OZONE PARK, N.Y. - The New York Racing Association announced the stakes schedule for the 2016 winter and spring meets at Aqueduct Racetrack, featuring 49 stakes worth nearly $7.5 million, anchored by the 92nd running of the Grade 1, $1 million Wood Memorial on April 9.
The winter meet features five graded stakes, including a trio of important events around two turns for newly minted 3-year-olds: the Grade 3, $200,000 Jerome at one mile and 70 yards on January 2, the Grade 3, $250,000 Withers at 1 1/16 miles on January 30, and the Grade 3, $400,000 Gotham, also at 1 1/16 miles, on March 5.
Rounding out the graded stakes are the Grade 3, $150,000 Toboggan on January 18 and the Grade 3, $200,000 Tom Fool Handicap on March 2, both for 4-year-olds and up at six furlongs.
The New Year kicks off with the $125,000 Lost in the Fog for sophomore sprinters on the inner track on Friday, January 1, and picks up momentum through opening weekend with the Jerome on Saturday, the first of four official stakes on the 2016 Road to the Kentucky Derby hosted at the Big A.
Included on the schedule are eight stakes for New York-breds, beginning with the $100,000 Maddie May for 3-year-old fillies at one mile and 70 yards on Sunday, January 31, and including three six-furlong contests on Presidents Day weekend, February 13-15: the $100,000 Broadway for fillies and mares, the $125,000 Rego Park for 3-year-olds and the $100,000 Hollie Hughes for 3-year-old fillies.
The meet concludes its winter stakes schedule on Saturday, March 26 with the 24th running of the $100,000 Cicada for 3-year-old fillies at six furlongs.
The Wood Memorial will be supported by 22 other stakes totaling an additional $2.9 million when racing moves to the main track during Aqueduct's Spring Showcase meet.
The spring meet's stakes schedule will commence with the second annual running of the New York Claiming Championship Series, featuring ten lucrative starter allowance races with purses worth more than $700,000. Separated into different divisions, the series will again highlight the blue-collar horses who comprise the backbone of winter racing at the Big A.
The 1 1/8-mile Wood Memorial is one of five stakes on Saturday, April 9. New York's traditional prep for the Kentucky Derby will be joined by the Grade 1, $400,000 Carter Handicap at seven furlongs, the first Grade 1 contests on the NYRA racing calendar.
Also on tap for Wood Memorial Day are the spring meet's official Kentucky Oaks qualifier, the Grade 2, $300,000 Gazelle for sophomore fillies, as well as pair of Grade 3's with the $300,000 Bay Shore for 3-year-old sprinters at seven furlongs, and the $200,000 Excelsior for 4-year-olds and up going 1 ¼ miles.
Turf stakes action returns the following day with the second running of the $100,000 Danger's Hour for 4-year-olds and up at a mile on the grass on Sunday, April 10.
The 2016 Spring Showcase stakes schedule will wrap up with a pair of New York Stallion Series 3-year-old events contested at 6 ½ furlongs: the $100,000, Times Square on Saturday, April 23, and the $100,000 Park Avenue the following day, which will be joined on Sunday by the $100,000 Memories of Silver, a turf route for 3-year-old fillies.
AQUEDUCT 2016 WINTER/SPRING STAKES SCHEDULE: AQUEDUCT WINTER MEETING
Fri., Jan. 1 Lost in the Fog 125,000 3YO 6 Furlongs Sat., Jan. 2 Jerome III 200,000 3YO 1 Mile 70 Yds Sat., Jan. 9 Interborough 100,000 F&M 4&UP 6 Furlongs Sun., Jan 10 Ladies Handicap 100,000 F&M 4&UP 1 Mile 70 Yds Sat., Jan. 16 Jazil 125,000 4 & UP 1 Mile 70 Yds Sat., Jan. 16 TRIPLE CROWN (Early Closing) Sun., Jan 17 Ruthless 100,000 F 3YO 6 Furlongs Mon., Jan. 18 Toboggan III 150,000 4 & UP 6 Furlongs Sat., Jan. 23 Busanda 100,000 F 3YO 1 Mile 70 Yds Sat., Jan. 30 Withers III 250,000 3 YO 1 1/16 Sun., Jan. 31 Maddie May (NYB) 100,000 F 3YO 1 Mile 70 Yds Sat., Feb. 6 Fred "Cappy" Capossela 100,000 3 YO 6 Furlongs Sat., Feb. 6 Gander (NYB) 100,000 3 YO 1 Mile 70 Yds Sun., Feb. 7 Biogio's Rose (NYB) 100,000 F&M 4&UP 1 1/16 Sat., Feb. 13 Broadway (NYB) 100,000 F&M 4&UP 6 Furlongs Sat., Feb. 13 Haynesfield (NYB) 100,000 4 & UP 1 1/16 Sun., Feb. 14 Rego Park (NYB) 125,000 3 YO 6 Furlongs Mon., Feb. 15 Hollie Hughes (NYB) 100,000 4 & UP 6 Furlongs Sat., Feb. 20 Franklin Square (NYB) 125,000 F 3YO 6 Furlongs Sat., Feb. 27 Busher 125,000 F 3YO 1 1/16 Sat., Mar. 5 Gotham III 400,000 3YO 1 1/16 Sat., Mar. 5 Heavenly Prize Invitational 150,000 F&M 4&UP 1 1/16 Sun., Mar. 6 Jimmy Winkfield 125,000 3 YO 6 Furlongs Sat., Mar. 12 Tom Fool Hdcp. III 200,000 4 & UP 6 Furlongs Sun., Mar. 13 Stymie 125,000 4 & UP 1 1/8 Sat., Mar. 19 Correction 125,000 F&M 4&UP 6 Furlongs Sat., Mar. 26 Cicada 125,000 F 3YO 6 Furlongs Mon., Mar. 21 TRIPLE CROWN (Late Closing)
AQUEDUCT SPRING MEETING
Sat., Apr. 2 New York Claiming Championship Day Sat., Apr. 2 Mr. Sinatra (Starter $40,000 in 2015-16) 90,000 4 & UP 1 1/8 Sat., Apr. 2 Caixa Eletronica (Starter $32,000 in 15-16) 80,000 4 & UP 7 Furlongs Sat., Apr. 2 Karakorum Elektra (Starter $32 in 15-16) 80,000 F&M 4&UP 7 Furlongs Sat., Apr. 2 Stud Muffin (Starter $25 in 15-16) 75,000 4 & UP 1 Mile Sat., Apr. 2 Xtra Heat (Starter $20 in 15-16) 70,000 F&M 4&UP 6 Furlongs Sat., Apr. 2 Peeping Tom (Starter $20 in 15-16) 70,000 4 & UP 6 Furlongs Sat., Apr. 2 Sis City (Starter $16 in 15-16) 60,000 F&M 4&UP 1 Mile Sat., Apr. 2 More To Tell (Starter $16 in 15-16) 60,000 4 & UP 1 Mile Sat., Apr. 2 Videogenic (Starter $12,500 in 15-16) 60,000 F&M 4&UP 6 Furlongs Sat., Apr. 2 Kelly Kip (Starter $12,500 in 15-16) 60,000 4 & UP 6 Furlongs Sun., Apr. 3 Top Flight Invitational Hdcp. III 200,000 F&M 4&UP 1 1/8 Sat., Apr. 9 Wood Memorial I 1,000,000 3YO 1 1/8 Sat., Apr. 9 Carter Hdcp. I 400,000 4&UP 7 Furlongs Sat., Apr. 9 Bay Shore III 300,000 3YO 7 Furlongs Sat., Apr. 9 Gazelle II 300,000 F 3YO 1 1/8 Sat., Apr. 9 Excelsior III 200,000 4 & UP 1 1/4 Sun., Apr. 10 Danger's Hour 100,000 4&UP 1 Mile (Turf) Sat., Apr. 16 Plenty of Grace 100,000 F&M 4&UP 1 Mile (Turf) Sun., Apr. 17 Distaff (Hdcp) II 200,000 F&M 4&UP 7 Furlongs Sat., Apr. 23 Woodhaven 100,000 3YO 1 1/16 (Turf) Sat., Apr. 23 New York Stallion Stakes 100,000 F 3YO 6 1/2 Furlongs Park Avenue Division Sun., Apr. 24 Memories of Silver 100,000 F 3YO 1 1/16 (Turf) Sun., Apr. 24 New York Stallion Stakes 100,000 3YO 6 1/2 Furlongs Times Square Division
