Longacres Mile Tops Revised Emerald Downs Schedule
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Photo: Reed Palmer Photography
Law Abidin Citizen wins the 2019 Longacres Mile at Emerald Downs
A revised stakes schedule featuring a new date for the Longacres Mile Handicap (G3) was announced May 23 by Emerald Downs.
Fifteen Thoroughbred stakes and one for Quarter Horses are scheduled at the 44-day meeting, which begins later than usual this year because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The meet will run from June 22-Oct. 4.
The stakes begin Aug. 2 with a doubleheader for 2-year-olds and conclude on closing day with a tripleheader featuring a pair of Washington Cup events and the championship Gottstein Futurity for 2-year-olds.
The 85th running of the Longacres Mile is Sept. 13, a date that also features the Emerald Distaff for older fillies and mares.
The $100,000 Longacres Mile and $60,000 Gottstein Futurity are the richest races of the season.
Many stakes received purse reductions from the original schedule that was released before COVID-19. The Longacres Mile had been a $200,000 race scheduled for Aug. 9.
Most tracks that have resumed racing have done so with smaller purses, in part because on-track handle has been eliminated by spectator-free racing.
Fourteen stakes offer $40,000 purses and retain black-type status for 2020, Emerald said in a release.
The schedule features six stakes for 3-year-olds and up (three apiece for older horses and older fillies and mares), four stakes for 3-year-olds (two apiece for colts/geldings and fillies), and five for 2-year-olds (two apiece for colts/geldings and fillies, and one open).
The 15 Thoroughbred stakes total $680,000 in purses. The entire stakes schedule can be found at the track's website.