Aqueduct Start. (Walter Wlodarczyk)
NYRA Press Office
OZONE PARK, N.Y. – The New York Racing Association, Inc. (NYRA) today announced the stakes schedule for the 2024 spring meet at Aqueduct Racetrack, which will feature 12 stakes worth $2.675 million in total purses.
NYRA has increased the purse of six stakes to be contested during the Aqueduct spring meet. Four listed events have received a $50,000 boost, including the Top Flight, Danger’s Hour, Plenty of Grace and Memories of Silver. The Grade 3 Distaff and the Woodhaven have each been increased by $25,000, raising the purse of the Distaff to $175,000 and the Woodhaven to $125,000.
The spring meet at Aqueduct will open Thursday, April 4 and continue through Sunday, April 28 with live racing conducted Thursday-Sunday.
The spring meet stakes action kicks off with the Wood Memorial Day card on Saturday, April 6, featuring five stakes topped by the 99th running of the Grade 2, $750,000 Wood Memorial presented by Resorts World Casino. The nine-furlong test for 3-year-olds will offer 100-50-25-15-10 Kentucky Derby qualifying points to the top-five finishers.
Wood Memorial Day will also feature the Grade 2, $250,000 Carter Handicap presented by NYRA Bets at seven-furlongs for older horses, as well the Grade 3, $200,000 Gazelle at nine furlongs for sophomore fillies offering 100-50-25-15-10 Kentucky Oaks qualifying points to the top-five finishers. Completing the day’s stakes action are the Grade 3, $175,000 Distaff Handicap, a seven-furlong contest for older fillies and mares: and the Listed $175,000 Bay Shore, a seven-furlong sprint for sophomores.
Stakes action continues the following weekend with the Listed $150,000 Top Flight for older fillies and mares traveling nine furlongs on Saturday, April 13, while the next day will offer a pair of $200,000 New York Stallion Stakes Series events at 6 1/2-furlongs on the main track in the Times Square for sophomores and the Park Avenue for sophomore fillies on Sunday, April 14.
The final two weekends of the spring meet will feature the return of turf stakes with four one-mile races scheduled, including the Listed $150,000 Danger’s Hour for older horses on Saturday, April 20 and the Listed $150,000 Plenty of Grace for older fillies and mares on Sunday, April 21.
Closing weekend of the Big A spring meet offers the $125,000 Woodhaven for sophomores on Saturday, April 27, and the Listed $150,000 Memories of Silver for 3-year-old fillies on Sunday, April 28.
