Belmont Park

The names for the New York legs of the Empire Trillium Series, a 14-race program of stakes races at Belmont Park and Woodbine Racetrack restricted to horses foaled in New York or Canada worth $3.2 million in total purses, have been revealed by the New York Racing Association, Inc. (NYRA). Saturday, Dec. 26: The Empire Trillium Series will begin with four $200,000 events for 2-year-olds on Dec. 26 over the new Tapeta course at the reimagined Belmont Park. Each of the four stakes slated for Dec. 26 are named in...

Some 3 1/2 years ago, when the New York Racing Association (NYRA) first announced that the GI Belmont Stakes would be relocated to Saratoga Race Course during the extensive renovation of Belmont Park, there was plenty of hand-wringing about whether or not the three-year move to a different track and a cutback in distance from 12 to 10 furlongs constituted over-tinkering with the third jewel of the Triple Crown. "The debate is healthy. It means fans care," I wrote in a Dec. 10, 2023 installment of this column. "But the...

Edited Press Release Saturday's blockbuster Belmont Stakes Day program, highlighted by Golden Tempo's victory in the 158th running of the GI $2-million Belmont Stakes presented by NYRA Bets, generated all-sources handle of $116,077,378 and paid attendance of 46,128. On-track handle for the 14-race Belmont Stakes Day card, which included six elite-level races among seven graded stakes, was $13,416,742. All-sources handle for the Belmont Stakes presented by NYRA Bets alone, which was carded as race 13, was $50,876,383. As the television home of the Belmont Stakes Racing Festival, FOX Sports presented...

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - You better get used to failure and you better get used to losing if you're striving to do something historic or epic. Those are the words of Mike Repole after coming within a neck of winning his first GI Kentucky Derby with Renegade (Into Mischief), the 2-1 morning-line favorite for Saturday's GI Belmont Stakes at Saratoga. "I probably take losing better than I take winning," said Repole, who campaigns the $975,000 Keeneland September graduate in partnership with breeders Robert and Lawana Low. "If you ask me...

With the 2026 Belmont Stakes Racing Festival underway at Saratoga, the New York Racing Association, Inc. (NYRA) is offering early access for tickets to the 2027 Belmont Stakes Racing Festival. The 2027 event will be returned to Belmont Park, which has been undergoing a three-year transformation. The new Belmont Park will open for live racing Sept. 18. NYRA will provide fans the opportunity to enter a presale drawing for a variety of ticket packages. Deposits for premium hospitality packages and preferred seating at the 2027 Belmont Stakes Racing Festival can...

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - As a most memorable May gives way to June, trainer Cherie DeVaux believes that Golden Tempo (Curlin) is ready for his next challenge, the GI Belmont Stakes Saturday at Saratoga Race Course. Four weeks and three works after his dramatic victory in the GI Kentucky Derby, which secured DeVaux a forever place in racing history, Golden Tempo breezed Saturday and shipped Sunday from central Kentucky to upstate New York for the third and final Belmont Stakes at Saratoga. Just before his victory by a neck at...

Enrollment for the 2024 New York-bred foal crop, which will be 2-year-olds in 2026, is now open at a one-time lifetime payment of $600 and must be completed by June 19, 2026. Enrollment makes horses eligible for both the Belmont Park and Woodbine legs of the Empire-Trillium Series. There are no nomination fees to the individual races, this is covered by the $600 payment. Enrollment for older New York-bred crops wishing to compete only in the Woodbine portion of the series is available for $350 and must be completed by...

The Belmont Big Apple Bonus, a new initiative created to reward owner and trainer participation at the new Belmont Park, will kick off in September, according to the New York Racing Association, Inc. on Tuesday. Scheduled to launch with the opening of the fall meet on Sept. 18, the Big Apple Bonus will provide up to $8,500 in awards per horse shipping or relocating to Belmont Park from other racing jurisdictions. Owners and trainers currently based at NYRA are fully eligible for these bonuses, which complement the record overnight purses...

The trio of 'TDN Rising Star, presented by Hagyard', Emerging Market (Candy Ride {Arg}), Ottinho (Quality Road)and Growth Equity (Nyquist) trained by five-time Eclipse Award-winner Chad Brown and the 'TDN Rising Star, presented by Hagyard', Chief Wallabee (Constitution) for Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott worked Saturday across Saratoga Race Course and Belmont Park in preparation for the GI Belmont Stakes at the Spa June 6, the NYRA press office said in a Saturday release. The pair of Ottinho and Growth Equity worked in company over the Belmont Park dirt...

The New York Racing Association, Inc. (NYRA) will significantly increase purses on overnight races during the fall meet at the new Belmont Park, which will open for live racing Sept. 18, the track said via a Thursday press release. NYRA has increased purses in the open allowance category by 15 percent from $100,000 to $115,000. In addition, first-level optional-claiming events will be offered for $105,000 and second-level optional-claiming races will be offered for $108,000. Maiden special weight races will receive an 18 percent increase from $85,000 to $100,000, while New...

When American Pharoah crossed the finish line in the 2015 Kentucky Derby, I immediately turned to my husband and said, "Let's go to the Belmont." In my mind, the best horse so rarely gets the good trip in the Derby, I had a hunch he might end the Triple Crown drought. That evening, I purchased four general admission tickets to the Belmont. Five weeks later, our kids (aged 12 and 10 at the time) stood on our soccer chairs inside the grandstand at Belmont Park and saw history with their...

Stablemates Iron Honor (Nyquist) and Ottinho (Quality Road) worked four furlongs in :48.00 (10/184) in company over the Belmont Park dirt training track Saturday. The former is expected to line up in the May 16 GI Preakness Stakes at Laurel Park and the latter remains possible for the June 6 GI Belmont Stakes at Saratoga Race Course. Iron Honor, owned by St. Elias Stable, William Lawrence, and Glassman Racing, won the Feb. 28 GIII Gotham Stakes and was most recently a troubled seventh in the Apr. 4 GII Wood Memorial....