Belmont Park reopens after $555m rebuild with racing resuming on Friday

Belmont Park reopened on Friday, staging live racing for the first time in more than three years at the rebuilt Long Island venue following a $555m reconstruction project. The return featured a sold-out, capacity-limited opening day and a nine-race card that included the $1m Jockey Club Gold Cup.

The redevelopment reduced the old grandstand footprint from roughly 1.25m sq ft to about 300,000 sq ft and replaced the cavernous, five-storey structure with a smaller, glass-fronted building. The project recreated the famed Big Sandy dirt surface using the same soil composition employed at Saratoga and moved the finish line for a longer stretch run; there are four rebuilt racing surfaces in total, a paddock 50% larger than the predecessor and roughly 20 acres of newly accessible green space. Inside, the décor is starkly modern — "It looks kind of like an airport, but it’s beautiful," one Fox Sports production assistant was overheard saying.

The reconstruction was financed with a $455m state loan alongside $100m from the New York Racing Association. NYRA consolidated its downstate operations at Belmont, ending racing at Aqueduct in June and returning the roughly 100-acre Aqueduct site to the state for planned mixed-use redevelopment; the state loan is to be repaid from NYRA’s share of slot-machine revenue at the Resorts World casino. At a ribbon-cutting, governor Kathy Hochul said: "Three and a half years ago, we made a big bet on Belmont," and added, "We made the bet because we saw the enormous economic potential," describing the vision as an "international racing hub" and "a versatile venue" intended for "the entire community".

The new facility will seat roughly 10,000 people inside with access to the infield and temporary seating allowing the property to accommodate around 50,000 for the Belmont Stakes. Opening weekend attendance was capped at 6,000 and will drop to 4,000 beginning next week while construction continues; only the first two floors are open now and the remaining three floors are expected to be completed early next year. Spectator spaces have been reorganised: general admission occupies the first floor, apron and backyard with bars and concessions available without reservation, while the Turf Club, Overlook and Stretch View require reservations and premium seating and suites remain under construction.

Pricing and access details were listed by NYRA: general admission will cost $7 in advance or $10 at the gate after opening weekend, box seats run between $55 and $75, the Overlook and Stretch View "can cost $100 to $150 more per person" and the Turf Club charges $75 per person, rising to $150 for its premium menu. NYRA has prohibited coolers and outside beverages in the larger backyard space and parking is $20; longtime patrons warned those costs could alter who attends. The Long Island Rail Road serves the venue at Elmont-UBS Arena station, while Aqueduct had direct access from the A train.

Regular attendees voiced mixed reactions. Henry Miller, a 59-year-old retired sanitation worker, said: "It has to grow on me," adding, "It’s too much concrete. I don’t think it’s as friendly as the old Belmont," and that Aqueduct’s closure "broke my heart." Kathie Riccobono, 74, called it "a big change," and said: "Change is good, but you’re not going to have the old Belmont like we used to. The old people, there’s not many of us left. And the new group don’t know nothing about horses." Joseph Gillespie, who has attended Belmont for 35 years, described the new building as "very nice" and said: "I think they’re trying to make this like a Keeneland destination type of thing. People get fancied up. Hopefully you don’t get the riff-raff. Not that there’s anything wrong with that. Hopefully it thrives."

Racing on Friday produced both a local and international showcase. The opening race on the inner turf was won by Lisa Joy, a British homebred owned by Andrew Rosen, trained by Hall of Famer Shug McGaughey and ridden by Antonio Fresu in a mile-and-a-quarter maiden. McGaughey said: "I think it’s a beautiful place," adding: "It’s different than what I expected. We just need to get the kinks out and get the people in it and it’ll be really special. I think it’s going to be great when everything gets settled in." The card’s headline saw Forever Young, a five-year-old Japanese horse and 2025 Breeders’ Cup Classic winner, sweep to the lead and win the Jockey Club Gold Cup by three and a quarter lengths, pushing his career earnings beyond $32m; trainer Yoshito Yahagi pronounced himself only "50% satisfied," estimating the horse at about 80% fitness before his attempt next month to become only the second horse after Tiznow to win back-to-back Breeders’ Cup Classics, and said through a translator: "I think I will never see again a horse like this in my life and my career."

Belmont’s relaunch arrives amid broader industry pressures: more than 40 American racetracks have closed since 2000, FanDuel TV has announced plans to scale back linear racing broadcasts and Americans wagered nearly $167bn on sports in 2025 compared with roughly $11bn on US horse racing. NYRA has added a new one-mile Tapeta oval intended for exclusive winter use and is considering shortening the Belmont Stakes from its mile-and-a-half distance to a mile-and-a-quarter, with NYRA CEO Dave O’Rourke arguing the historic distance no longer reflects what modern breeders are producing.

Belmont will host a 46-day fall meet featuring 72 stakes worth $17.7m before the Belmont Stakes returns next year, and the Breeders’ Cup is scheduled to come back to New York for the first time since 2005.