Updated 2/12/2019
The New York Racing Association has extended the summer racing season at Saratoga Race Course.
NYRA adjusted racing dates for the Belmont Park spring/summer meet and the Saratoga summer meet to ensure the continuity of racing operations in New York in light of proposed timelines for the construction of a new arena at Belmont Park, officials said.
The Saratoga meet will begin on July 11, but the number of racing days remains at 40. In the past, each Tuesday was a dark day when races were not held. This season, Monday and Tuesday will be dark days, except for Labor Day, which traditionally is the final day of the meet and will remain so.
According to NYRA, the adjustment is based on initial timelines presented by Empire State Development (ESD) and the New York Arena Partners (NYAP) for the potential construction of an arena for the National Hockey League’s New York Islanders at Belmont Park.
The construction timeline presented by ESD and NYAP through the public hearing process in early January indicates that work on the new arena at Belmont Park could begin as early as the second quarter of 2019, leading to potential disruption during morning training and afternoon racing. These changes to the racing calendar are designed to protect equine and human athletes, and to mitigate potential impact to horsemen and the backstretch community.
As approved by the New York State Gaming Commission (NYSGC), the Belmont Park spring/summer meet will feature a revised 48-day calendar to commence on Friday, April 26 and run through Sunday, July 7.