Belmont Park reopens Friday after $450 million rebuild

Belmont Park is set to reopen Friday after a more than three-year, $450 million reconstruction, giving New York racing fans their first look at the track’s new grandstand and updated racing surfaces.

The first race of the new era is scheduled for 1:30 p.m. Friday. Opening Day features a nine-race card, headlined by the $1 million Grade 1 Jockey Club Gold Cup, with Forever Young entered against six other runners. Fox is scheduled to televise the Opening Day celebration from 3 to 4:30 p.m., and Dierks Bentley is set to headline the entertainment program.

What will be open for fans on Friday

NYRA said the new grandstand rises five stories and spans 300,000 square feet, but only the first two floors will be open for the fall meet. The remaining levels are expected to be completed in spring 2027.

Attendance at Belmont will be capped at 6,000 per day during the fall meet. For fans planning a visit, general admission for Saturday and Sunday starts at $10, while reserved grandstand seats on those days start at $50 and include a $25 food and beverage credit. On ordinary race days, general admission starts at $7 in advance and $10 at the gate.

NYRA President David O’Rourke said the redesign placed more emphasis on fan access around the paddock, with slightly more than half of that space open to the general public.

New racing surfaces and a larger-event setup

The rebuilt facility includes a 1 1/2-mile main dirt track, which NYRA describes as the largest dirt course in North America, along with two turf courses and a one-mile Tapeta synthetic course.

That synthetic surface is expected to be the exclusive course for winter races at Belmont, a notable operational change for horseplayers following the track’s calendar and conditions. The site’s infield is also designed for larger events, including the Belmont Stakes Racing Festival and other major days, with capacity reaching up to 50,000.

The first floor of the new building includes a major food court and Big Red’s sports bar. Marc Forgione has been named Belmont Park’s signature chef.

For NYRA, Friday marks the start of Belmont’s next operating phase. For fans, the immediate watch points are simpler: limited-capacity fall racing, a partially opened grandstand, and the return of one of New York’s signature tracks.

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Source: As reported by news.google.com.