NYRA rolls out 2016 Aqueduct Fall stakes schedule

by NYRA Press Office

The New York Racing Association has unveiled the stakes schedule for Aqueduct Racetrack's Fall meet, comprised of $4.85 million in purses distributed across 29 stakes races and anchored by the Grade 1, $500,000 Cigar Mile Handicap on Saturday, November 26.

The Cigar Mile, for 3-year-olds and up at a mile, will be joined by the Grade 2, $300,000 Remsen for 2-year-olds, the Grade 2, 300,000 Demoiselle for 2-year-old fillies and the Grade 3, $250,000 Comely for 3-year-old fillies going 1 1/8 miles. The same bonuses offered for the last two runnings of the Cigar Mile will remain intact - the purse jumps to $750,000 with the start of a Grade 1 winner and to $1 million for a Breeders' Cup winner.

The Aqueduct meet, which runs from Friday, November 4 to Saturday, December 31, will get off to a fast start with a trio of stakes races on opening weekend: the Grade 2, $200,000 Nashua and the Grade 3, $250,000 Tempted for 2-year-olds at a mile on Friday and Saturday, respectively, and the Grade 3, $200,000 Long Island for fillies and mares 3-and-up on the turf on Sunday.

The Grade 3, $150,000 Discovery, previously held on opening weekend, will join the Grade 3, $200,000 Red Smith as the co-featured stakes on Saturday, November 12.

As the traditional Thanksgiving Day feature, the Grade 3, $200,000 Fall Highweight Handicap for sprinters 3-and-up be held this year on Thursday, November 24. The Fall Highweight will be joined by the inaugural running of the $125,000 Gio Ponti for 3-year-olds at 1 1/16 miles on the turf. The Gio Ponti's matching race for fillies, the $125,000 Winter Memories, will be held Friday, November 25.

New York-breds will take center stage to close out the fall meet, capped by the $100,000 Alex M. Robb on Saturday, December 31, New York's final stakes of 2016.

CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE NEW YORK RACING ASSOCIATION 2016 AQUEDUCT FALL STAKES SCHEDULE