SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – The New York Racing Association, Inc. (NYRA) announced Monday the lucrative purse schedule for the four-day 2024 Belmont Stakes Racing Festival at Saratoga Race Course, slated for Thursday, June 6 through Sunday, June 9.
“The 2024 Belmont Stakes Racing Festival will offer purse levels commensurate with the stature and importance of this historic event,” Andrew Offerman, NYRA Senior Vice President of Racing and Operations, said. “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.”
Open maiden special weights will feature a purse increase of $10,000 to $100,000, while New York-bred maiden special weights will also enjoy a $10,000 increase to offer a purse of $85,000.
The open non-winners of two categories will be increased by $13,000 to offer a purse of $115,000, while the non-winners of one category will be upped by $10,000 for a purse of $110,000. The New York-bred non-winners of one category will be boosted by $10,000 to $90,000.
NYRA previously announced the purse of the Grade 1 Belmont Stakes will increase from $1.5 million to $2 million in 2024. In addition, NYRA has increased the purse of the Grade 1 Resorts World Casino Manhattan from $750,000 to $1 million and boosted the Grade 1 New York presented by Rivers Casino from $600,000 to $750,000. Additional graded events enjoying purse increases are the Grade 3 Poker from $200,000 to $350,000, along with $100,000 increases to the purses of the Grade 1 Woody Stephens, the Grade 1 Jaipur, and the Grade 2 True North. Accordingly, the Woody Stephens and Jaipur will offer a purse of $500,000, with the True North rising to $350,000.
Highlighted by the 156th edition of the Belmont Stakes on Saturday, June 8, the 2024 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 Belmont Stakes Racing Festival in 2014.
The Oklahoma Training Track at Saratoga will open for the 2024 season on Thursday, April 18, with the barn area open to horsemen beginning Monday, April 15. As preparations continue for the 2024 Belmont Stakes Racing Festival, the main track at the Spa will open roughly one month earlier than is customary on Monday, May 6.
![LATHAM, N.Y. — On Wednesday afternoon in the Shaker High School Fitness Center and weight room, six senior Blue Bison put pen to paper, making their next steps to their respective, colleges and universities official. The papers in front of each student-athlete were blank like many schools will do for a National Letter of Intent signing ceremony, with the real documents being signed and mailed to the future school. However, there is certainly something symbolic about the empty canvas on which to sign a future, and all those, family and friends in the audience there to send them off. NLI […]](https://www.saratogian.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/IMG_0983-e1714683642660.jpg?w=431 "LATHAM, N.Y. — On Wednesday afternoon in the Shaker High School Fitness Center and weight room, six senior Blue Bison put pen to paper, making their next steps to their respective, colleges and universities official. The papers in front of each student-athlete were blank like many schools will do for a National Letter of Intent signing ceremony, with the real documents being signed and mailed to the future school. However, there is certainly something symbolic about the empty canvas on which to sign a future, and all those, family and friends in the audience there to send them off. NLI […]")
