Do you enjoy horse races? What about experiencing it live? If you are passionate about horse races, must add a visit to the famous Belmont Park in New York City, US. Belmont Park Horse Racetrack is one of the elite and lengthiest horse tracks in the United States. The park is famous among fans for Belmont Stakes, the third last, and longest race of the series. It also organizes many events for families, excluding horse racing, in the off-seasons, such as the annual Belmont Stakes Fair in May, festivals organized during spring and fall, car shows, Belmont park concerts, and many other events. This article has summed up all related information about the Belmont Park racetrack.
History Of Belmont Park
It’s the most important thoroughbred horse racing facility since 4 May 1905. The New York Racing Association Inc. (NYRA) is a non-profit organization that controls the operations of three major racing tracks in NYC; Belmont Park of Elmont, Aqueduct Racetrack, and Saratoga Race Course.
The racecourse was condemned in 1963 and rebuilt after five years. All races, including Belmont Stakes, were held at Aqueduct in this time frame.
The park hosted the Breeders Cup several times in 1990, 1995, 2001, and 2005. It has also hosted the Jockey Club Gold Cup (consisting of a 1 ¼ mile race for 3yr horse) and Suburban Handicap.
Location And Structure Of Belmont Park
The park is on 2150 Hempstead Turnpike, Long Island, in the town of Elmont. It is near the Queens-Nassau County border and 20 miles away from NYC. It is also next to the famous attraction of Elmont, the UBS Arena. The visiting guests can take Long Island Rail Road (LIRR) or a New York City Bus to reach the venue.
Belmont Park racetrack consists of 430 acres area. It has three sections; General (least expensive), the Clubhouse, and the Grandstand (expensive). Both have three levels of seating, with the Grandstand being more crowded. The Grandstand is a massive structure designed by Arthur Froehlich. It can accommodate more than 100,000 guests, with an adjoining backyard that increases capacity for more than 10,000 people. And the parking ground can house up to 18,500 cars at a time. The Clubhouse consists of the following three floors:
Wooden Corner
The first floor consists of a lobby with a wooden corner displaying the five consecutive Belmont Stakes winners from 1982 to 1986. They were reeled off, by a trainer Woody Stevens, with Conquistador Cielo, Caveat, Swale, Crème Fraiche & Danzig connection.
Heritage Club
On the third level, a food court named Heritage Club is available with a fully air-conditioned seating area. Several service stations on sideways provide a variety of options to grab a quick bite, like deli sandwiches, burgers, salads, Panini, and many more. There is also a full-service bar available in the club with three self-serve teller machines and four large LEDs in that area.
The Garden Terrace Dining Room
With a prime view of the entire racetrack, the fourth level consists of the Garden Terrace Dining room. The restaurant offers American servings (A La Carte & Cafe) on weekdays, but a grand buffet dining option is available on Saturdays and Sundays. Buffet dining has a fixed price except for stakes days, where the price increases slightly at Belmont Park Terrace.
The Backyard
The backyard area is popular among fans as a picnic spot. You cannot bring outside food or alcohol on Belmont Stake days. But on regular days, you can bring along coolers or alcoholic beverages after security checks. Various small vendors offering snack items such as French fries, Hotdogs, burgers, tacos, Panini, ice cream, and more are also available on reasonable American fares.
Paddock Area
Paddock Area provides a golden opportunity to get close to the racing horses behind the Grandstand. It is a wide-open area with a beautiful statue of the Secretariat in the middle of greenery, which is an attraction to Belmont Park for a tour. Full-track visibility is not possible in this area.
An old white pine tree, almost 190 years old, dominates the center area and becomes the face of Belmont Park’s corporate logo in 1968.
Track Configuration
Belmont park has three main race tracks.
Main Track
It is the main oval-shaped outside dirt track and is 1.5 miles in circumference.
Widener Turf Course
Another one is the Widener Turf Course track, right inside the dirt and about 1 5/16 miles long.
Inner Turf Course
The third and last track is Inner Turf Course, strategically positioned inside the two outer tracks and almost 1 3/16 miles in circumference.
What is the Belmont Stake?
The Belmont Stakes is the last event of the Triple Crown horse race. It is an American Grade 1 stake race for three-year-old Thoroughbreds to run over 1.5 miles (2400m) at Belmont Park in Elmont. The race is also known as “The Test of the Champion” and “The Run for the Carnations”. To win the Triple Crown title, a horse should win the Kentucky Derby, the Preakness Stakes, and the Belmont Stakes. The race usually takes place on the first or second Saturday of June, with approx five-week gaps from the Kentucky Derby and three-week gaps from the Preakness Stakes.
Belmont Stake is one of the longest first-class races on dirt in the United States. It consists of one full lap of Belmont Park (The Championship Track). The Geldings (castrated male horses), colts (young male horses), and fillies (young female horses) run in the race. Geldings and colts must carry 57 kg (126 pounds), while fillies can carry 55 kg (121 pounds) for the race.
FAQs
Why is Belmont Stake known as the Test of the Champion?
Test of the Champion is the longest among the Triple Crown races, where they judge the three-year-old horses based on stamina, experience, and running speed.
Why is Belmont Park closed these days?
Belmont Park is closed due to ongoing construction on the main track and turf courses. It won’t reopen until April 2023. The New York Racing Association decided to upgrade the facilities at Belmont Park on December 2022. The New York Islanders of UBS Arena will construct 18,000 seat arena in the backyard space of 435,000 sq. ft at Belmont Park. It will become Belmont Arena.
What are the Belmont race track Parking options?
Parking is free on regular days except on Stake Days. Management sets the prices of parking areas throughout the racing season. It is available on a first-come-first-serve basis. Upon exiting, guests can access Shuttle Bus Services that run through the city.
Why do they call Belmont Big Sandy?
The Dirt track is nicknamed Belmont Big Sandy because it is comprised of sand, silt, and clay.
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