Belmont Park Set for April 29 Opening

Hooray!!

Belmont Park Set for April 29 Opening
Bloodhorse

Belmont Park opens its 59-day spring/summer meet April 29, the highlight of which is the 147th Belmont Stakes (gr. I), the final jewel in America's Triple Crown series.

The 1 1/2-mile Belmont Stakes this year will be supported by 17 stakes worth more than $10 million over three days, from June 4 through Belmont Stakes Day, June 6.

As New York's home for Triple Crown racing, Belmont Park will host a live simulcast of the Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (gr. I) May 2, complemented by a full day of live racing that includes a trio of stakes races: the grade II $200,000 Sheepshead Bay and the grade III $150,000 Fort Marcy, both on the turf, and the grade III $150,000 Westchester, the traditional prep for the grade I $1.25 million Metropolitan Handicap (gr. I) on Belmont Stakes Day.

The Met Mile is one of five other grade I races on a 13-race card supporting the Belmont Stakes: the $1 million Knob Creek Manhattan on the turf, the $1 million Ogden Phipps for fillies and mares, the $750,000 Acorn for 3-year-old fillies, and the $700,000 Longines Just a Game for turf fillies and mares. Also carded will be the grade II $500,000 Woody Stephens , the grade II $400,000 Brooklyn Invitational, the grade III $300,000 Jaipur Invitational, and the $150,000 Easy Goer for 3-year-olds.

With the Belmont Stakes Draw scheduled for June 3 at Rockefeller Center in Manhattan, the Belmont Stakes Racing Festival will kick off on June 4 with the $150,000 Intercontinental for turf fillies and mares and the $250,000 Astoria for 2-year-old fillies.

On June 5, the festival continues, as Belmont Park will offer five stakes races worth $1.2 million, including the grade II $300,000 New York for turf fillies and mares, the grade II $250,000 True North for sprinters, the $250,000 Belmont Gold Cup Invitational for turf marathoners, the $150,000 Jersey Girl for 3-year-old filly sprinters, and the Astoria's twin race, the 5 1/2-furlong Tremont for juveniles, also with a purse of $250,000.

On Memorial Day, May 25, New York-breds take center stage on Big Apple Showcase Day, with six stakes races worth a combined $900,000, including a pair of mile dirt races: the Commentator and the Critical Eye for fillies and mares, each worth $200,000.

July brings the second edition of the internationally-themed Stars & Stripes Racing Festival, highlighted by the grade I $1.25 Belmont Derby Invitational and the grade I $1 million Belmont Oaks Invitational for 3-year-old fillies, both at 1 1/4 miles on the turf. Also on the card are the 129th running of the grade II $500,000 Suburban Handicap, the 98th edition of the grade III $500,000 Dwyer for 3-year-olds, the grade III $400,000 Belmont Sprint Championship, and the grade III $150,000 Victory Ride for 3-year-old filly sprinters.

First race post time at Belmont Park generally is 1:20 p.m. ET, with racing conducted Wednesdays through Sundays.