The New York Racing Association announced on July 1 that it will conduct winter racing at Belmont Park exclusively on the new all-weather Tapeta track, currently under construction and expected to be completed in the second quarter of 2025. Belmont is expected to reopen in 2026.
While race dates for 2026-27 have yet to be determined, NYRA anticipates the change will result in approximately three months of exclusive racing on the one-mile all-weather surface. NYRA said it is committed to improving all aspects of winter racing at the new Belmont Park and that the move from dirt to all-weather racing during the winter months will improve horse safety and provide additional opportunities for NYRA’s year-round Thoroughbred racing population.
“At its core, our vision for the new Belmont Park focuses on modernizing the racing and training facilities in a way that ensures the continued success and future growth of the sport “, said Dave O’Rourke, president and CEO of NYRA. “NYRA has been closely monitoring the development and application of synthetic surfaces, and the associated data clearly supports a shift to all-weather surfaces during the winter months.
“Along with the renovated main track and two new turf tracks, Belmont Park will provide a variety of quality options for both practice and racing throughout the year,” O’Rourke added. “We will continue to work closely with New York horse owners and breeders to ensure a smooth transition as the new facility takes shape.”
In preparation for the consolidation of suburban racing operations at Belmont Park in 2026, NYRA is conducting a comprehensive review of its stakes and overnight programs to ensure high-quality racing throughout the year.
This February, at the request of the Horseracing Safety and Integrity Authority, NYRA convened a leadership group to form the All-Weather Surfaces Committee. The committee, chaired by O’Rourke, is tasked with evaluating the impact of different racing surfaces on horse injury rates and studying the feasibility of more widespread adoption of all-weather surfaces nationwide.
“HISA commends NYRA for prioritizing horse safety in its decision to use the all-weather racing surface at Belmont Park for winter racing,” said Lisa Lazarus, CEO of HISA. “NYRA has demonstrated tremendous leadership through the research and analysis they have conducted to make these important decisions for the future of the sport.”
In recent years, NYRA has invested in upgrading many of the training and racing facilities at Belmont Park, Water RaceAnd Saratoga Racetrack. Includes the installation of an all-weather Tapeta surface on the Belmont Park horse racing track and the complete renovation of the main track and the Oklahoma Training Track at Saratoga. At Aqueduct, NYRA renovated the main track; replaced the inside dirt track with a second grass track and added a new surface to the inside grass track as of 2017.
Rendering of new Belmont Park shows Tapeta surface inside grass track
After installing a limestone base layer topped with a layer of clay, the surfaces at Saratoga now respond extremely well to inclement weather while the clay provides a more forgiving surface. According to The Jockey Club’s Equine Injury Database, the surfaces at Saratoga have been statistically the safest of all NYRA tracks since 2021.
To achieve consistency with the dirt racing and practice surfaces at Saratoga, the new Belmont Park main track will have a limestone base layer overlaid with a clay layer beneath the track surface. This structure has proven effective in a variety of weather conditions at Saratoga from April to November and will have similar benefits for the new Belmont Park main track surface.
While the composition of the main track does not allow for use during the winter months, the addition of the all-weather Tapeta track will allow NYRA to host winter racing on a climate-optimized surface.
“The harmony of NYRA’s ground surfaces is another important safety measure for horses in New York,” said Andrew Offerman, NYRA senior vice president of racing and operations. “Aligning the composition of the Belmont main track with both dirt surfaces at Saratoga will enhance NYRA’s ability to conduct world-class dirt racing in the spring, summer and fall. ”
In addition to building the new main track and all-weather Tapeta track, NYRA is currently renovating and expanding Belmont’s Widener and turf infields. Both will feature additional running lanes, modern drainage systems, and state-of-the-art irrigation systems served by new infield ponds and on-site pump stations.
Construction of four brand new track surfaces at Belmont is being overseen by Glen Kozak, NYRA’s executive vice president of operations and capital projects, who has managed extensive track renovations at Aqueduct and Saratoga. In addition to Kozak and his in-house team, NYRA relied on outside soil engineers and architects with surface analysis and testing provided by the University of Kentucky.
“This is an incredibly important project in the history of NYRA and it is an honor to be a part of what will propel the sport into the future,” said Kozak. “Our goal is to provide the highest quality and most stable surfaces in racing and we have assembled a team to make that a reality.”
Although New York-based trainers, owners and jockeys have played a prominent role in the Breeders’ Cup World Championship, the event has not been held at Belmont Park since 2005 due to outdated infrastructure and the lack of a fully winterized building. Following the completion of the new facility, the Breeders’ Cup has committed to adding Belmont Park to its rotating list of venues.
“We are very supportive of the renovation of Belmont Park, especially the plans to build a world-class facility with excellent racing surfaces that provide the versatility and ability to handle a variety of seasons and weather conditions,” said Drew Fleming, president and CEO of the Breeders’ Cup. “As we have said before, if you build it, we will come. We look forward to working with the New York Racing Association to bring the Breeders’ Cup World Championship back to the Empire State when the time is right.”
This story will be updated
This press release has been edited for content and style by BloodHorse Staff.
