NYRA announces stakes schedule for the 2025 Aqueduct winter meet

by Pat McKenna

The New York Racing Association, Inc. (NYRA) today announced the stakes schedule for the 49-day winter meet at Aqueduct Racetrack, which will feature 20 stakes worth $3.1 million in total purses.

The 2025 winter meet opens Wednesday, January 1 and continues through Sunday, March 30. With the exception of Opening Week, live racing will be conducted Thursday-Sunday from the week of January 9 through the week of February 27. Aqueduct will host a Presidents’ Day card on Monday, February 17. The winter meet will offer three-day race weeks Friday through Sunday throughout the month of March.

NYRA has increased the purses of 10 winter meet stakes races by $25,000. As a result, the Busanda, Ruthless, Damon Runyon (NYB), East View (NYB), Say Florida Sandy (NYB), Broadway (NYB), Correction, Gander (NYB), Maddie May (NYB) and Jimmy Winkfield will be offered with a purse of $125,000.

The Aqueduct winter meet stakes action kicks off on Saturday, January 4 with the $150,000 Jerome, a one-turn mile for sophomores. As the first of three Kentucky Derby prep races at the meet, the Jerome will offer 10-5-3-2-1 qualifying points to the top-five finishers.

Saturday, January 11 will feature the $150,000 Ladies at nine furlongs for older fillies and mares with the following Saturday offering the nine-furlong $125,000 Busanda for sophomore fillies on January 18. The Busanda will provide 20-10-6-4-2 Kentucky Oaks qualifying points to the top-five finishers.

The Listed $150,000 Interborough will headline the Saturday, January 25 card as older fillies and mares sprint seven furlongs.

Graded action at the winter meet kicks off on Saturday, February 1 with the Grade 3, $250,000 Withers at nine-furlongs offering 20-10-6-4-2 Kentucky Derby qualifying points as part of a stacked card that also includes the Grade 3, $175,000 Toboggan, a seven-furlong sprint for older horses, and the $125,000 Ruthless at seven furlongs for sophomore fillies.

NYRA will highlight New York-breds on Saturday, February 8 with a pair of $125,000 events at seven furlongs in the Damon Runyon for sophomores and the East View for sophomore fillies. Both the Damon Runyon and East View were previously contested at six furlongs.

Saturday, February 15 will offer the $125,000 Say Florida Sandy for older state-breds at seven furlongs. On Saturday, February 22, the Listed $150,000 Heavenly Prize Invitational will see a field of older fillies and mares travel a one-turn mile, The following day, Sunday, February 23, will offer the $125,000 Broadway with older state-bred fillies and mares sprinting seven furlongs.

The centerpiece of the March stakes calendar is the one-mile Grade 3, $300,000 Gotham on March 1, providing 50-25-15-10-5 Kentucky Derby qualifying points. The Gotham Day card includes the Grade 3, $175,000 Tom Fool for 4-year-olds and up going six furlongs, the Listed $150,000 Stymie at one mile for older horses, and the Listed one-mile $200,000 Busher for 3-year-old fillies, offering 50-25-15-10-5 Kentucky Oaks qualifying points. A lucrative weekend includes the six-furlong $125,000 Correction for older fillies and mares on Sunday, March 2.

New York-breds will again take center stage on Saturday, March 8 with a pair of $125,000 events at a one-turn mile - the Gander for sophomores and the Maddie May for sophomore fillies.

The Aqueduct winter meet stakes calendar concludes with the $125,000 Jimmy Winkfield, a six-furlong sprint for sophomores on March 15.

A trio of races previously offered at the 2024 winter meet - the Haynesfield (NYB), Excelsior, and Biogio’s Rose (NYB) - will be run during the 2025 Aqueduct spring meet. The Franklin Square (NYB), Rego Park (NYB), and Cicada, which were previously held during the winter meet, will not be run in 2025.

For the complete winter meet stakes schedule, visit https://www.nyra.com/aqueduct/racing/stakes-schedule/.