NEW YORK (AP) The New York Racing Association has beefed up the Belmont Stakes undercard, making it the second-richest day in racing.
The $1.5 million Belmont, the final jewel of the Triple Crown for 3-year-olds, will be supported by nine additional stakes on June 7. The 10 stakes will be worth $7.7 million.
In 2013, only the Saturday card of Breeders' Cup weekend at Santa Anita topped that total with more than $8 million in prize money.
''We've put together the finest day of racing in Belmont Stakes history,'' NYRA CEO and president Chris Kay said.
To build the enhanced program, NYRA repositioned several stakes from their usual spots on the Belmont Park calendar. The most notable shift was moving the $1.25 million Metropolitan Mile, the traditional Memorial Day feature, to Belmont Stakes Day.
