Belmont Park's Fall Championship Meet begins

Belmont Park's Fall Championship Meet begins

The Belmont Park Fall Championship Meet begins Friday, and to celebrate the

track is offering free grandstand admission for Friday, Saturday and Sunday. The 33-day stand continues through October

25 with Mondays and Tuesdays dark. Belmont will be open Columbus Day, October 12,

and dark on Wednesday, October 14. First race post time is always 1 p.m. (ET).

The fall stakes schedule features 11 Grade 1 races, which are certain to

attract many of the top horses pointing toward divisional titles and/or the

Breeders' Cup World Championships. The flurry of Grade 1 activity begins Saturday with the $300,000 Ruffian H. (G1) for fillies and

mares at 8 1/2 furlongs and the $300,000 Garden City S. (G1) for three-year-old

fillies at nine furlongs on the turf.

Sunday will include the $150,000 Bowling Green H. (G2) sending

three-year-olds and up 11 furlongs on the turf. The event had originally been

scheduled for opening day but was moved due to forecast inclement weather. The

card will also feature New York-breds in the $100,000 Ashley T. Cole S. going 1

1/8 miles on the green, and kick off the first "Pick the Pros and Ponies"

contest, which will run every Sunday of the meet. The contest is free and

requires players to correctly pick the winners of four designated NFL games as

well as the winners of the 3RD and 5TH races on the day's card for a chance to

win a $1,000 weekly prize.

One week later, on September 19, two-year-olds will take center stage in the Matron S. (G2) for fillies and the Futurity S. (G2) for colts and geldings,

each worth $250,000. The juvenile stakes will both be run at seven furlongs, and

the program also includes the $100,000 Noble Damsel H. (G3) for fillies and

mares at one mile on the turf.

On September 26, college students will receive free grandstand admission with

a valid college I.D. and their chance at a $1,000 scholarship or the Dime

Savings Bank $2,000 scholarship after each race. The major race of the day will

be the $150,000 Gallant Bloom H. (G2) sending fillies and mares 6 1/2 furlongs.

Super Saturday on October 3 will undoubtedly be the biggest day of the meet,

with five major preps for the Breeders' Cup scheduled to take place. The $750,000 Jockey Club Gold Cup Invitational

S. (G1) at 10 furlongs, the $600,000 Joe Hirsch Turf Classic Invitational S.

(G1) at 12 furlongs on the turf, the $600,000 Flower Bowl Invitational S. (G1)

for turf distaffers going 10 furlongs, the $600,000 Beldame S. (G1) sending

distaffers nine furlongs and the $400,000 Vosburgh S. (G1) at six furlongs will

all showcase some of the biggest names in Thoroughbred racing.

On October 10, four weeks prior to the Breeders' Cup, juveniles will compete in the

Champagne S. (G1) and its filly counterpart, the Frizette S. (G1), each worth

$400,000 and going one mile. The undercard includes the Jamaica H. (G1) for

three-year-olds at nine furlongs on the turf.

New York breds will get their day in the spotlight on October 24 when the New York Showcase

will host seven races for state-breds worth a total of $1 million. The headline

event will be the $250,000 Empire Classic H. at nine furlongs.

The popular Breakfast at Belmont program, which provides a behind-the-scenes

look at the world of Thoroughbred racing, will be offered every weekend through

September.