NYRA schedules 237 race days in 2016

Edited press release

The New York Racing Association (NYRA) released its 2016 racing calendar on Wednesday, which calls for 237 days of live Thoroughbred action at Aqueduct, Belmont Park, and Saratoga.

Once again, the 40-day summer meet at historic Saratoga will serve as the anchor for a spectacular year of racing. The meet, anchored by the Whitney (G1) on August 6 and the Travers (G1) on August 27, will begin on July 22 and conclude on Labor Day, September 5, with racing conducted six days a week, Wednesday through Monday.

Racing on Aqueduct's inner track, which begins on December 9, will continue through March 26, 2016. Racing will be conducted four days a week during the months of January, February and March.

The 19-day spring meet will be conducted on Aqueduct's main track from March 31 through April 24, kicking off with the first two Grade 1 races of the year -- the $1 million Wood Memorial and the $400,000 Carter H. on April 9.

The 54-day Belmont spring/summer meet begins on April 29. The three-day Belmont Stakes Racing Festival will begin on June 9, and is anchored by the 148th running of the $1.5 million Belmont S. (G1) on June 11.

The Belmont spring/summer meet also will feature the internationally themed "Stars & Stripes Festival" featuring the $1.25 million Belmont Derby (G1) and the $1 million Belmont Oaks (G1) on July 9. The spring/summer meet concludes on July 17.

Later in the year, the Belmont Fall Championship meet will run 38 days from September 9 through October 30. Two "Super Saturdays" are scheduled for October 1 and October 8. The highlight of the Fall Championship meet, the $1 million Jockey Club Gold Cup (G1), is scheduled for October 8.

NYRA's racing calendar wraps up with 36 days of live racing at Aqueduct commencing on November 4 and running through New Year's Eve, with a 10-day winter break scheduled from December 19-28.

The 2016 stakes schedule for Belmont Park and Saratoga will be announced shortly.