NYRA Offers $11.3M Stakes, Special Wagers at 2025 Belmont Festival

The 2025 Belmont Stakes Racing Festival will take place from June 4 to June 8 at Saratoga Race Course, featuring 27 stakes races with total purses of $11,275,000—the richest and largest since the festival's 2014 inception. The highlight is the 157th Belmont Stakes on June 7, with a $2 million purse, where eight horses including Kentucky Derby winner Sovereignty and Preakness winner Journalism will compete in a race run at Saratoga for the second consecutive year due to renovations at Belmont Park; the race distance is shortened to 1 1/4 miles from the traditional 1 1/2 miles. Special two-day wagers include the “All Dirt” Pick 6 and the “All Turf” Pick 5, both with low takeouts and mandatory payouts concluding with the Belmont Stakes, along with various two-day Pick 4s and special Doubles across the festival. The festival’s wagering sequences begin Friday with key races such as the Grade 2 Bed o’ Roses and Grade 1 Ogden Phipps, continuing through Saturday with multiple Grade 1 and Grade 3 races before culminating in the Belmont Stakes. Prize money distribution allocates approximately 80% of the $1.2 million winner's share to the horse's owner, with the trainer and jockey each receiving about 10%.