Courtesy Amira Chichakly
By Paul Post
Excitement in the Spa City has reached a fever-pitch for the upcoming five-day Belmont Stakes Racing Festival from June 4-8.
The Grade 1, $2 million Belmont has all the makings of a classic showdown between Kentucky Derby winner Sovereignty and runner-up Journalism, who broke through a crowded field to capture the May 17 Preakness in dramatic fashion.
“This will be a great race, maybe a blockbuster!” said veteran handicapper Mike Campanile, a frequent visitor to the Spa Oval.
The festival will have 27 stakes races and purses totaling more than $11 million, the richest purses and highest number of stakes offered since the festival’s inception in 2014.
But excitement at the track is only part of the fun, which begins on Wednesday, June 4 (7-10 p.m.) with a Belmont on Broadway concert in downtown Saratoga Springs featuring Gin Blossoms, an alternative rock band whose single, “Hey Jealousy,” became a Top 25 hit; and the Uprooted band that includes Michael Glabicki, original singer-guitarist with the former Rusted Root, which sold more than three million albums.
Broadway will be closed from Van Dam Street to City Hall, allowing concert-goers to party in the street.
The very next night, Sports Illustrated is bringing its acclaimed Revel at the Races event to the Belmont Stakes for the first time. Taking place at The Night Owl at 17 Maple Street, this event is headlined by multi-platinum rapper G-Eazy and offers a high-energy evening of live music, hospitality, and immersive brand activations that bring fans closer to the sports moments they love.
Revel at the Races comes to Saratoga following its second annual production at this year’s Kentucky Derby.
Tickets are on sale at BelmontStakes.com/Revel.
New York Racing Association is giving casual and serious fans alike more opportunities to experience first-hand, up-close looks at the world’s greatest equine athletes.
Public access to the Oklahoma Training Track has been expanded, allowing fans to see morning workouts. The Oklahoma track’s Whitney Viewing Stand is now open to the public from 7-10 a.m. Wednesday through Sunday right up through the Belmont festival.
Beginning June 9 and continuing through Labor Day, the viewing stand will be open daily from 7-11 a.m. Pedestrians may access the Oklahoma Training Track via Gate 21 off East Avenue. But vehicles are not permitted on the property at this time.
This year’s schedule is expected to generate a record $450 million economic impact as an all-time high 49 total days of racing are planned.
Following the five-day Belmont festival, NYRA will host a special July 4th Racing Festival at Saratoga from Thursday, July 3 to Sunday, July 6.
The 40-day summer meet will open Thursday, July 10 and continue through Monday, September 1. After the summer meet’s four-day opening week, racing will be held five days per week, Wednesdays through Sundays, except for closing week when the 2025 season concludes on Labor Day Monday.
The Belmont is being held in Saratoga for a second straight year because of ongoing construction of a new and reimagined Belmont Park, scheduled for completion in 2026.
Numerous other off-track events are planned in addition to Belmont on Broadway and Revel at the Races. For example, the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame, celebrating its 50th anniversary this year, has several activities slated during the festival including a Belmont Gala at Canfield Casino on Thursday, June 5 and a Belmont Bites & Brews event on Friday, June 6, with food trucks and a variety of beers to choose from.
For a full listing of events go to: www.discoversaratoga.com.