The 2017 Belmont Stakes Racing Festival, anchored by the $1.5-million GI Belmont S., will feature 18 stakes run between June 8 and 10 and worth $9.6 million. The June 10 card, which will feature the 149th running of the Belmont, will also include the $1.2-million GI Metropolitan H.; the $1-million GI Woodford Reserve Manhattan; the $750,000 GI Ogden Phipps S.; the $700,000 GI Longines Just A Game; and the $700,000 GI Acorn S. Also on the Belmont undercard is the $500,000 GII Woody Stephens S., the $400,000 GII Brooklyn Invitational and the $300,000 GIII Jaipur Invitational.
The fourth renewal of the Stars & Stripes Festival will be held July 8. Designed to attract international participation, the card features the $1.2-million GI Belmont Derby Invitational and $1-million GI Belmont Oaks. Also included in the festival is the $400,000 GIII Dwyer S., the $350,000 GII Belmont Sprint Championship and the $750,000 GII Suburban H.
Belmont's 54-day spring/summer meet also will include the May 13 $400,000 GI Man o'War S. Racing returns to Belmont Apr. 28.
Wood, Carter Top Aqueduct Stakes
Aqueduct's 17-day spring meet will feature 23 stakes races worth nearly $3.5 million and highlighted by the Apr. 8 running of the $750,000 GII Wood Memorial and $400,000 GI Carter H. Also scheduled to be run Apr. 8 is the $250,000 GIII Bay Shore S., $300,000 GII Gazelle S. and $150,000 GIII Excelsior S. Racing, which has been conducted over the winterized inner track, returns to the main track Apr. 1 with the third annual New York Claiming Championship Day. The card features 10 starter allowance races with purses worth nearly $700,000. Graded stakes during the meet also include the Apr. 2 $200,000 GIII Top Flight Invitational and the Apr. 9 $150,000 GIII Distaff H.
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