The New York Racing Association remained in reduction mode in cutting the purses for 12 races and shelving nine others from its stakes schedule for the Belmont Park and Aqueduct fall meets.

Stakes purses for the two meets will total $8,740,000, down from more than $11.3-million in 2009. NYRA cut $1.4-million from its stakes program for the Belmont spring and summer and Saratoga Race Course meets earlier this year.  

“Our fall stakes programs rank among the tops in the industry and we are looking forward to great racing at Belmont Park and Aqueduct,” NYRA President Charles Hayward said. “The changes that we made to the meets are a reflection of the current economic climate and the nationwide reductions in the horse population.”