NYRA schedules lucrative maiden trials for Tremont, Astoria

Edited Press Release

Six maiden races worth $100,000 each will be offered by the New York Racing Association this spring as part of a program leading up to the Astoria and Tremont, run on June 9 and 10 as the first two juvenile stakes of the year.

For two-year-old fillies, Astoria Trial A, at 4 1/2 furlongs, will be run on April 20 at Aqueduct. Astoria Trial B and C will be run on May 4 and May 18 at Belmont Park, both at five furlongs.

Tremont Trial A, at 4 1/2 furlongs, will be run on April 21, with Tremont Trial B and C at five furlongs scheduled for May 5 and May 19 at Belmont.

The fields for the trials are limited to 10, with the winner to receive $50,000 and all runners to be paid. Should 10 horses start, the second through sixth-place horses would receive $20,000, $10,000, $7,500, 5,000 and $4,000, with $3,500 divided among the seventh through 10th-place finishers.

The regular purse for maiden races is $75,000.

Additionally, bonuses worth a total of $25,000 will be offered to the owner and trainer of New York-breds who finish first, second or third in any state-bred or open maiden juvenile race held during the Aqueduct spring and Belmont spring-summer meet.

The bonus program calls for owners to receive $9,000 for a first-place finish, $4,500 for second and $2,500 for third. Trainers would get a bonus of $4,000 for first, $3,000 for second and $2,000 for third.

The New York Breeding Fund has contributed $200,000 to help fund the $25,000 award given on each race.

"Two-year-old racing is an important part of the racing program here in New York," said Martin Panza, NYRA's Senior Vice-President of Racing Operations. "We will continue to find ways in assisting owners to be profitable with a young horse and in trying to create a program that will let these individuals develop into future stars."