The New York Racing Association announced the stakes schedule for the 2025 Belmont at the Big A spring-summer meet, which will begin on Thursday, May 1, and continue through Sunday, July 6.

The ongoing construction of a new and re-imagined Belmont Park again will require adjustments to the customary NYRA schedule. Most notably, the 2025 Belmont Stakes racing festival will be held across five days at Saratoga  Wednesday, June 4, through Sunday, June 8.

Saratoga also will host to the July 4 racing festival, which is traditionally held at Belmont Park, from Thursday, July 3 through Sunday, July 6. The July 4 racing festival will serve as the conclusion of the 2025 Belmont at the Big A spring-summer meet.

Statistics for the 37-day Belmont at the Big A spring-summer meet will include the Belmont Stakes racing festival and July 4 racing festival at Saratoga.

Belmont at the Big A

The Belmont at the Big A spring-summer meet’s stakes action kicks off on Friday, May 2, with the Sheepshead Bay (G3) for older fillies and mares traveling 1 3/8 miles on the turf. The weekend continues on Saturday, May 3, with the Fort Marcy (G2) for older horses going nine furlongs on the turf and the listed Elusive Quality at six furlongs on the turf for older horses.

Four more stakes follow Sunday, May 4, with a trio of Grade 3 races in the one-mile Westchester for older horses, the 6 1/2-furlong Vagrancy for older fillies and mares and the 1 1/16-mile Beaugay for older fillies and mares on turf. The card also features the listed License Fee for older fillies and mares sprinting six furlongs on the turf.

Five stakes are on the card for Saturday, May 10, led by the Man o’ War (G2) for older turf marathoners traveling 1 3/8 miles. Also on tap are the traditional New York prep for the Belmont Stakes, the Peter Pan (G3) for sophomores going nine furlongs; the Ruffian (G2) for older fillies and mares going one mile; the John A. Nerud (G3), previously run at seven furlongs, for older horses sprinting six furlongs; and the inaugural running of the Take the A Train for sophomore fillies sprinting six furlongs on the turf.

The stakes program continues Saturday, May 24, when the spotlight shines on sophomore turf sprinters in the six-furlong, listed Paradise Creek as the final stake before action heads north to Saratoga for the Belmont Stakes Racing Festival.

Stakes racing returns to the Big A on Saturday, June 14, with the Cupecoy’s Joy division of the New York Stallion Stakes Series for eligible New York-sired sophomore fillies traveling six furlongs on turf.

The following Saturday, June 21, will see eligible New York-sired sophomores going six furlongs on turf in the NYSSS Spectacular Bid.

The restricted one-mile Wilton for sophomore fillies has been relocated from Saratoga to the Big A this year and will be featured on the Sunday, June 22, card, followed by a pair of six-furlong New York-bred turf sprints, previously offered at nine furlongs, the next weekend in the Ashley T. Cole for 3-year-olds and up on Saturday, June 28, and the John Hettinger for fillies and mares 3 years old and up on Sunday, June 29.

Racing on the NYRA circuit will then move to Saratoga for the July 4 racing festival to close the Belmont at the Big A spring-summer meet.

Belmont Stakes racing festival

The Belmont Stakes Racing Festival will be held at Saratoga from Wednesday, June 4, through Sunday, June 8.

Highlighted by the 157th edition of the Belmont Stakes on Saturday, June 7, the five-day 2025 Belmont Stakes racing festival will include 27 stakes races with purses totaling $11,275,000, the richest purses and highest number of stakes offered since the launch of the multi-day Belmont Stakes racing festival in 2014.

The Belmont Stakes once again will be contested at 1 1/4 miles in 2025 rather than the traditional 1 1/2 miles because of the configuration of Saratoga’s main track.

The Belmont Stakes racing festival kicks off on Wednesday, June 4, with steeplechasers in the Beverly R. Steinman (G1), a 2 3/8-mile hurdles test for older horses, before the card moves into New York showcase day.

New York Showcase Day features six events exclusively for New York-breds, including the seven-furlong Mike Lee for sophomores, the Bouwerie at the same distance for sophomore fillies, the nine-furlong Commentator for 3-year-olds and up and the Critical Eye at the same distance for females 3-years-old and up. On the turf, there will be a pair of 1 1/16-mile events, the Kingston for older horses and the Mount Vernon for older fillies and mares.

Thursday, June 5, presents four stakes, including two graded with the 5 1/2-furlong turf Intercontinental (G2) for older filles and mares and the Poker (G3) for older horses going one mile on the lawn. Juveniles also will be on full display in the listed Tremont at 5 1/2 furlongs and the Astoria for fillies at the same distance.

Friday, June 6, is led by four Grade 1 races for fillies and mares including the New York, a 1 3/16-mile turf test for ages 4 and up, the 1 1/8-mile Ogden Phipps on dirt for older fillies and mares, the Acorn at the same distance for the division’s sophomores and Just a Game at one mile on the turf for ages 4 and up.

A pair of Grade 2s will complete the card, with the seven-furlong Bed o’ Roses for older female dirt sprinters and the Belmont Gold Cup for older turf marathoners going two miles.

Belmont Stakes day at Saratoga is Saturday, June 7, with a program to include five Grade 1 events among eight stakes in total, culminating with the Belmont Stakes and featuring the Metropolitan Handicap going one mile for 3-year-olds and up and the 5 1/2-furlong turf Jaipur also for 3-year-olds and up. The Grade 1 races on Belmont Stakes day also include the 1 3/16-mile turf Manhattan for older horses and the seven-furlong Woody Stephens for sophomores.

Belmont Stakes day will be bolstered by the Wonder Again (G2) for sophomore fillies traveling 1 1/16 miles on turf, as well as a pair of Grade 3 races, the 6 1/2-furlong True North for older dirt sprinters and the Pennine Ridge for sophomores going 1 1/16 miles on grass.

The 2025 Belmont Stakes racing festival will conclude on Sunday, June 8, with two stakes for sophomore fillies, led by the Soaring Softly (G3) at 5 1/2 furlongs on grass, along with the six-furlong $150,000 Jersey Girl on the main track.

July 4 racing festival

The July 4 racing festival will be held at Saratoga from Thursday, July 3, through Sunday, July 6.

Typically held at Belmont Park, the July 4 racing festival will serve as a prelude to the traditional summer meet and conclude the Belmont at the Big A spring-summer meet.

Following the 2025 Belmont Stakes racing festival from June 4-8, live racing on the NYRA circuit will return to Aqueduct from June 12 to June 29 prior to the July 4 racing festival at Saratoga.

With the addition of the Belmont Stakes and July 4 racing festivals, Saratoga will host nine live race days in 2025 outside of the traditional 40-day summer meet.

The festival begins on Thursday, July 3, with two stakes on tap in the listed Wild Applause for sophomore fillies traveling one mile on the turf, and the Victory Ride (G3) for sophomore fillies sprinting 6 1/2 furlongs.

Friday, July 4, will feature a stacked card of five stakes races, headlined by the  Belmont Derby Invitational (G1) for sophomores going 1 1/8 miles on the turf. The program is supported by the Suburban (G2) at 10 furlongs for older horses; the Manila (G3) for sophomores going one mile on the turf; the listed Harvey Pack for older horses sprinting 5 1/2 furlongs on the turf; and the listed Schuylerville for juvenile fillies sprinting six furlongs.

Grade 1 action continues into Saturday, July 5, as sophomore filly turf routers take center stage in the Belmont Oaks Invitational (G1) traveling 1 1/8 miles. Two other Grade 3 events are featured on the program in the Kelso for older horses going one mile on the turf and the Sanford for juveniles sprinting six furlongs.

The weekend closes out on Sunday, July 6, to conclude the 2025 Belmont at the Big A spring-summer meet.