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24-527: The Metropolitan Handicap , frequently called the "Met Mile", is an American Grade I Thoroughbred horse race held at Belmont Park in Elmont, New York . Open to horses age three and older, it is contested on dirt over a distance of one mile (8 furlongs ). Starting in 2014, it is now run on the same day as the Belmont Stakes in early June. The Met Mile is one of the most prestigious American races outside of

48-516: A trainer Graded stakes race A high grading can also be used by racetracks to promote the race in question. When determining Eclipse Award winners, racing journalists will consider the number and grade of a horse's stakes wins during the year. In general, stakes race refers to the stake, or entry fee, owners must pay, which generally forms part of the prize money offered to the top finishers. Not all stakes races are eligible for grading. Notably, races that are restricted to horses bred in

72-738: A Grade II race, unless the committee feels the quality of the race was sufficient to warrant Grade I. In the United States and Canada, a graded race can be dormant for one year without losing its grade. The following races have been downgraded from Grade I status since 2010: The Donn Handicap was discontinued after its 2016 edition; its Grade I status was transferred to the Pegasus World Cup , which held its first edition in 2017 The following races have been upgraded to Grade I status since 2010: National Thoroughbred Racing Association The National Thoroughbred Racing Association ( NTRA )

96-409: A level in 2013. The American Graded Stakes Committee grades only races that: In 2008, the committee began requiring that toe grabs on the horseshoe , designed to improve traction, be no longer than 2 millimeters. This was in response to studies by Susan Stover showing that such toe grabs substantially increase the risk of catastrophic racing injuries. Recently, racing officials have also banned

120-419: A number of years. For graded turf races, track conditions (normally excessive rain) may sometimes force the race to be run on the main (dirt) track. If this happens, the race is automatically downgraded by one grade level for that running only. The Committee then reviews the race within five days and may restore the original grade. For example, a Grade I turf race that is switched to the dirt will be recorded as

144-405: A purse of at least $ 300,000, but not all races with such high purses are Grade I. For example, a racetrack may offer a high purse to attract better fields so the race will be upgraded in future years. The grade level is assigned by looking at data that indicates quality of the field for the last five years. In order to achieve or maintain a Grade I, it is necessary to attract a competitive field over

168-528: A specific state (e.g., the Tiznow Stakes for California-breds) or country (e.g., the races that make up the Canadian Triple Crown , all restricted to Canadian-breds) are excluded, regardless of the purse or quality of field. Conversely, some races that are not technically stakes races (usually invitational races where entry fees are not required by the racetrack) may be eligible for grading if they meet

192-473: Is a broad-based coalition of American horse racing interests consisting of leading thoroughbred racetracks, owners, breeders, trainers and affiliated horse racing associations, charged with increasing the popularity of horse racing and improving economic conditions for industry participants. The NTRA has offices in Lexington, Kentucky , and Rye Brook, New York . Historically, it is the marketing departments of

216-508: Is the official supplier of racing information and statistics to America's Best Racing , Breeders' Cup , Daily Racing Form , NTRA , The Jockey Club , TRA, TVG , and Xpressbet . A notable exception to the change in format being the three New York Racing Association tracks. Fasig-Tipto began including grading information in 1975, Keeneland Association in 1976, and Daily Racing Form in 1978. In 1998, Canada began to grade Canadian races independently. Listed stakes were first added as

240-744: The Suburban Handicap and Brooklyn Handicap . Four horses have won the Handicap Triple: The Met Mile and the Brooklyn are now run on the same day as part of the Belmont Stakes undercard, so it is no longer possible to complete the Handicap Triple. There was a Dead Heat for first in 1905. Time record: Largest Margin Most wins by an owner Most wins by a jockey Most wins by

264-454: The Triple Crown and Breeders' Cup . It is known as a "stallion-making race" as the distance of a mile often displays the winner's "brilliance", referring to an exceptional turn of foot. Winners of the race who went on to become notable stallions include Tom Fool (1953), Native Dancer (1954), Buckpasser (1967), Fappiano (1981), Gulch (1987–88), and Ghostzapper (2005). The Met Mile

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288-538: The 30% tax that the U.S. government then placed on all international bets. This legislation was signed into law in by President George W. Bush October 22, 2004. In 2006 the NTRA lobbying team secured an additional exemption for horse racing in the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act of 2006 , signed by President Bush on October 13, 2006. Historically, it is the marketing departments of

312-780: The National Thoroughbred Association. It replaced the Thoroughbred Racing Associations of North America as the sponsor of the American Horse of the Year awards in 1998. Beginning in the late 1990s, the NTRA operated a number of lobbying campaigns in Washington, D.C. They NTRA registered a "hard money" political action committee with the Federal Election Commission on July 14, 2000, with

336-524: The discontinued Donn Handicap . There are four grade levels, from Listed at the bottom to Grade I at the top. The latter are higher-class races for bigger prizes for horses of the same age group (2, 3 or 3 and up) and may further be restricted by sex. The weight conditions of the races may vary provided they meet the committee's standards to ensure competitiveness. Many grade I races are " weight-for-age ", with weights adjusted only according to age and sex, and also there are "set weights" where all horses carry

360-521: The identity and age via closed-loop authentication . Separate gambling legislation known as the Federal Wire Act that historically prohibited any betting over state lines via technology stayed intact, with horse racing becoming the sole exemption for federally recognized online gambling in states that authorized the activity. Beginning in 2002 the NTRA lobbying team advocated for H.R. 4474, which gained bipartisan support for its proposal to eliminate

384-548: The individual tracks, not the national marketing campaigns, which have attracted a fan base. In 2012, the radio campaign by advertising agency, DeVito/Verdi , led to an increase in a younger, more affluent fan base, and won the Mercury award for the best radio campaign. In September 2017, two of the National Thoroughbred Racing Association's radio ads , created by DeVito/Verdi, won "Hall of Fame" awards at

408-591: The individual tracks, not the national marketing campaigns, which have attracted a fan base. In 2012, the radio campaign by advertising agency, DeVito/Verdi, led to an increase in a younger, more affluent fan base, and won the Mercury awards for the best radio campaign. The current President and CEO of NTRA is Tom Rooney , a former member of Congress from Florida. The NTRA was formed in 1998 with startup funding provided by Breeders' Cup Limited, Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association , The Jockey Club , Keeneland Association , Oak Tree Racing Association and

432-589: The organization quoting that "a $ 1-million PAC is a necessary complement to the NTRA's federal lobbying efforts." On December 15, 2000, the United States Congress passed a package of appropriations bills which included an amendment to the Interstate Horseracing Act (IHA), a bill first enacted in 1978. The NTRA had been a key lobbying team behind the new legislation, and the IHA Amendment

456-459: The quality standards. European authorities implemented the Pattern race system in 1972 and requested that North America implement a similar method, leading to the development of the graded stakes system by TOBA in 1973. The first list of North American Graded Stakes was published in 1974. The original purpose of grading was to identify the most competitive races, which helps horsemen make comparisons of

480-680: The relative quality of bloodstock for breeding and sales purposes. When the race-grading program was being set up for its 1973 introduction by the American Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association it was done so as to match the data formatting in use by the British system being Grade I, Grade II, Grade III. However, the advent of the Internet meant that format would eventually be mostly abandoned in favor of G1, G2, G3. Used by TOBA itself, and most significantly by Equibase Company LLC that

504-440: The same weight (usually applicable when all horses are of the same age and sex). Furthermore, there are "conditions" races, in which horses carry weights that are set by conditions, such as having won a certain number of races, or races of a certain value. Finally, some graded stakes are " handicaps ", in which an official handicapper assigns weights to each horse in an attempt to equalize the competition. All Grade I races must have

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528-449: The use of furosemide (Lasix) in all Black Type races, which include graded and listed stakes races. A newly established race may inherit the graded status of a discontinued race if it is held at the same facility under essentially identical conditions as the discontinued race. For example, the inaugural running of the Pegasus World Cup in January 2017 was Grade I, inheriting the status of

552-490: Was first run in 1891 at Morris Park Racetrack . Prior to 1897, it was run at a distance of 1 + 1 ⁄ 8 miles. In 1904, its location was moved to Belmont Park. There it remained except for nine years; 1960 to 1967, 1969, and 1975 when it was hosted by Aqueduct Racetrack . It was not run in 1895, 1911, and 1912. The Met Mile was the first of three races in the New York Handicap Triple series, followed by

576-449: Was signed by President Bill Clinton on December 22 and clarified that the US horse racing industry could conduct interstate simulcasting and "commingling of pools and account wagering," so long as the states where the activity occurred permitted such activity. This legislation confirmed that Internet-based wagering related to horse racing was legal, so long as the wagering business could confirm

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