Eight maiden races worth $100,000 each will be offered this spring as part of the New York Racing Association's ongoing program for 2-year-olds leading up to the Astoria S. and Tremont S., both part of the Belmont Stakes Racing Festival and the first two juvenile stakes of the year, it was announced Thursday.
For fillies, Astoria Trial A, at 4 1/2 furlongs, will be run Apr. 18 at Aqueduct. Astoria Trial B and C will be run May 3 and May 16 at Belmont–both at five furlongs–all in preparation for the 5 1/2-furlong Astoria Thursday, June 7. Tremont Trial A, at 4 1/2 furlongs, will be run Apr. 19, with Tremont Trial B and C at five furlongs scheduled for May 4 and May 17 at Belmont. The Tremont, also at 5 1/2 furlongs, will be held Friday, June 8. Additionally, NYRA will once again supplement the juvenile spring program with a pair of five-furlong turf trials at Belmont. For fillies, Astoria Trial D will be held May 24, while the Tremont Trial D will run May 25.
The fields for the trials are limited to 10, with the winner to receive $50,000 and all runners to be paid. Should 10 horses start, the second through sixth-place horses would receive $20,000, $10,000, $7,500, 5,000 and $4,000, respectively, with the remaining $3,500 divided among the seventh through 10th-place finishers. Additional bonuses worth a total of $25,000 will be offered to the owners and trainers of New York-breds who finish first, second or third in any state-bred or open maiden juvenile race held during the Aqueduct spring and Belmont spring/summer meets.
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