The Fall Championship Meeting at Belmont Park gets underway on Friday.. (Photo credit: Bigstock.com)
With 40 stakes and over $10.6 million in purses, the Belmont Park Fall Championship meeting kicks off on Friday, with 38 days of top notch racing including many key preps for the Breeders’ Cup.
The meeting runs from Friday until Nov. 1 and includes 20 graded stake races along with six Breeders’ Cup Challenge “Win and You’re In’ races. This year’s Breeders’ Cup will be held at Keeneland on Oct. 30-31.
There are two huge Saturday cards that will feature many of the top horses as they make their final preps for the Breeders’ Cup.
The Sept. 26 card features the $600,000 Joe Hirsch Turf Classic (G1), the $400,000 Vosburgh (G1), the $400,000 Beldame (G1), the $300,000 Gallant Bloom Handicap (G2) and the 200,000 Pilgrim (G3)
The Joe Hirsch is a “Win and You’re In” race for the Breeders’ Cup Turf (G1) while the winner of the Vosburgh stamps a ticket to the Breeders’ Cup Sprint (G1).
Oct. 3 is Super Saturday, featuring the $1 million Jockey Club Gold Cup (G1). The 1 ¼ mile Gold Cup, which offers automatic entry and a fees-paid trip to the $5 million Breeders’ Cup Classic (G1) at Keeneland, will be supported by the $500,000 Flower Bowl Invitational (G1), the $500,000 Champagne (G1), the $400,000 Frizette (G1), the $400,000 Kelso Handicap (G2) and the $500,000 Hill Prince (G3).
New York Breds take center stage on Oct. 24, with eight stakes on tap worth $1.75 million. The feature is the $300,000 Empire Classic for older runners at 1 1/8 miles.
Chad Brown won the training title at last fall’s meeting with 30 wins, seven ahead of David Jacobson. Brown finished second again at the recently concluded Saratoga meeting to Todd Pletcher.
Irad Ortiz, Jr. won the fall jockey title last year with 46 winners, three more than Javier Castellano. Ortiz is coming off his first riding title at Saratoga.
The Belmont Park Fall Championship Meeting Stakes Schedule
| Date | Race | Purse | Age |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fri., Sep. 11 | Christiecat | $100,000 | F 3YO |
| Sat., Sep. 12 | Temperence Hill Invitational | $200,000 | 3&UP |
| Sat., Sep. 12 | Sands Point (G2) |
$500,000 | F3YO |
| Sun., Sep. 13 | Allied Forces | $100,000 | 3YO |
| Sat., Sep. 19 | Noble Damsel (G3) |
$200,000 | F&M 3&UP |
| Sun., Sep. 20 | John Hettinger (NYB) | $125,000 | F&M 3&UP |
| Sun., Sep. 20 | Ashley T. Cole (NYB) | $125,000 | 3&UP |
| Sat., Sep. 26 | Beldame Invitational (G1) |
$400,000 | F&M 3&UP |
| Sat., Sep. 26 | Gallant Bloom Handicap (G2) |
$300,000 | F&M 3&UP |
| Sat., Sep. 26 | Joe Hirsch Turf Classic Invitational (G1) |
$600,000 | 3&UP |
| Sat., Sep. 26 | Pilgrim (G3) |
$200,000 | 2YO |
| Sat., Sep. 26 | Vosburgh Invitational (G1) |
$400,000 | 3&UP |
| Sun., Sep. 27 | Miss Grillo (G3) |
$200,000 | F2YO |
| Sun., Sep. 27 | Bertram F. Bongard (NYB) | $150,000 | 2YO |
| Sun., Sep. 27 | Joseph A. Gimma (NYB) | $150,000 | F2YO |
| Sat., Oct. 3 | Hill Prince (G3) |
$500,000 | 3YO |
| Sat., Oct. 3 | Flower Bowl Invitational (G1) |
$600,000 | F&M 3&UP |
| Sat., Oct. 3 | Champagne (G1) |
$500,000 | 2YO |
| Sat., Oct. 3 | Kelso Handicap (G2) |
$400,000 | 3&UP |
| Sat., Oct. 3 | Jockey Club Gold Cup Invitational (G1) |
$1,000,000 | 3&UP |
| Sat., Oct. 3 | Frizette (g1) |
$400,000 | F2YO |
| Sat., Oct. 10 | Knickerbocker (G3) |
$200,000 | 3&UP |
| Mon., Oct. 12 | Pebbles | $200,000 | F3YO |
| Sat., Oct. 17 | Futurity (G2) |
$200,000 | 2YO |
| Sat., Oct. 17 | Athenia (G3) |
$200,000 | F&M 3&UP |
| Sun., Oct. 18 | Matron (G2) |
$200,000 | F2YO |
| Sat., Oct. 24 | Ticonderoga (NYB) | $200,000 | F&M 3&UP |
| Sat., Oct. 24 | Empire Classic (NYB) | $300,000 | 3&UP |
| Sat., Oct. 24 | Hudson (NYB) | $150,000 | 3&UP |
| Sat., Oct. 24 | Iroquois (NYB) | $150,000 | F&M 3&UP |
| Sat., Oct. 24 | Mohawk (NYB) | $200,000 | 3&UP |
| Sat., Oct. 24 | Empire Distaff (NYB) | $250,000 | F&M 3&UP |
| Sat., Oct. 24 | Sleepy Hollow (NYB) | $250,000 | 2YO |
| Sat., Oct. 24 | Maid of the Mist (NYB) | $250,000 | F2YO |
| Sun., Oct. 25 | English Channel | $100,000 | 3YO |
| Fri., Oct. 30 | Awad | $100,000 | 2YO |
| Fri., Oct. 30 | Turnback the Alarm (G3) |
$200,000 | F&M 3&UP |
| Sat., Oct. 31 | Bold Ruler (G3) |
$200,000 | 3&UP |
| Sat., Oct. 31 | Chelsey Flower | $100,000 | F2YO |
| Sun., Nov. 1 | Pumpkin Pie | $100,000 | F&M 3&UP |
Belmont Park Fall Championship Meet Special:
Michael Dempsey’s full card reports for the entire Belmont Park Fall Championship meeting from September 11 until Nov 1! SPECIAL BONUS: Includes the two-day Breeders’ Cup Report!
