For the past three years, the Belmont Stakes was held at Saratoga Race Course as Belmont Park was being rebuilt. Not renovated mind you, but a completely new racetrack and grandstand constructed from the ground up with the old venue being demolished. The last day of racing at the old Belmont Park was July 9, 2023, and the first day of racing at the new Belmont Park was September 18, 2026. In addition, Aqueduct has been shut down completely with the racing program moved to Belmont Park. It's a bit far for me to go out for just a few races, so I waited for a day where there was also an Islanders game at UBS Arena, which is about 30 seconds from the track entrance. These might be the two closest sports venues in North America, except for those that are in the same building such as at Quinnipiac.
It costs $7 in advance for a ticket here, or $10 at the gate. Wednesday's are the day to go for budget-minded bettors, as it is just $3 to get in, $2 for parking with 1 program included. There are other options for those that wish to enjoy the upscale club areas, but I am not among those people. I entered via gate F and approached the paddock (below) and main building (above). Everything is very white here, including the patrons.
The paddock ring was not used for some reason as the horses were just walked in front of their stalls, with only those connected to the race somehow allowed to see up close. As a bettor, you like to check out the horses before making your wager and I found this a bit frustrating. An overview of the paddock is below.
The closest you can get is as the horses leave the paddock for the track, but by this time, there is little to be seen in terms of their temperament.
Inside, the seats are very nice and there are plenty of them for a weekend afternoon with no stakes races. I'd say there were maybe 1,500 fans here, but it's tough to tell exactly as the place is so big.
My buddy Mark, a true horse racing aficionado, was also here and I met him in the box seats near the finish line.
Later, I walked to the track rail and took a picture of the grandstand from there. The building is yet to be complete as the top two floors are still under construction indoors. As well, there will be an infield area in which fans can congregate, but the tunnel has yet to be finished. I guess all of this will be ready for next year's meet and certainly in time for the Belmont Stakes.
There are a few things to see around the track, including this impressive wooden sculpture called "Belmont Breakthrough" by Corey Worden.
Inside the east entrance is a collage of Triple Crown winners, all of whom won the final race here. Well, at the old tracks (this is actually the third iteration of Belmont Park), but you know what I mean.
Some jockey silks are also on display on the east side of the building.
The picture below is by the finish line, with the two horses captured on the big screen as well. The east side is where the finish line is, but if you want to be right next to the dirt, you have to be on the west side of the path between the paddock and the track. As you can see below, I was a few feet away from the track.
Overall, the new Belmont Park is impressive though a bit bland at the moment. As the new features come online, it will be worth revisiting.
The races ended about 5:45 and with the Islanders game starting at 7:30, I wanted to find a way to spend an hour or so. Fortunately, there is a beer garden by the arena that has $5 cans, with Tecate the cheap option. I relaxed there and enjoyed a couple as some friends joined, before heading on in to the game.
The Blackhawks were visiting and from what I saw, it will be a tough go in the Windy City, at least until Connor Bedard returns. The Islanders won 4-1 despite just 19 shots on goal (the following night, Anaheim beat Winnipeg 5-1 with only 17 shots). It was a fairly dull game like you get in the middle of February rather than just the third week of the season. Still, it is nice to have two venues so close and I will probably repeat the experience a couple of times this season.
Notes
This was venue 1,225 lifetime and my 12th horse racing track.
Best,
Sean
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