The New York Racing Association unveiled the new Tapeta inner track at Belmont Park, which opened to horses June 29 to help usher in a new era for racing and training in the Empire State.
Following a three-year project to transform Belmont Park into a world-class sports and entertainment destination, a new and reimagined Belmont Park will open for live racing Sept. 18.
The Mark Hennig-trained pair of Private Flight, under exercise rider Ricardo Fragoso, and Mo Kreesa, with Cirilo Paredes up, were the first two horses to step on the Tapeta at 5:35 a.m. ET.
"The riders seem pleased with the way they galloped and said it was like they were on a very soft cloud—it was like galloping on air," Hennig said. "The Tapeta track offers horses a change of pace. It's good when we can change things up mentally for them—one day on Tapeta, one day to the main track, one day to the training track, and one day turned out in the round pen—it's a great experience for the horses.
"If we can throw new days and new experiences for them, I think it keeps them brighter and happier in the long run."
Michael Dickinson, a retired multiple grade 1-winning trainer and president of Tapeta Footings, was on hand to see the first horses train over the freshly installed synthetic surface.
"We're delighted with the track," Dickinson said. "The benefits of Tapeta are safety and consistency. The surface will vary a little bit with the weather, but it won't vary as much as turf or dirt. In my experience as a trainer, I would always train them on Tapeta because you always knew what you were going to get."
In coordination with ongoing construction, the Tapeta track will be open for light galloping and jogging on Mondays and Tuesdays from 5:30-7 a.m. Beginning 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.
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 1-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.
"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 senior vice president 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."
Live racing begins at the new Belmont Park Sept. 18 with an Opening Day program anchored by the $1 million Jockey Club Gold Cup (G1), which provides a "Win and You're In" berth to the $7 million Breeders' Cup Classic (G1) Oct. 31 at Keeneland.
The Belmont Park fall meet, which will run through Nov. 29, will offer record purse levels across all overnight categories.
The opening of the Tapeta track provides additional training options for horsemen at Belmont Park, which currently include a 1-mile dirt training track, as well as a covered jogging barn with a synthetic surface, and a quarter-mile Tapeta pony track.
Developed as an alternative to dirt by former jockey and trainer Dickinson, Tapeta is a synthetic racing and training surface comprised of a mixture of silica sand, wax, and fibers. Tapeta has been extensively tested at racing and training facilities throughout the world and remains extremely consistent in both cold conditions and heavy rain.
For additional information about the new Belmont Park, please visit https://www.nyra.com/belmont/.
This press release has been edited for content and style by BloodHorse Staff.
