Stakes purses at the Belmont Park and Saratoga meets this year will increase roughly 27%, while overnight purses will jump about 42%, the New York Racing Association said Feb. 29.
The increases factor in revenue from the video lottery terminal casino that opened last fall at Aqueduct. Though win-per-machine hasn't quite met expectations, VLTs have generated millions of dollars for purses and capital improvements at NYRA tracks.
Stakes purses during the 56-day Belmont spring meet will increase $1.9 million, or 26.6%, to $9.05 million in 2012, while stakes purses during the 40-day Saratoga meet will increase $2.85 million, or 27%, to $13.35 million in 2012.
Purses for overnight races, including overnight stakes, will increase $8.7 million during the Belmont spring meet and $7.7 million during the Saratoga meet, NYRA officials said.
Average daily purses—overnights and stakes combined—will be $620,000, up from $430,000, at Belmont, and $930,000, up from $670,000, at Saratoga. The upstate New York racetrack will easily have the highest daily average purse distribution in North America.
“The purse increases for overnight and stakes races for the upcoming Belmont Park and Saratoga meets confirm NYRA’s leadership position in Thoroughbred racing,” NYRA vice president and director of racing P. J. Campo said in a statement. “The enhanced purses should result in larger field sizes, stimulate additional wagering activity, and increase profitability for NYRA.”
The purse for the Belmont Stakes (gr. I), the third leg of the Triple Crown, will remain at $1 million. The Metropolitan Mile Handicap (gr. I) will run for $750,000 this year, up from $500,000 in 2011.
The Saratoga meet again will be highlighted by the $1 million Travers Stakes (gr. I). Several stakes received purse hikes: the Ballerina Stakes (gr. I), from $250,000 to $500,000; the Foxwoods King’s Bishop and the Test Stakes (both gr. I), each from $250,000 to $500,000; the Personal Ensign Stakes (gr. I), from $300,000 to $600,000; and the Fourstardave (gr. IIT), from $150,000 to $500,000.
| 2012 NYRA STAKE SCHEDULE | |||||
| DATE | RACE | GRADE | 2012 PURSE |
AGE
|
DISTANCE |
| BELMONT SPRING / SUMMER MEETING |
|
||||
| Sat., Apr. 28 | Westchester |
III
|
150,000
|
3&UP
|
1 Mile |
| Sat., May. 5 | Beaugay |
III
|
150 000
|
F&M 3&UP
|
1 1/16 (Turf) |
| Sat., May. 5 | Fort Marcy |
III
|
150 000
|
3 & UP
|
1 1/16 (Turf) |
| Sun., May. 6 | New York Stallion Stakes |
|
100,000
|
F 3YO
|
6 1/2 Furlongs |
| Park Avenue Division |
|
|
|
||
| Sun., May. 6 | New York Stallion Stakes |
|
100,000
|
3YO
|
6 1/2 Furlongs |
| Times Square Division |
|
|
|
||
| Sat., May. 12 | Peter Pan |
II
|
200 000
|
3YO
|
1 1/8 |
| Sat., May 19 | Affirmed Success (NYB) |
|
100,000
|
3&UP
|
7 Furlongs |
| Sat., May 26 | Sheepshead Bay |
II
|
200,000
|
F&M 3&UP
|
1 3/8 (Turf) |
| Sun., May 27 | Kingston (NYB) |
|
125,000
|
3&UP
|
1 Mile (Turf) |
| Sun., May 27 | Mount Vernon (NYB) |
|
125,000
|
F&M 3&UP
|
1 Mile (Turf) |
| Mon., May 28 | Metropolitan Handicap |
I
|
750,000
|
3&UP
|
1 Mile |
| Mon., May 28 | Sands Point |
II
|
200,000
|
F3YO
|
1 1/16 (Turf) |
| Mon., May 28 | Acorn |
I
|
300,000
|
F3YO
|
1 Mile |
| Mon., May 28 | Ogden Phipps (Hdcp.) |
I
|
400,000
|
F&M 3&UP
|
1 1/16 |
| Sat., June 2 | Vagrancy Hdcp. |
II
|
200,000
|
F&M 3&UP
|
6 1/2 Furlongs |
| Sun., June 3 | New York Stallion Stakes |
|
75,000
|
F3YO
|
7 Furlongs (Turf) |
| Cupecoy's Joy Division |
|
|
|
||
| Sun., June 3 | New York Stallion Stakes |
|
75,000
|
3YO
|
7 Furlongs (Turf) |
| Spectacular Bid Division |
|
|
|
||
| Fri., June 8 | Jaipur |
III
|
150,000
|
3&UP
|
7 Furlongs (Turf) |
| Fri., June 8 | Brooklyn Hdcp. |
II
|
200,000
|
3&UP
|
1 1/2 |
| Sat., June 9 | Belmont |
I
|
1,000,000
|
3YO
|
1 1/2 |
| Sat., June 9 | Manhattan (Hdcp) |
I
|
500,000
|
3&UP
|
1 1/4 (Turf) |
| Sat., June 9 | True North (Hdcp.) |
II
|
400,000
|
3&UP
|
6 Furlongs |
| Sat., June 9 | Woody Stephens |
II
|
400,000
|
3YO
|
7 Furlongs |
| Sat., June 9 | Just a Game |
I
|
500,000
|
F&M 3&UP
|
1 Mile (Turf) |
| Sat., June 16 | Hill Prince |
III
|
150,000
|
3YO
|
1 Mile (Turf) |
| Sat., June 23 | Mother Goose |
I
|
300,000
|
F3YO
|
1 1/16 |
| Sun., June 24 | Bouwerie (NYB) |
|
125,000
|
F3YO
|
7 Furlongs |
| Sun., June 24 | Mike Lee (NYB) |
|
125,000
|
3YO
|
7 Furlongs |
| Sat., June 30 | New York |
II
|
200,000
|
F&M 3&UP
|
1 1/4 (Turf) |
| Sat., June 30 | Dwyer |
II
|
200,000
|
3YO
|
1 1/8 |
| Sun., July 1 | Bed o' Roses (Hdcp.) |
III
|
150,000
|
F&M 3&UP
|
7 Furlongs |
| Wed., July 4 | Poker Hdcp. |
III
|
150,000
|
3&UP
|
1 Mile (Turf) |
| Sat., July 7 | Suburban (Hdcp.) |
II
|
350,000
|
3&UP
|
1 1/8 |
| Sat., July 7 | Victory Ride |
III
|
150,000
|
F3YO
|
6 Furlongs |
| Sat., July 14 | Man o' War |
I
|
600,000
|
3&UP
|
1 3/8 (Turf) |
|
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|
|||
| DATE | RACE |
GRADE
|
2012 PURSE
|
AGE
|
DISTANCE |
| SARATOGA MEETING |
|
|
|
||
| Fri., July. 20 | Schuylerville |
III
|
150,000
|
F2YO
|
6 Furlongs |
| Fri., July. 20 | James Marvin |
III
|
100,000
|
3&UP
|
7 Furlongs |
| Sat., July 21 | TVG Coaching Club American Oaks |
I
|
300,000
|
F3YO
|
1 1/8 |
| Sun., July. 22 | Sanford |
II
|
200,000
|
2YO
|
6 Furlongs |
| Mon., July 23 | Evan Shipman (NYB) |
|
100,000
|
3&UP
|
1 1/8 |
| Wed., July. 25 | Lake George |
II
|
200,000
|
F3YO
|
1 1/16 (Turf) |
| Thurs., July 26 | Quick Call |
|
100,000
|
3YO
|
5 1/2 (Turf) |
| Fri., July. 27 | Curlin |
|
100,000
|
3YO
|
1 1/8 |
| Sat., July. 28 | Diana |
I
|
600,000
|
F&M 3&UP
|
1 1/8 (Turf) |
| Sat., July. 28 | Jim Dandy |
II
|
600,000
|
3YO
|
1 1/8 |
| Sun., July. 29 | Amsterdam |
II
|
200,000
|
3YO
|
61/2 Furlongs |
| Mon., July . 30 | Caress |
|
100,000
|
F&M 3&UP
|
5 1/2 (Turf) |
| Wed., Aug. 1 | John Morrissey (NYB) |
|
100,000
|
3&UP
|
6 1/2 Furlongs |
| Thurs., Aug. 2 | A. P. Smithwick Mem. (S'Chase) |
II
|
100,000
|
4&UP
|
2 1/16 (Turf) |
| Fri., Aug. 3 | Honorable Miss (Hdcp.) |
II
|
200,000
|
F&M 3&UP
|
6 Furlongs |
| Fri., Aug. 3 | John's Call Presented by Sportech |
|
100,000
|
3&UP
|
1 5/8 (Turf) |
| Sat., Aug. 4 | Whitney Invitational (Hdcp.) |
I
|
750,000
|
3&UP
|
1 1/8 |
| Sat., Aug 4 | Prioress |
I
|
300,000
|
F3YO
|
6 Furlongs |
| Sat., Aug. 4 | De La Rose |
|
100,000
|
F&M 3&UP
|
1 Mile (Turf) |
| Sun., Aug. 5 | Alfred G. Vanderbilt (Hdcp.) |
I
|
400,000
|
3&UP
|
6 Furlongs |
| Mon., Aug. 6 | Signature Stallions Waya |
|
100,000
|
F&M 3&UP
|
1 1/2 (Turf) |
| Wed., Aug. 8 | New York Stallion Series |
|
100,000
|
3YO
|
1 Mile (Turf) |
| Cab Calloway Division |
|
|
|
||
| Thurs., Aug. 9 | New York Stallion Series |
|
100,000
|
F3YO
|
1 Mile (Turf) |
| Statue Of Liberty Division |
|
|
|
||
| Fri., Aug. 10 | National Museum of Racing Hall Of Fame |
II
|
200,000
|
3YO
|
1 1/16 (Turf) |
| Sat., Aug. 11 | Fourstardave (Hdcp.) |
II
|
500,000
|
3&UP
|
1 Mile (Turf) |
| Sun., Aug. 12 | Adirondack |
II
|
200,000
|
F2YO
|
6 1/2 Furlongs |
| Sun., Aug. 12 | Saratoga Special |
II
|
200,000
|
2YO
|
6 1/2 Furlongs |
| Mon., Aug. 13 | Coronation Cup |
|
100,000
|
F3YO
|
5 1/2 (Turf) |
| Wed., Aug 15 | Troy |
|
100,000
|
3&UP
|
5 1/2 (T) |
| Thurs., Aug. 16 | West Point (NYB) presented by Trustco Bank |
|
150,000
|
3&UP
|
1 1/16 (Turf) |
| Fri., Aug. 17 | Yaddo (NYB) |
|
150,000
|
F&M 3&UP
|
1 1/16 (Turf) |
| Sat., Aug. 18 | Alabama |
I
|
600,000
|
F3YO
|
1 1/4 |
| Sat., Aug 18 | Sword Dancer Inv. |
I
|
600,000
|
3&UP
|
1 1/2 (Turf) |
| Sun., Aug. 19 | Woodford Reserve Lake Placid |
II
|
200,000
|
F3YO
|
1 1/8 (Turf) |
| Mon., Aug. 20 | Union Avenue (NYB) |
|
100,000
|
F&M 3&UP
|
6 Furlongs |
| Wed., Aug. 22 | Albany (NYB) |
|
150,000
|
3YO
|
1 1/8 |
| Thurs., Aug. 23 | New York Turf Writers Cup |
I
|
150,000
|
4&UP
|
2 3/8 (Turf) |
| (Hdcp.)(Steeplechase) |
|
|
|
||
| Fri., Aug. 24 | Ballerina |
I
|
500,000
|
F&M 3&UP
|
7 Furlongs |
| Sat., Aug. 25 | Ballston Spa |
II
|
250,000
|
F&M 3&UP
|
1 1/16 (Turf) |
| Sat., Aug. 25 | Travers |
I
|
1,000,000
|
3YO
|
1 1/4 |
| Sat., Aug. 25 | Test |
I
|
500,000
|
F3YO
|
7 Furlongs |
| Sat., Aug. 25 | Foxwoods King's Bishop |
I
|
500,000
|
3YO
|
7 Furlongs |
| Sun., Aug. 26 | Personal Ensign Invitational |
I
|
600,000
|
F&M 3&UP
|
1 1/8 |
| Mon., Aug. 27 | Saratoga Dew (NYB) |
|
100,000
|
F&M 3&UP
|
1 1/8 |
| Wed., Aug. 29 | P. G. Johnson |
|
100,000
|
F2YO
|
1 1/16 (Turf) |
| Thurs., Aug. 30 | With Anticipation |
II
|
200,000
|
2YO
|
1 1/16 (Turf) |
| Fri., Aug 31 | Riskaverse |
|
100,000
|
F3YO
|
1 Mile (Turf) |
| Sat., Sept. 1 | Forego |
I
|
500,000
|
3&UP
|
7 Furlongs |
| Sat., Sept. 1 | The Woodward |
I
|
750,000
|
3&UP
|
1 1/8 |
| Sat., Sept. 1 | Bernard Baruch (Hdcp.) |
II
|
250,000
|
3&UP
|
1 1/16 (Turf) |
| Sun., Sept. 2 | Spinaway |
I
|
300,000
|
F2YO
|
7 Furlongs |
| Sun., Sept. 2 | Saranac |
III
|
150,000
|
3YO
|
1 1/8 (Turf) |
| Mon., Sept. 3 | Three Chimneys Hopeful |
II
|
300,000
|
2YO
|
7 Furlongs |
| Mon., Sept. 3 | Glens Falls |
III
|
150,000
|
F&M 3&UP
|
1 3/8 (Turf) |
