The New York Racing Association (NYRA) on Friday announced the stakes
schedule for
Aqueduct’s 2010 winter/spring meet, with the $750,000 Wood Memorial
(G1) on April 3 anchoring 10 graded stakes worth $2.25 million for the 81-day
meet which begins on January 1.
The remainder of the 2010 NYRA stakes schedule will be announced at a later
date.
“In the current economic climate and with other racing jurisdictions reducing
racing days and adjusting their stakes schedule, we feel that it is prudent to
make the decision on the Aqueduct stakes program only at this time,” NYRA
President and CEO Charles Hayward said. “We plan to monitor and review handle
trends over the next three months, which will allow us to keep the proper
balance between the stakes program and the overnight purses going forward.”
A trio of stakes rings in the New Year, with the $65,000 Interborough for
fillies and mares going six furlongs on January 1, the $65,000 Count Fleet for
sophomores at a mile and 70 yards on January 2, and the $65,000 Ruthless for
three-year-old fillies going six furlongs on January 3.
The graded stakes season kicks off on March 6 with the $250,000 Gotham S.
(G3) sending three-year-olds 1 1/16 miles and the $100,000 Toboggan S. (G3) at
six furlongs. Also scheduled for that day is the $65,000 Fred “Cappy” Capossela
for sophomores sprinting six furlongs.
The Big A’s Triple Crown test, the 86th running of the Wood Memorial,
highlights an April 3 card that includes the $250,000 Carter H. (G1) at seven
furlongs, the $200,000 Excelsior S. (G3) for three-year-olds and up going 1 1/8
miles and the $200,000 Bay Shore S. (G3) sending sophomores seven furlongs.
Highlighted changes in the Aqueduct winter/spring stakes schedule, which was
approved by the NYRA board of directors, include a hiatus for the Bed o’ Roses
H. and its replacement on April 17 by the $150,000 Distaff S. (G2). In 2010, the
Distaff will be run at seven furlongs, the same distance as the Bed o’ Roses,
which had been downgraded to a Grade 3 by the American Graded Stakes Committee.
Also shelved was the $100,000 Next Move for fillies and mares going 1 1/8
miles, which was downgraded to ungraded status by the committee. In its stead,
NYRA will reinstate the historic Ladies H., which was first run in 1868. After a
year’s absence, the $100,000 Ladies will be run at 1 1/8 miles on March 27.
In other changes, the purse for the April 10 Comely for three-year-old
fillies was reduced to $100,000 from $150,000 after it was downgraded to a Grade
3, and the purse for the Carter on April 3 was reduced to $250,000 from
$300,000.
The American Graded Stakes Committee has established a minimum purse of
$250,000 for Grade 1 races in 2010.
The stakes schedule for the winter/spring meet, which also includes 19 listed
and New York-bred stakes worth more than $1.3 million, now awaits approval from
the New York State Racing and Wagering Board. Aqueduct’s meet will run from
January 1 through April 25.