The purses for maiden and allowance races, both open and restricted, will be increased between $10,000 and $13,000 for the Belmont Stakes Racing Festival, to be held at Saratoga Race Course Thursday through Sunday, June 6-9.
Open maiden special weight contests will offer purse money of $100,000, up from $90,000, while New York-bred maidens will run for $85,000, an increase from $75,000.
Open entry-level allowance purses will be upped by $10,000 to $110,000, while New York-bred first-level allowance races will offer $90,000, a boost from $80,000. The open non-winners of two other than allowance races will carry prize money of $115,000, an increase of $13,000.
“The 2024 Belmont Stakes Racing Festival will offer purse levels commensurate with the stature and importance of this historic event,” said Andrew Offerman, NYRA Senior Vice President of Racing and Operations. “Beyond the appeal of Saratoga Race Course, these overnight purses should further incentivize participation in what is sure to be a thrilling edition of the Festival.”
As previously announced, the purse of the GI Belmont S. Presented by NYRA Bets is being increased from $1.5 million to $2 million for 2024, while the GI Resorts World Casino Manhattan S. goes from $750,000 to $1 million and the GI New York S. Presented by Rivers Casino from $600,000 to $750,000.
Additional graded events enjoying purse increases are the GIII Poker S. from $200,000 to $350,000, along with $100,000 increases to the purses of the GI Woody Stephens S. presented by Mohegan Sun, the GI Jaipur S. presented by Resolute Racing and the GII True North presented by F. W. Webb. Accordingly, the Woody Stephens and Jaipur will offer a purse of $500,000, with the True North S. rising to $350,000.
Click here for the condition book and full purse schedule.
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