To accommodate ongoing construction within the grandstand and infield at Belmont Park, The New York Racing Association, Inc. (NYRA) today announced an abbreviated schedule for training on both the Tapeta and main track.
Following a three-year project to transform Belmont Park into a world-class sports and entertainment destination, a new and re-imagined Belmont Park will open for live racing on September 18.
Beginning Monday, June 29, and in coordination with construction efforts, the Tapeta track will be open for light galloping and jogging on Mondays and Tuesdays from 5:30-7 a.m. Beginning Wednesday, July 1, the main track will be open for training Wednesday-Sunday from 5:30-8 a.m. Timed workouts will be permitted on both the main track and Tapeta at a date to be determined.
"Opening these fully rebuilt surfaces marks a significant milestone in the redevelopment of the racing and training infrastructure at Belmont Park," said Andrew Offerman, NYRA SVP for Racing and Operations. "We thank our racing participants for their support during this process as we look forward to the return of racing on September 18."
Centered around a modern grandstand featuring an array of fan amenities and hospitality offerings, Belmont Park will feature four newly constructed racing surfaces including the traditional 1 1/2-mile dirt track, two turf courses and the one-mile Tapeta oval. Beyond the confines of the grandstand and expanded paddock area, Belmont Park will provide fans and the surrounding community with more generally accessible green space than ever before.
The one-mile Tapeta will be used as the exclusive surface for winter racing at the new Belmont Park while providing a year-round training option for horses stabled on the property. In addition, the Tapeta will be utilized throughout the year for races taken off the turf due to inclement weather.
To achieve consistency with the dirt racing and training surfaces at Saratoga Race Course, the main track at Belmont Park features a limestone base topped with a clay pad below the racing surface itself. This structure has proven effective in the wide variety of weather conditions found at Saratoga from April through November and will be similarly beneficial for the main track surface at the new Belmont Park.
In addition to the main track and Tapeta, Belmont Park's two turf courses have been renovated from the ground up and expanded to create additional running lanes. NYRA completed the installation of the Kentucky Bluegrass surfaces in October 2025. The Inner and Widener turf courses will benefit from a state-of-the-art irrigation system serviced by an on-site pump station drawing water from a new irrigation pond located on the west end of the infield.
The construction of Belmont's new racing surfaces has been overseen by Glen Kozak, NYRA Exec. Vice President for Operations & Capital Projects.
"NYRA has invested significant resources in creating what we believe to the finest racing surfaces in the sport. As we celebrate the completion of this important milestone, I would like to thank the NYRA team and all of our contractors for their dedication and hard work on this massive project," said Kozak.
For additional information about the new Belmont Park, please visit nyra.com/belmont.
This press release has not been edited by BloodHorse. If there are any questions please contact the organization that produced the release.
