Fact Sheet: Belmont Stakes Racing Festival from June 7-9

by NYRA Press Office

Highlighted by the 150th running of the Grade 1, $1.5 million Belmont Stakes, presented by NYRA Bets, on Saturday, June 9, the Belmont Stakes Racing Festival from June 7-9 features 33 races, including 18 stakes, offering $9.4 million in purses.

ADMISSION AND GENERAL INFORMATION

On Friday, June 8, parking gates open at 10:45 a.m. and admission gates and concessions open at 11 a.m. First post is at 12:50 p.m. on Friday.

General admission for Friday, June 8 is $10 for NYRA Bets members and $15 for non-NYRA Bets members. Guests must present their NYRA Bets membership card to access the discount. General admission tickets may be purchased online at www.Ticketmaster.com or in-person at Belmont Park.

On Saturday, June 9, Belmont Stakes Day, parking gates open at 8 a.m. and admission gates and concessions open at 8:30 a.m. First post is at 11:35 a.m.

General admission for Belmont Stakes Day on Saturday, June 9 is $30. General admission will be available on Belmont Stakes Day through www.Ticketmaster.com, while supplies last. Clubhouse admission is currently on sale for $60. All reserved seating is sold out for Belmont Stakes Day.

Paid admission will be capped at 90,000 on Belmont Stakes Day for the safety and comfort of all guests. Fans are strongly encouraged to purchase their tickets in advance.

All reserved, dining and hospitality are sold out for Belmont Stakes Day.

TRANSIT

Guests are strongly encouraged to plan ahead and build time into their travels to and from Belmont Park on Saturday, June 9. Guests are encouraged to arrive early and stay late.

Guests utilizing public transportation to and from Belmont Park are encouraged to purchase round-trip admission to further expedite their travels.

Long Island Rail Road: For more information about LIRR service to Belmont Park, visit the www.MTA.info/LIRR or call the LIRR's 24-hour Travel Information Center at 718-217-LIRR (5477).

For complete information about traveling to and from Belmont Park, including details on subway transit, parking and ridesharing, visit www.BelmontStakes.com.

SECURITY

All guests are subject to enhanced screening upon entering the grounds.

No alcoholic beverages may be brought onto the premises, including the Grandstand, Clubhouse, Backyard or Top of the Stretch. Alcohol will be available for purchase at Belmont Park.

All food and non-alcoholic beverage items brought into the Grandstand, Clubhouse or Backyard should be visible or contained in a clear plastic bag. Tailgating is prohibited in the parking lots.

Fans planning to attend the Belmont Stakes Racing Festival can review a full list of permissible and prohibited items at www.belmontstakes.com/event-info/security

BELMONT STAKES PRESENTED BY NYRA BETS

Belmont Stakes Day will feature nine graded stakes in total, including the Grade 1, $1.2 Million Runhappy Metropolitan Handicap; the Grade 1, $1 million Woodford Reserve Manhattan; the Grade 1, $750,000 Ogden Phipps; the Grade 1, $700,000 Acorn presented by Nassau County IDA; the Grade 1, $700,000 Longines Just a Game; the Grade 2, $400,000 Woody Stephens presented by Mohegan Sun; Grade 2, $400,000 Brooklyn Invitational; and the Grade 2, $400,000 Jaipur Invitational.

The 150th running of the Grade 1, $1.5 million Belmont Stakes, presented by NYRA Bets, is scheduled to go to post at 6:46 p.m. on Saturday, June 9. Coverage begins at 2 p.m. on NBCSN and commences at 4 p.m. on NBC.

The Belmont Stakes field will be highlighted by Justify's attempt to become just the 13th thoroughbred in history to capture the Triple Crown.

New York Giants Head Coach Pat Shurmur will deliver the traditional call of "Riders Up" in the paddock prior to the Belmont Stakes, signaling the time for jockeys to receive a leg up on their mounts as they prepare to parade out onto the track.

The 10-horse field for the Belmont Stakes will include the following (from post 1 out):

• Justify - 4-5 morning-line odds
  
• Free Drop Billy - 30-1
  
• Bravazo - 8-1
  
• Hofburg - 9-2
  
• Restoring Hope - 30-1
  
• Gronkowski - 12-1
  
• Tenfold - 12-1
  
• Vino Rosso - 8-1
  
• Noble Indy - 30-1
  
• Blended Citizen -15-1

WAGERS

The New York Racing Association will offer $3.4 million in guaranteed wagers during the three-day Belmont Stakes Racing Festival at Belmont Park, capped by a $1.5 million Guaranteed Pick 4 on Belmont Stakes Day, Saturday, June 9.

On Friday, June 8, there will be a $500,000 Guaranteed Late Pick 4 beginning in Race 8 (post time 4:42 p.m. ET). The 11-race card, which begins at 12:50 p.m., includes the Grade 2, $600,000 New York; Grade 2, $400,000 Belmont Gold Cup Invitational; Grade 2, $250,000 True North; Grade 3, $250,000 Bed o' Roses Invitational and the $150,000 Tremont.

Belmont Stakes Day will feature the following wagers:

$500,000 Guaranteed Pick 5 begins on Race 1.

$500,000 Guaranteed Pick 6 begins on Race 6 (post time 2:34 p.m.)

$1.5 million Guaranteed Pick 4 begins on Race 8 (3:58 p.m.) and concludes with Race 11, the Grade 1, $1.5 million Belmont Stakes presented by NYRA Bets.

NYRA BETS LATE PICK 5

The NYRA Bets Late Pick 5 on Belmont Stakes Day will start with Race 7 and conclude in Race 11 with the Grade 1, $1.5 million Belmont Stakes presented by NYRA Bets.

The NYRA Bets Late Pick 5, available to NYRA Bets members across the country and to bettors in New York wagering on track or through a simulcast facility, features a low 15 percent takeout rate and 50-cent bet minimum.

In addition, On Belmont Stakes Day, NYRA Bets members will be eligible for a guaranteed minimum $1 million payout in the event that an account holder is the sole winner of the NYRA Bets Late Pick 5.

For more information about NYRA Bets, visit www.NYRABets.com.

ENTERTAINMENT

Third Eye Blind will headline the entertainment lineup for the 2018 Belmont Stakes Racing Festival with trackside pre- and post-race concerts on June 9. Belmont Stakes Day will also include a performance from the hit Broadway musical A Bronx Tale.

On Friday, June 8, fans can enjoy a performance from the acclaimed Billy Joel tribute band Mike DelGuidice and Big Shot at the conclusion of live racing.

AT THE TRACK MOBILE APP

Fans attending the Belmont Stakes Racing Festival are encouraged to download and utilize NYRA's official racing and guest experience mobile app "At The Track."

At The Track is the next generation of NYRA's popular mobile app NYRA XP, which was first introduced in 2017 and has been redesigned with a number of new features for racing fans.

At The Track offers guests a host of services, including live streaming races; wagering through NYRA Bets; purchasing and scanning tickets; purchasing parking in advance; and wayfinding to and from parking areas, seats, restrooms, concession stands, ATMs and venue attractions. Guests will also be able to skip the concession line by using the Order Ahead function.

At The Track is available for free download in iOS (Apple) and Android (Google Play) stores. For more information, visit www.NYRA.com/AtTheTrack.

About the New York Racing Association (NYRA)

The New York Racing Association Inc., (NYRA) holds the exclusive franchise to conduct thoroughbred racing at Aqueduct Racetrack, Belmont Park and Saratoga Race Course. NYRA tracks are the cornerstone of New York State's thoroughbred industry, which is responsible for 19,000 jobs and more than $3 billion in annual economic impact to New York State.

Over the course of 225 days of live racing in 2017, NYRA generated $2.2 billion in all-sources wagering handle with paid attendance exceeding 1.7 million. While staging just over 5 percent of all races run in the United States in 2017, wagering on NYRA's races again accounted for more than 20 percent of all monies bet on thoroughbred racing in the United States.