The New York Racing Association announced May 21 significant purse increases to overnight races during the fall meet at the new Belmont Park, which will open for live racing Sept. 18 following a multiyear redevelopment project to create a world-class racing and entertainment destination on Long Island.
NYRA has increased purses in the open allowance category by a full 15% from $100,000 to $115,000. In addition, first-level optional claiming events will be offered for $105,000, and second-level optional claiming races will be offered for $108,000.
Maiden special weight races will receive an 18% increase from $85,000 to $100,000, while New York-bred maiden special weights will enjoy a 25% boost from $80,000 to $100,000.
"By raising purses to record levels, NYRA is creating valuable racing opportunities for participants based in New York and those interested in experiencing Belmont Park for the first time," said Andrew Offerman, NYRA senior vice president of racing and operations. "These new purse levels also emphasize the benefits of foaling in New York, which is centrally important to the future of racing in the Empire State."
| Race | 2026 Purse | 2025 Purse | % Increase |
| MSW | $100,000 | $85,000 | 17.60% |
| Allowance 1X | $105,000 | $88,000 | 19.30% |
| Allowance 2X | $108,000 | $90,000 | 20.00% |
| Str 1X | $75,000 | $65,000 | 15.40% |
| MSW (NY) | $100,000 | $80,000 | 25.00% |
| Allowance 1X (NY) | $105,000 | $81,000 | 29.60% |
| Allowance 2X (NY) | $108,000 | $82,000 | 31.70% |
NYRA will begin a new era Sept. 18 at Belmont with an opening-day program anchored by the $1 million Jockey Club Gold Cup Stakes (G1), which is a Breeders' Cup Challenge Series: Win and You're In event for the Breeders' Cup Classic (G1). To celebrate the unveiling of the new Belmont Park, NYRA will increase these record overnight purses by an additional 50% specifically for the Sept. 18 program.
Centered around a five-story grandstand featuring an array of fan amenities and hospitality offerings, Belmont Park will open with four newly constructed racetracks, including the main dirt track, two turf courses, and a 1-mile synthetic oval. Beyond the new grandstand, expanded paddock area, and modernized racing and training infrastructure, NYRA has unlocked the Belmont Park infield to provide fans and the surrounding community with more generally accessible green space than ever before. The new and improved Belmont Park will be the site of the 2027 Breeders' Cup World Championships, hosting it for the first time since 2005.
The consolidation of NYRA's downstate racing operations at Belmont, with the closure of Aqueduct Racetrack set for June 28, will usher in an expanded fall meet featuring 32 graded events among 72 stakes races worth $17.7 million in total purses. Highlighted by a series of major Saturday race days beginning in September and continuing through Cigar Mile Handicap day Dec. 5, the fall meet will conclude Dec. 6.
The first Belmont Park fall meet condition book will be released in August.
For additional information on overnight purse increases, please visit https://www.nyra.com/belmont/racing/incentives/.
This press release has been edited for content and style by BloodHorse Staff.
