New York Racing Sees Major Purse Increase for the 2012 Racing Season

The promise to horsemen in New York was the newly-opened casino at Aqueduct would help to boost purses to unprecedented heights. The New York Racing Association affirmed that promise Thursday. According to a track press release, Aqueduct's upcoming 79-day winter-spring meet will feature 13 graded stakes with purses totaling $3.75 million. That's a 44 percent jump from last year's winter-spring meet. Among the highlights of the graded stakes schedule is the return of the $200,000 Withers Stakes for 3-year-olds, which wasn't run last season. It will serve as a steppingstone to the $400,000 Gotham Stakes on March 3 and the $1 million Wood Memorial Stakes on April 7, the track's major prep for the Kentucky Derby. The Withers Stakes program will also feature the Grade 3 Toboggan Handicap, which is worth $150,000. On the Gotham program, NYRA will also card the $200,000 Top Flight for older fillies and mares, which wasn't run last year, and the $200,000 Tom Fool Stakes. “We are very excited to announce this enhance Aqueduct winter stakes schedule,” NYRA Director of Racing P.J. Camp said. “Placing the Withers in early February on a card also featuring the Toboggan and Correction creates another marquee day of racing during the meet. “Additionally, with the Gotham's purse increased to $400,000 to go along with the addition of the Withers, our three-year-old stakes program is on par with any track in the country. We are hopeful that our horsemen will respond positively to the new stake schedule and believe it will generate a lot of interest for our fans.” The jump in purses at NYRA is largely the result of the new Genting Resorts World Casino New York City at Aqueduct, which has proven wildly successful to this point. NYRA receives 6.5 percent from the casino's video lottery terminals to use towards purses. rnAccording to NYRA, the Wood Memorial will be broadcast on NBC as part of its “Road to the Kentucky Derby” series. Also on the Wood Memorial program will be the Grade 1 Carter worth $400,000, the $250,000, Grade 2 Bay Shore for 3-year-olds going seven-furlongs, and the $250,000, Grade 3 Comely Stakes for 3-year-old fillies.rnThe Aqueduct winter-spring meet opens New Year's Day.