A long-distance turf bonus program for the upcoming 2017 Belmont Park Spring/Summer meet was announced by the New York Racing Association Saturday.
The program will be applicable to all maiden and first-and-second-level allowance races at distances of 1 1/4 miles and beyond carrying a purse of $90,000. With adjusted purses, turf maiden allowance races will receive a $15,000 bonus in addition to the current $75,000; one other than allowance races will receive a $13,000 bonus from $77,000; and two other allowance races will receive a $10,000 bonus from $80,000.
“Very few tracks are writing long-distance allowance races like we do in New York, and we're trying to both attract the best long-distance turf runners possible while further encouraging development of horses for longer distance turf stakes,” said Martin Panza, senior director of racing operations for NYRA. “It will benefit the industry as a whole if can inspire confidence in owners and trainers that we'll have a consistent long-distance allowance program. Between an influx of quality European runners and numerous farms now breeding these turf specialists, the future of turf racing in America is on the rise.”
In 2016, 15 races during the Belmont Spring/Summer meet would have qualified for the bonus. In the previous year, 12 races would have qualified for the bonus in that same span.
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