The stakes schedule for the 44-day Belmont Park spring/summer meet, which will feature 59 stakes races worth $16.95 million in total purses, was announced by NYRA Friday. The meet will open on Thursday, April 28 and continue through Sunday, July 10.
It will offer 12 Grade I contests and seven races with purses of $700,000 or higher, with four of those contests coming during the three-day Belmont Stakes Racing Festival from Thursday, June 9 through Saturday, June 11. Tickets for the 2022 Belmont Stakes Racing Festival will go on sale Thursday, Feb. 10 at 10 a.m. on Ticketmaster.
In addition to the GI Belmont S., the June 11 card will include the $1-million GI Hill 'n' Dale Metropolitan Mile, a “Win and You're In” for the GI Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile; the $500,000 GI Ogden Phipps S., a qualifier for the GI Breeders' Cup Distaff; the $400,000 GI Jaipur S., a GI Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint “Win and You're In”; the $750,000 GI Manhattan S.; $500,000 GI Acorn S.; $500,000 GI Longines Just a Game S.; $400,000 GI Woody Stephens S.; and $400,000 GII Brooklyn S.
Belmont weekend opens with the GII Wonder Again S., Astoria S. and Tremont S. June 9. That will be followed by the newly upgraded GI New York S., GII Belmont Gold Cup S., GII True North S., GIII Bed o'Roses S. and Intercontinental S. June 10.
The Stars and Stripes Racing Festival returns July 9 and features four graded stakes headlined by the opening legs of the Caesars Turf Triple Series, the $1-million GI Caesars Belmont Derby and $700,000 GI Belmont Oaks. Also featuring on the Stars and Stripes card is the $400,000 GII Suburban S. and GIII Victory Ride S.
Man o' War Day on May 14 boasts five graded stakes led by the $700,000 GI Man o' War and also includes the GIII Peter Pan S., GIII Beaugay S., GIII Vagrancy S. and GIII Runhappy S. Independence Day weekend July 2-4 features the GII John S. Nerud S. and GIII Dwyer S.
New York-breds take center stage May 30 with Big Apple Showcase Day, topped by the Commentator S. and Critical Eye S., both at $200,000.
The meet's graded action kicks off with the GII Sheepshead Bay S., GIII Westchester S. and GII Fort Marcy S. May 7.
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