stakes schedule

For the first time in its 31-year history, Kentucky Downs is offering three $1-million races during its six-date 2021 meet. Added to the track's GII Calumet Turf Cup, Kentucky Downs' $1-million trio also will feature the GIII Turf Sprint and GIII WinStar Mint Million. Kentucky Downs will stage 16 stakes worth a track-record total of $10 million, including $4.85 million in purse supplements for registered Kentucky-bred horses. The all-grass meet runs Sept. 5, 6, 8, 9, 11 and 12. "Purses are the economic engine of the racing industry, and Kentucky...

Three stakes races worth $450,000--including a pair of graded events--will highlight the Summer Thoroughbred Festival at Los Alamitos. The seven-day meet is scheduled to begin Friday, June 25 and continue through Monday, July 5. Racing will be conducted Friday-Sunday (June 25-27) the first week and Friday-Monday (July 2-5) the second. Post time will be 1 p.m. The richest event on the calendar is the $200,000 GII Great Lady M. S. for fillies & mares at 6 1/2 furlongs July 5. The other graded race is the $150,000 GIII Los Alamitos...

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,...

The stakes schedule for the 48-day Belmont Park spring/summer meet will feature 59 total stakes races worth $16.95 million in purses. The spring/summer meet will begin Thursday, Apr. 22 and continue through Sunday, July 11. On Feb. 10, New York Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo announced that live sports and entertainment venues will be permitted to re-open to a limited number of spectators beginning Feb. 23. In order for qualifying venues to re-open, those sites must gain New York State Department of Health approval and limit the number of spectators to...

Pending approval from the Arkansas Racing Commission, Oaklawn plans to conduct its regular 57-day meet highlighted by four $1-million stakes races--$1-million GII Rebel S., $1-million GI Arkansas Derby, $1-million GII Oaklawn H. and $1-million GI Apple Blossom H.--and the richest purse structure in its 117-year history. The 2021 season, which will be accentuated by the opening of a multi-purpose event center and a luxury 200-room hotel overlooking the track, is scheduled to run Friday, Jan. 22--Saturday, May 1. In addition, 21 stakes will have their purses raised by at least...

The New York Racing Association, Inc. has announced race dates for the 18-day Aqueduct Racetrack fall meet, offering 29 stakes, including 11 graded events, worth $3.41 million in purse money, that will kick off Friday, Nov. 6 and run through Sunday, Dec. 6. Opening weekend of the Big A fall meet, which coincides with the Breeders' Cup set for Nov. 6-7 at Keeneland Race Course, includes the GIII Turnback the Alarm H. and the GIII Nashua S. Closing weekend features seven stakes worth $1.4 million beginning Saturday, Dec. 5 with...

The New York Racing Association, Inc. has announced race dates for the 27-day Belmont fall meet, including 38 stakes worth $5.58 million in purse money, that will kick off Friday, Sept. 18 and run through Sunday, Nov. 1. Following opening weekend at Belmont, live racing will be conducted Thursday through Sunday with the exception of Columbus Day weekend, when live racing will be offered Monday, Oct. 12 and return Friday, Oct. 16. The Belmont Park fall meet has traditionally opened on the Friday following Labor Day. Due to the continued...

Keeneland will be the focus of Thoroughbred racing this autumn when the track presents 18 stakes worth a total of $4.775 million during its 2020 Fall Meet, to be held Oct. 2-24 ahead of the 37th Breeders' Cup World Championships at Keeneland on Nov. 6-7. The prestigious Fall Stars Weekend opens the 17-day season, which also features the repositioning of the GII Hagyard Fayette to join the GI Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup on the second Saturday of the meet and serve as a prep for the GI Breeders' Cup...

A total of 18 stakes events, topped by the Sept. 5 GI Kentucky Derby and Sept. 4 GI Kentucky Oaks are on tap for the 2020 September Meet at Churchill Downs. The September Meet stakes schedule is led by the revised Kentucky Derby Week, which was moved from April 25-May 2 to Sept. 1-5 because of the COVID-19 pandemic. It will feature 14 graded stakes, including the GI Old Forester Bourbon Turf Classic and the GI Derby City Distaff, formerly known as the Humana Distaff. A new addition to the...

Kentucky Downs' six-day live meet in September will include 16 stakes, headlined by the Runhappy Meet at Kentucky Downs. The all-turf festival, which will be contested Sept. 7, 9, 10, 12, 13 and 16, includes five graded stakes, four of those are showcased on the Sept. 12 card--the $1-million GIII Calumet Farm Kentucky Turf Cup; GIII Runhappy Turf Sprint (a Breeders' Cup 'Win and You're In' for the BC Turf Sprint Nov. 7); GIII Three Chimneys Ladies Turf; and GIII Spendthrift Farm Ladies Sprint. The card will also feature the...

Evangeline Downs is marking its return June 5 with the first of 50 live racing nights featuring a nine-race program. The season had originally been scheduled to kick off Apr. 8. The season's highlights include Louisiana Legends Night, held July 4, as six stakes races will be run with purses totaling $360,000 and dual divisions (2-year-old colts and fillies) of the D.S. "Shine" Young Futurity, contested on closing night Aug. 29. Live racing at Evangeline Downs will be conducted weekly, Wednesday through Saturday. First post will be 5:50 pm C.T....

Lone Star Park, which kicked off its abbreviated 36-day meet May 22, released its revised stakes schedule, featuring 18 stakes worth $1.4 million. The meet continues through Aug. 2. Texas Champions Day, originally scheduled to be contested at Sam Houston Race Park Mar., but cancelled due to a blown transformer, will be hosted by Lone Star June 14. Texas Champions Day includes the Bara Lass S., Groovy S., Richard King Turf S., San Jacinto S., Spirit of Texas S., Star of Texas S. and Yellow Rose S. Three additional stakes-the...