https://www.paulickreport.com/news/t...aiming-purses/
Only discovered this when I went to read the April condition book this morning. It took effect on March 8th and has been extended at least through April - and I'm guessing, for the upcoming Belmont meeting as well.
And pardon my cynicism, but to me at least this is all about attracting larger fields, as it is sure to do, and has nothing to do with any "enhanced soundness measures."
At the 2012 Aqueduct winter meeting, the purse for an open $7,500 claiming race was $29,000 if the race was under a mile or $30,000 if the race was at a mile or over (NYRA abolished route bonuses in 2014) - the latter a 4-to-1 ratio, whereas the new ratio is 3-to-1 - and I don't recall the sky having fallen in 2012.
