NYRA announces stakes schedule for the 2025 Aqueduct winter meet
The New York Racing
Association, Inc. (NYRA) today announced the stakes schedule for the 49-day
winter meet at Aqueduct Racetrack, which will feature 20 stakes worth $3.1
million in total purses.
The 2025 winter
meet opens Wednesday, January 1 and continues through Sunday, March 30. With
the exception of Opening Week, live racing will be conducted Thursday-Sunday
from the week of January 9 through the week of February 27. Aqueduct will host
a Presidents’ Day card on Monday, February 17. The winter meet will offer
three-day race weeks Friday through Sunday throughout the month of March.
NYRA has increased
the purses of 10 winter meet stakes races by $25,000. As a result, the Busanda,
Ruthless, Damon Runyon (NYB), East View (NYB), Say Florida Sandy (NYB),
Broadway (NYB), Correction, Gander (NYB), Maddie May (NYB) and Jimmy Winkfield
will be offered with a purse of $125,000.
The Aqueduct winter
meet stakes action kicks off on Saturday, January 4 with the $150,000 Jerome, a
one-turn mile for sophomores. As the first of three Kentucky Derby prep races
at the meet, the Jerome will offer 10-5-3-2-1 qualifying points to the top-five
finishers.
Saturday, January
11 will feature the $150,000 Ladies at nine furlongs for older fillies and
mares with the following Saturday offering the nine-furlong $125,000 Busanda
for sophomore fillies on January 18. The Busanda will provide 20-10-6-4-2
Kentucky Oaks qualifying points to the top-five finishers.
The Listed $150,000
Interborough will headline the Saturday, January 25 card as older fillies and
mares sprint seven furlongs.
Graded action at
the winter meet kicks off on Saturday, February 1 with the Grade 3, $250,000
Withers at nine-furlongs offering 20-10-6-4-2 Kentucky Derby qualifying points
as part of a stacked card that also includes the Grade 3, $175,000 Toboggan, a
seven-furlong sprint for older horses, and the $125,000 Ruthless at seven
furlongs for sophomore fillies.
NYRA will highlight
New York-breds on Saturday, February 8 with a pair of $125,000 events at seven
furlongs in the Damon Runyon for sophomores and the East View for sophomore
fillies. Both the Damon Runyon and East View were previously contested at six furlongs.
Saturday, February
15 will offer the $125,000 Say Florida Sandy for older state-breds at seven
furlongs. On Saturday, February 22, the Listed $150,000 Heavenly Prize
Invitational will see a field of older fillies and mares travel a one-turn
mile, The following day, Sunday, February 23, will offer the $125,000 Broadway
with older state-bred fillies and mares sprinting seven furlongs.
The centerpiece of
the March stakes calendar is the one-mile Grade 3, $300,000 Gotham on March 1,
providing 50-25-15-10-5 Kentucky Derby qualifying points. The Gotham Day card
includes the Grade 3, $175,000 Tom Fool for 4-year-olds and up going six furlongs,
the Listed $150,000 Stymie at one mile for older horses, and the Listed
one-mile $200,000 Busher for 3-year-old fillies, offering 50-25-15-10-5
Kentucky Oaks qualifying points. A lucrative weekend includes the six-furlong
$125,000 Correction for older fillies and mares on Sunday, March 2.
New York-breds will
again take center stage on Saturday, March 8 with a pair of $125,000 events at
a one-turn mile - the Gander for sophomores and the Maddie May for sophomore
fillies.
The Aqueduct winter
meet stakes calendar concludes with the $125,000 Jimmy Winkfield, a six-furlong
sprint for sophomores on March 15.
A trio of races
previously offered at the 2024 winter meet - the Haynesfield (NYB), Excelsior,
and Biogio’s Rose (NYB) - will be run during the 2025 Aqueduct spring meet. The
Franklin Square (NYB), Rego Park (NYB), and Cicada, which were previously held during
the winter meet, will not be run in 2025.
For the complete
winter meet stakes schedule, visit https://www.nyra.com/aqueduct/racing/stakes-schedule/.