The racing world continues to become a smaller place, with the New York Racing Association and Chester Racecourse the latest racing entities to tie stakes together.
The NYRA and Chester Racecourse March 19 announced a new partnership connecting the Boodles May Festival at Chester Racecourse with the Belmont Stakes Racing Festival at Saratoga Race Course.
The agreement provides the winner of the about 1 3/4-mile Ormonde Stakes (G3) May 7 at Chester Racecourse with an automatic berth, including entry and starting fees as well as travel expenses, into the 2-mile Belmont Gold Cup Stakes (G2T) June 4 at Saratoga. The Ormonde offers a purse of £140,000 ($187,000) while the Belmont Gold Cup will pay out $250,000.
In addition, the about 1 1/4-mile Huxley Stakes (G2) May 8 at Chester will provide a fees-paid (entry, starting fees, travel) automatic berth into the $1 million Manhattan Stakes (G1T) at 1 3/16 miles on Belmont Stakes day June 6 at Saratoga. The Huxley offers a purse of £130,000 ($174,000).
"This is an exciting partnership connecting two of the sport's most revered and historic venues, which can only expand interest in these important races," said NYRA senior vice president of racing and operations Andrew Offerman. "We thank our friends at Chester Racecourse and look forward to a fantastic summer at Saratoga."
The Belmont Gold Cup, which has been won by European shippers in six of the past eight editions, has served as a 'Golden Ticket' qualifier for the Melbourne Cup (G1) in each of the past two years.
"We're delighted to be partnering with the New York Racing Association on this exciting new initiative," said Chester Racecourse racing director Patrick Chesters. "Bringing together two of the most historic venues in racing creates a fantastic opportunity to strengthen international connections within racing and showcase the quality of our racing program at Chester.
"The Ladbrokes Ormonde Stakes and the Huxley Stakes have long been important middle-distance contests in the early part of the season, and this partnership enhances their international significance," Chesters continued. "To offer guaranteed entry into races of the caliber of the Belmont Gold Cup and the Manhattan Stakes, with the added incentive of travel support, gives owners and trainers a very real and attractive opportunity to campaign horses on the global stage.The potential pathway from the Ormonde through to Belmont is particularly exciting. We will certainly be hoping to tempt some great horses to the Roodee that might have a future trip to America on their radars."
Nicknamed the Roodee, Chester Racecourse, established in 1539 during the reign of King Henry VIII, is the oldest operational racing venue in the world. Home to the Boodles May Festival along with the Ladbrokes Chester Cup, Boodles Chester Vase, and Weatherbys Cheshire Oaks, Chester Racecourse welcomes more than 330,000 racegoers annually across 15 days of live racing.
Saratoga, named one of the world's great sporting venues by Sports Illustrated, held its first summer meet in 1863 just one month after the Battle of Gettysburg. Since that first four-day gathering, the annual summer meet has grown to become the most prestigious and important race meet in North America.
To allow for the uninterrupted construction of a new and re-imagined Belmont Park, Saratoga will host the Belmont Stakes Racing Festival for the third and final time this year from Wednesday, June 3, through Sunday, June 7.
Connections abound between horses that have raced at both Chester and on the NYRA circuit.
Champion trainer Aidan O'Brien has won the Ormonde a record seven times, including the past two editions with Point Lonsdale (2024) and Illinois (2025). O'Brien is also a four-time winner of the Huxley, taking the 2017 edition with Deauville, who captured the Belmont Derby Invitational (G1T) the previous year at Belmont Park.
Last year's Huxley victor was the Andrew Balding-conditioned The Foxes, who closed to finish second in the 2023 Belmont Derby Invitational.
The three-day Boodles May Festival at Chester will start with Trials Day, Wednesday, May 6, followed by the glitz and glamour of Ladies Day May 7, and Ladbrokes Chester Cup Day May 8.
The five-day Belmont Stakes Racing Festival at Saratoga will offer 25 stakes races worth $11.075 million in purses and is headlined by the $2 million Belmont Stakes (G1) June 6. For additional details and the full stakes schedule, visit https://www.nyra.com/belmont-stakes/racing/bsrf-stakes-schedule/.
Beginning in 2027, the Belmont Stakes Racing Festival will return to its Long Island home. In addition, Belmont Park has been selected to host the 2027 Breeders' Cup World Championships in October 2027, which will mark the first edition of the Breeders' Cup to be held in New York State since 2005.
FOX Sports is the television home of the Belmont Stakes Racing Festival, providing viewers across the country with its Eclipse Award-winning coverage of all five days of the Belmont Stakes Racing Festival.
This press release has been edited for content and style by BloodHorse Staff.
