New look at Belmont Park debuts Friday
The new Belmont Park is centered around a five-story grandstand featuring an array of fan amenities and modern hospitality offerings.
Following a three-year project to transform the home of the Belmont Stakes into a world-class sports and entertainment destination, racing will return to a new and re-imagined Belmont Park on Friday.
The new Belmont Park is centered around a five-story grandstand featuring an array of fan amenities and modern hospitality offerings. Only the first two floors will be open during the rest of the summer and fall. Many of the restaurants and lounges feature windows looking out to the track and the paddock.
"We want people to feel like they are part of the racing experience no matter where they are in the building," said NYRA spokesperson Patrick McKenna while giving News12 and exclusive tour on Thursday.
Those venues include Big Red's, Homestretch Market, Silks and the Trackside Lounge, along with premium dining and hospitality areas, including the Turf Club Restaurant and Lounge, The Overlook and The Stretch View.
NYRA has modernized the racing and training facilities at Belmont Park by constructing four new racetracks, including the traditional 1 1/2-mile dirt track, two turf courses and a 1-mile Tapeta oval. The Tapeta oval features a synthetic type of sand that will allow for more months of racing at Belmont.
The new grandstand is also nearly 1 million square feet smaller than the previous grandstand. This will allow for the creation of more green spaces and outdoor party areas, including the ability to put 40,000 fans in the interior grounds of the track.
"That area will feel exciting and energetic," McKenna said. "You can have temporary grandstands, temporary areas similar to what you might see at a Ryder Cup or a PGA event. Along with a general admission infield area that you would find at a Kentucky Derby or Preakness Stakes.
The Belmont Stakes, presented by NYRA Bets, will return to its Long Island home in 2027.
Belmont Park has been selected to host the 2027 Breeders’ Cup World Championships, which will mark the first edition of the Breeders’ Cup to be held in New York state since 2005.
The 2027 Breeders’ Cup will be held at Belmont Park Oct. 29-30, 2027.
