Agriculture & New York State Horse Breeding Development Fund executive director Peter Goold today announced the New York State Sire Stakes purses and schedule for 2009

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The total purses for 2009 are expected to be $15 million. The season kicks off on June 2 with three-year-old colt trot races at Monticello Raceway and runs through October 9.

New for 2009, the renowned NYSS Night of Champions, the signature championship races for the New York Sire Stakes Series, will be held Saturday, September 26, 2009 at Vernon Downs in Central New York State. This move will help to further promote the great NYSS program throughout the State of New York.

The 2009 NYSS Season also features additional races at Yonkers Raceway. The additional races are in the New York Sire Stakes series, providing even more money-earning opportunities for horsemen.

Goold said, "We are very excited about the upcoming 2009 New York Sire Stakes Season. The changes made to the schedule and Night of Champions venue are sure to prove favorable for all of New York's great and many horsemen while enhancing the New York program." Goold continued, "On behalf of the fund, I sincerely thank Yonkers Raceway staff for their many years of exceptional work on the Night of Champions Event. To the staff at Vernon Downs, we look forward to working with you this season. And to all the New York horsemen who make the New York Sire Stakes possible, we will see you at the races."

The NYSS offers a three-tiered racing program: The Sire Stakes and State Fair series; Late Closers series; and County Fair series. The unique program offers money-earning opportunities for horses of all ability levels. The races are held at the seven pari-mutuel harness tracks throughout the State, the Goshen Historic Track and at 22 participating county fairs.

The 2009 New York Sire Stakes racing season is June through October. The NYSS series runs from June 2 through September 26. The Late Closers Series begins at Saratoga Raceway July 9 with its final championship races held at Saratoga for three-year-olds on October 3 and at Yonkers for two-year-olds on October 9. The County Fair series runs from July through August with its finals held on September 5 at Vernon Downs.

The full schedule is listed on NYSS website.

If you have a question about New York Sire Stakes program and purses, please contact Peter Goold at 518-436-8713.

(With files from NYSS)