The New York Racing Association announced May 7 a lucrative participation bonus program for owners and trainers at the four-day 2024 Belmont Stakes Racing Festival from Thursday, June 6, through Sunday, June 9, at Saratoga Race Course.
Highlighted by the 156th edition of the Belmont Stakes (G1) on June 8, the four-day Belmont Stakes Racing Festival will include 24 stakes races with purses totaling $10.25 million, the highest purse levels and number of stakes offered since the launch of the multi-day Festival in 2014.
Owners will now be eligible for a starter bonus for horses finishing fourth through last at the 2024 Belmont Stakes Racing Festival, with $1,500 awarded for stakes starters and $1,000 awarded to owners of starters in overnight races.
Trainers whose horses start in stakes races at the festival will receive a $750 bonus, while a $500 bonus will be awarded to trainers for starters in all overnight races.
"The bonus program along with a lucrative purse schedule should incentivize participation in what is sure to be a unique and special edition of the Festival," said Andrew Offerman, NYRA senior vice president of racing and operations.
Eligible horses must be declared official starters and must not be placed on the poor performance list or veterinarian list. Trainers must comply with all NYRA and regulatory race and safety rules. NYRA reserves the right to determine eligibility for qualified starters. Steeplechase participants are not eligible.
The owner/trainer bonus program is offered in tandem with an increased purse schedule for the Belmont Stakes Racing Festival, which will see open maiden special weights offered for a purse of $100,000 and New York-bred maiden special weights competing for $85,000.
In addition, the open non-winners-of two category will offer an increased purse of $115,000, while the non-winners-of-one category ($110,000) and New York-bred non-winners-of-one category ($90,000) are also boosted at the Festival.
For the condition book and complete purse schedule, please visit https://www.nyra.com/saratoga/horsemen/.
NYRA previously announced the purse of the Belmont Stakes has increased to $2 million in 2024. In addition, NYRA has increased the purse of the Manhattan (G1) to $1 million and boosted the New York (G1) to $750,000. Additional graded events enjoying purse increases are the $500,000 Woody Stephens (G1), the $500,000 Jaipur (G1), the $350,000 True North (G2), and the $350,000 Poker (G3).
An American tradition inaugurated in 1867 at Jerome Park and moved in 1905 to Belmont Park, the Belmont Stakes has provided fans with some of the most exciting moments in sports history. From Secretariat's spellbinding 31-length victory in 1973 to American Pharoah ending a 37-year Triple Crown drought in 2015, the Belmont Stakes is engrained in the consciousness of sports fans around the world.
For additional information on the 2024 Belmont Stakes Racing Festival at Saratoga, visit BelmontStakes.com.
This press release has been edited for content and style by BloodHorse Staff.
