Belmont Stakes shifting to Saratoga next year while LI park renovation underway

One of Long Island’s most notable sporting events will temporarily uproot to upstate.

The Belmont Stakes will be held at Saratoga Race Course in 2024, to allow for the uninterrupted construction of a “new and re-imagined” Belmont Park, the home of the third leg of the Triple Crown, Gov. Kathy Hochul announced Wednesday.

“As part of the exciting modernization of Belmont Park, Saratoga now adds to its storied history by hosting the 3rd leg of the Triple Crown," Hochul said in a statement.

The race will take place June 8, as the 156th edition of the Belmont Stakes. The Racing Festival will run from June 6 to June 9.

The circuit will return to Aqueduct Racetrack in South Ozone Park, Queens, for the remainder of the spring meet before racing shifts to Saratoga for the annual 40-day summer meet beginning on July 11.

The $455 million Belmont renovation will involve knocking down the massive, 1.25 million-square-foot grandstand that has been in place since 1968 and replacing it with one that's roughly 275,000 square feet.

Tunnels also were previously installed to make the infield accessible. Now, the goal is to create more green space for a more park-like atmosphere, moving away from the old structure that was constructed with two purposes: to create places to bet on horse races and a view from which to watch them, The Associated Press reported.

“It’s a win for horseracing and for the Capital Region to have the excitement and the ability to host the four-day Festival in June at America’s most historic track. As I said during the 2023 Saratoga Meet, ‘Let’s do it,’ ” Hochul said in the statement.

In addition, the New York Racing Association (NYRA) will increase the purse of the Belmont Stakes from $1.5 million to $2 million in 2024, the first significant increase since 2014. In addition, pending the approval of the North American Graded Stakes Committee, the Belmont Stakes will be contested at 1¼ miles in 2024 rather than the traditional 1½ miles, due to the configuration of Saratoga’s main track, Hochul said.

NYRA President and CEO David O’Rourke said the association is “thrilled” about the announcement, as it will “generate important economic impact” and “drive tourism” in the capital region.

Earlier this year, Hochul’s executive budget included a proposal for NYRA to build new thoroughbred racing facilities at Belmont Park, which was approved.

The project will upgrade the 117-year-old track, bringing the modern hospitality offerings fans expect while generating $1 billion in construction-related impacts, 3,700 construction jobs, $155 million in annual economic activity and 740 new full-time jobs, Hochul said.

Upgrading Belmont will also “secure the future of the sport of horse racing,” which generates 19,000 jobs across the state and $3 billion in annual economic impact, Hochul said.

The Long Island Association said it was a strong advocate for the loan to Belmont Park. 

“Moving the Belmont Stakes temporarily to Saratoga will allow for the complete modernization of the historic racetrack, and with it will come an economic jolt for Long Island with the current and future jobs as well as increased spending at the new state-of-the-art facility," said Matt Cohen, association president and CEO.

In a statement, Hempstead Town Supervisor Don Clavin said: “While the Town and the residents are excited about the forthcoming improvements at Belmont and the jobs it will create, we look forward to its return to its proper home in the Town of Hempstead.”
Before the Belmont Stakes Racing Festival, the Belmont spring/summer meet will be conducted at Aqueduct, Hochul said. The fall meet customarily held at Belmont Park will again be shifted to Aqueduct Racetrack next year while construction of a new Belmont Park continues.

Although 2024 will mark the first time the Belmont Stakes unfolds at Saratoga, it is not the first time the race was moved due to construction.

From 1963 to 1967, the race took place at Aqueduct Racetrack, when Belmont Park last underwent significant renovations.

Traditionally run at the “Test of the Champion” distance of 1½ miles, the race length has been adjusted throughout history and as recently as 2020 when the Triple Crown was modified because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Additional information and details on hospitality offerings, ticket packages and pricing for the Belmont Stakes Racing Festival at Saratoga Race Course will be available in early 2024.

An American tradition inaugurated in 1867 at Jerome Park Racetrack and moved in 1905 to Belmont Park, the Belmont Stakes has provided fans with some of the most exciting moments in sports history.

From Secretariat’s spellbinding 31-length victory in 1973 to American Pharoah successfully ending a 37-year Triple Crown drought in 2015, the Belmont Stakes captures the attention of the sports world every June.