don't have a real problem with it, but is it the commission overstepping? I don't see where it's coming from, and why there can't be a grace period? Common sense says there should be some compromise.”

Donk said that he imagined that the equipment changes hinted at would be blinker changes or the addition of a bar shoe. Attorney Drew Mollica—who has represented numerous clients in conflicts with the Gaming Commission, including two currently–said that he envisioned that the rule would not only make it more likely to cause unnecessary scratches, but could be subject to legal challenges.

“No shoe changes after entry puts the horse in jeopardy and hurts the track,” said Mollica. “Say a horse pops a small quarter crack and needs a bar shoe. If that is announced, does that not protect the owner, the public, the horse and the track? But under this rule, he must scratch. Why?”

“And how about blinkers?” he continued. “Say a horse breezes on the day after entry and the trainer thinks blinkers would help, but now has to scratch or run without equipment that could benefit his performance because the new rule says he must scratch or not wear them? Who does this help? In a game that has enough natural landmines, do we have to plant more?”

Will Alempijevic, the executive director of the New York Thoroughbred Horsemen's Association, replied in an email, “NYTHA is currently engaged in discussions with both the NYSGC and NYRA to understand the issues that precipitated the change. We will continue to play an active role to see if we can collectively come up with proposed solutions to everyone's mutual benefit.”

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GISW Fire At Will to Sequel New York for 2023

Breeders' Cup winner and recent Fasig-Tipton Digital sales stallion prospect Fire At Will (Declaration of War–Flirt, by Kitten's Joy) has officially been retired and will stand at Sequel New York near Hudson for the 2023 season.

The Three Diamonds Farm runner broke his maiden at second asking in Saratoga's With Anticipation S. at two while on the main track and quickly made it three in a row, taking the GII Pilgrim S. on Belmont's lawn prior to his victory in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf at Keeneland. He won the latter by three lengths, propelling him to the Eclipse Awards as a finalist for the 2-year-old champion male, eventually won by Essential Quality (Tapit).

“[Fire At Will] is absolutely the fastest 2-year-old I have ever trained on the turf,” said conditioner Mike Maker.

Fire At Will switched to the dirt again for his first start at three, finishing off the board in the GII Fountain of Youth S., then quickly rebounded to a third-place finish in Keeneland's GIII Transylvania S. on the grass. Fire At Will retires with a record of 6-3-0-1 and earnings of $675,932.

Bred in Kentucky by Troy Rankin, Fire At Will was purchased as a yearling at the 2019 Keeneland September sale by Three Diamonds Farm for $97,000. His dam is a half-sister to GISW Decorated Invader (Declaration of War) and they hail from the same family as successful sire Stormy Atlantic. Bidding for Fire At Will's digital sale closed Jan. 11.

“Recent Fasig-Tipton Digital sale graduate Fire At Will presents a great opportunity to breeders in New York,” said Fasig-Tipton President Boyd Browning. “He was a brilliant Breeders' Cup winner at two and has an outstanding pedigree. Becky Thomas and her team at Sequel have added another really exciting stallion prospect for the 2023 breeding season.”

Fire At Will will be available for inspection at Sequel, along with fellow Sequel stallions Keepmeinmind, Honest Mischief, Freud, and Mission Impazible, this coming Saturday, Jan. 21, from 11 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. His fee for the upcoming season will be $6,000.

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