Belmont Park's fall championship meeting opens on Friday.
The summer Saratoga meeting is in the books and now it is Belmont Park’s turn with the fall championship meeting getting underway on Friday afternoon for a 38-day meet.
Among the 20 graded stakes that will be contested between Friday and closing day on Oct. 26 are six Breeders’ Cup Challenge “Win and You’re In” races, with the winners of each race stamping all-expenses paid trips to the corresponding Breeders’ Cup race.
This year’s Breeders’ Cup will be contested at Santa Anita on Oct. 31 and Nov. 1.
Four of the Breeders’ Cup Challenge races will be run on ‘Super Saturday” on Sept. 27. The day will feature six graded stakes, including five Grade 1 races, highlighted by the $1 million Jockey Club Gold Cup at 1 ¼ miles. Also on the day are the $600,000 Joe Hirsch Turf Classic, the $600,000 Flower Bowl for turf fillies and mares, the $400,000 Beldame for fillies and mares, and the $400,000 Vosburgh for sprinters. The Grade 2, $400,000 Kelso Handicap at one mile will also be run that day.
On Oct. 4 the juveniles will take center stage with the running of the Grade 1, $500,000 Champagne for two-year-old colts and geldings and the Grade 1, $500,000 Frizette for juvenile fillies. Both races are “Win and You’re In” races.
New York Showcase Day, the marquee event for New York-breds, will again be part of the stakes schedule. Showcase Day will take place on Saturday, Oct. 18, and will be comprised of eight stakes races restricted to New York-breds, with purses totaling $1.75 million. The highlight is the $300,000 Empire Classic.
Opening weekend features four stakes, beginning with the first edition of the $100,000 Left Bank at a mile on Friday and continuing with the $100,000 Yankee Affair at 1 ½ miles on the Widener Turf on Saturday. Sunday will feature a pair of stakes in the $100,000 Sky Beauty for fillies and mares and the $100,000 Real Courage at seven furlongs on the Widener turf.
Graded stakes action begins on Saturday, Sept. 13 with a pair of turf races for fillies and mares – the Grade 2, $500,000 Sands Point at 1 1/8 miles and the Grade 3, $200,000 Noble Damsel at a mile.
Belmont Park Fall Championship Meeting Stakes Schedule
| DATE | RACE | AGE | DISTANCE |
| Fri., Sept. 5 | $100,000 Left Bank |
3&UP | 1 Mile |
| Sat., Sept. 6 | $100,000 Yankee Affair | 3&UP | 1 1/2 (Turf) |
| Sun.,Sept. 7 | $100,000 Real Courage | 3&UP | 7 Furlongs (Turf) |
| Sun.,Sept. 7 | $100,000 Sky Beauty |
F&M 3&UP | 1 Mile |
| Sat., Sept. 13 | $500,000 Sands Point (G2) |
F3YO | 1 1/8 (Turf) |
| Sat., Sept. 13 | $200,000 Noble Damsel (G3) |
F&M 3&UP | 1 Mile (Turf) |
| Sun., Sept. 14 | $125,000 Ashley T. Cole (NYB) | 3&UP | 1 1/8 (Turf) |
| Sun., Sept 14 | $125,000 John Hettinger (NYB) | F&M 3&UP | 1 1/8 (Turf) |
| Sat., Sept. 20 | Gallant Bloom (Hdcp.) | F&M 3&UP | 6 1/2 Furlongs |
| Sun., Sept. 21 | Bertram F. Bongard (NYB) | 2YO | 7 Furlongs |
| Sun., Sept. 21 | Joseph A. Gimma (NYB) | F2YO | 7 Furlongs |
| Sat., Sept. 27 | $500,000 Joe Hirsch Turf Classic (G1) | 3&UP | 1 1/2 (Turf) |
| Sat., Sept. 27 | $1 million Jockey Club Gold Cup (G1) | 3&UP | 1 1/4 |
| Sat., Sept. 27 | $600,000 Flower Bowl (G1) | F&M 3&UP | 1 1/4 (Turf) |
| Sat., Sept. 27 | $400,000 Beldame (G1) |
F&M 3&UP | 1 1/8 |
| Sat., Sept. 27 | $400,000 Vosburgh (G1) | 3&UP | 6 Furlongs |
| Sat., Sept. 27 | $400,000 Kelso (Hdcp.) (G2) |
3&UP | 1 Mile |
| Sun.,Sept. 28 | $200,000 Pilgrim (G3) |
2YO | 1 1/16 (Turf) |
| Sun.,Sept. 28 | $200,000 Miss Grillo (G3) |
F2YO | 1 1/16 (Turf) |
| Sat., Oct. 4 | $500,000 Champagne (G1) | 2YO | 1 Mile |
| Sat., Oct. 4 | $500,000 Frizette (G1) | F2YO | 1 Mile |
| Sat., Oct. 4 | $500,000 Hill Prince (G3) |
3YO | 1 1/8 (Turf) |
| Sat., Oct. 4 | $200,000 Temperence Hill Invitational | 3&UP | 1 5/8 |
| Sun.,Oct. 5 | $200,000 Matron (G2) |
F 2YO | 6 Furlongs |
| Sun.,Oct. 5 | $200,000 Futurity (G2) |
2YO | 6 Furlongs |
| Sat., Oct. 11 | $200,000 Knickerbocker (G3) |
3&UP | 1 1/8 (Turf) |
| Sun.,Oct. 12 | $200,000 Athenia (G3) |
F&M 3&UP | 1 1/16 (Turf) |
| Mon., Oct. 13 | $100,000 Pumpkin Pie |
F&M 3&UP | 7 Furlongs |
| Mon., Oct. 13 | $200,000 Pebbles | F3YO | 1 Mile (Turf) |
| Sat., Oct. 18 | $250,000 Sleepy Hollow (NYB) | 2YO | 1 Mile |
| Sat., Oct. 18 | $150,000 Iroquois (NYB) | F&M 3&UP | 6 1/2 Furlongs |
| Sat., Oct. 18 | $200,000 Mohawk (NYB) | 3&UP | 1 1/16 (Turf) |
| Sat., Oct. 18 | $250,000 Maid of the Mist (NYB) | F2YO | 1 Mile |
| Sat., Oct. 18 | $150,000 Hudson (NYB) | 3&UP | 6 1/2 Furlongs |
| Sat., Oct. 18 | $200,000 Ticonderoga (NYB) | F&M 3&UP | 1 1/16 (Turf) |
| Sat., Oct. 18 | $250,000 Empire Distaff (NYB) | F&M 3&UP | 1 1/16 |
| Sat., Oct. 18 | $300,000 Empire Classic (NYB) | 3&UP | 1 1/8 |
| Sun.,Oct. 19 | $100,000 Bowl Game | 3&UP | 1 1/4 (Turf) |
| Sat., Oct. 25 | $200,000 Bold Ruler (G3) |
3&UP | 7 Furlongs |
| Sat.,Oct. 25 | $100,000 Chelsey Flower | F 2YO | 1 Mile (Turf) |
| Sun.,Oct. 26 | $100,000 Awad | 2YO | 1 Mile (Turf) |
| Sun.,Oct. 26 | $200,000 Turnback the Alarm (G3) |
F&M 3&UP | 1 1/16 |
Fall Championship Meet Special
Michael Dempsey’s full card reports for the entire fall championship meeting at Belmont Park from Sept. 5 until Oct 26. The package includes “Super Saturday” on Sept. 27 which will feature six graded stakes, including five Grade 1 races, headed by the 96th edition of the $1 million Jockey Club Gold Cup at 1 ¼ miles. New York Showcase Day will take place on Saturday, Oct. 18, and will be comprised of eight stakes races restricted to New York-breds, with purses totaling $1.75 million.
