New York horse racing fans finally have an idea of what the new-and-improved Belmont Park will look like once it reopens from a major transformation in 2026.
The Governor’s office and the New York Racing Association (NYRA) released on Monday renderings of a reimagined Belmont Park racetrack, including a state-of-the-art grandstand that can accommodate both the large crowds drawn to the Belmont Stakes, and thoroughbred racing almost 11 months out of the year.
Once completed, the grandstand will also be fully winterized, and the renovated racing surfaces will also include the addition of a 1 mile all-weather synthetic racetrack within the turf courses. This will permit the new Belmont Park to operate year-round, and for NYRA to consolidate its downstate racing operations — leading to the eventual closure and redevelopment of Aqueduct Racetrack in Queens.
The governor’s office noted that the 2024 enacted budget, which included $455 million for the Belmont project, requires Aqueduct’s closure in order for some 110 acres of state-owned land at the site to be redeveloped for other uses.
For now, Aqueduct is hosting almost all of NYRA’s racing over the next two years while Belmont is closed for reconstruction — with upstate Saratoga Race Course hosting the next two runnings of the Belmont Stakes at brief boutique meets in June, and its standard 40-day summer racing seasons between mid-July and Labor Day.
“The redevelopment of Belmont Park is a critical investment in one of New York’s most historic sporting venues,” Governor Kathy Hochul said Monday. “The new facility will support year-round racing, thousands of new jobs for Long Islanders and provide an enhanced experience for customers attending the iconic Belmont Stakes for generations to come.”
The project is expected to generate 3,700 construction jobs in the near term, and the state believes the new Belmont will help generate $155 million in annual economic output, as well as $10 million…
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