The National Steeplechase Association’s board of directors has approved a schedule of 20 race meets for the spring racing season, with total purses exceeding $2-million.
The season begins with the traditional kickoff race meet at Aiken, South Carolina on Saturday, March 26 and concludes with the Fair Hill meet in Maryland on May 28.
Returning to the NSA’s schedule of sanctioned race meets is the High Hope races at the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington on Sunday, May 22. The High Hope meet was not conducted in 2010 because of preparations for the World Equestrian Games at the horse park.
Another change on the schedule is the return of the Atlanta Steeplechase to its traditional date on the fourth weekend of the racing season. The race meet in Kingston, Ga., with total purses of more than $100,000 will be held Saturday, April 16.
The richest stakes race on the spring schedule is $100,000 offered at the Calvin Houghland Iroquois (NSA-I). Two major timber races, the Maryland Hunt Cup on April 30 and the Virginia Gold Cup on May 7, each will have $75,000 purses.