{"id":40752,"date":"2025-06-23T17:49:37","date_gmt":"2025-06-23T21:49:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.saratoga.com\/saratogabusinessjournal\/?p=40752"},"modified":"2025-06-23T17:49:37","modified_gmt":"2025-06-23T21:49:37","slug":"belmont-stakes-heads-back-to-saratoga-in-2026-as-fans-and-businesses-celebrate-success","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.saratoga.com\/saratogabusinessjournal\/2025\/06\/belmont-stakes-heads-back-to-saratoga-in-2026-as-fans-and-businesses-celebrate-success\/","title":{"rendered":"Belmont Stakes Heads Back To Saratoga In 2026 As Fans And Businesses Celebrate Success"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"\"
The lead pack rounds the first turn at Saratoga Race Course during the 2025 Belmont Stakes. The historic race will return to Saratoga for a third and final time in 2026.
Courtesy NYRA<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

By Paul Post<\/p>\n

The Spa City has hit the trifecta of Belmont Stakes fortunes as the historic race will be back next year for a third and final time.<\/p>\n

Dust is still settling from this year\u2019s five-day racing festival and officials are already making plans for an even bigger and better event.<\/p>\n

\u201cBy all measure, the 2025 Belmont Racing Festival supported by the popular Belmont on Broadway concert was an overwhelming community and economic success,\u201d said Greg Connors, Saratoga Economic Development Corporation president. \u201cFeedback from our organizational stakeholders, business owners, the hospitality industry as well as city and county residents has been almost unanimously favorable and positive. Business and community organizers took lessons learned from our 2024 experience and made changes to our 2025 efforts to the benefit of all concerned.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWe do look forward to welcoming the international and national audience back to Saratoga County in 2026,\u201d he said. \u201cThe substantial economic impact on not only Saratoga, but the Capital Region is significant. Historically, the traditional Saratoga meet contributes an estimated $9 million per day to the local economy.\u201d<\/p>\n

<\/span><\/span><\/b><\/span><\/span>\u201cAnd, with our partners in government, business and community development sectors, we have worked as a team, for the last two years, to showcase our community to the world and the world-class thoroughbred racing industry, that Saratoga County and the City of Saratoga Springs is capable and ready to handle such an historic horse racing event of national and international interest,\u201d Connors said.<\/p>\n

The Belmont was moved upstate because Belmont Park is undergoing a nearly half-billion-dollar renovation and will host the 2027 Breeders\u2019 Cup. Originally slated for two years in Saratoga, a third year was added to accommodate construction without interruption.<\/p>\n

\u201cBringing the race back to Saratoga next year will once again expand the audience for this storied leg of the Triple Crown and ensure fans continue to enjoy the full experience,\u201d Governor Kathy Hochul said.<\/p>\n

This year\u2019s Belmont, won by Kentucky Derby champion Sovereignty, generated an all-sources handle of more than $55 million and drew paid attendance of 46,243.<\/p>\n

Next year\u2019s Belmont Stakes will be held Saturday, June 6, and will again be contested at 1.25 miles instead of the traditional 1.5 miles due to Saratoga\u2019s track configuration.<\/p>\n

But the free Belmont on Broadway concert featuring Gin Blossoms drew many music lovers as well as racing fans.<\/p>\n

Embassy Suites General Manager Dan Fortier said his hotel sold almost three times more Wednesday-night rooms this year compared with 2024, and at higher racing-season rates.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was like Christmas in June,\u201d he said. \u201cIt\u2019s been absolutely great for business. Last year we marketed to the track crowd. This year we marketed to the concert crowd. They (Gin Blossoms) had fans who were just thrilled to be here. It was purely for the music, purely for the group.\u201d<\/p>\n

Fortier added, \u201cWhen someone comes in on a Wednesday and checks out on Thursday, they were there for the event on Wednesday. Exposure wise, this is some of the best publicity Saratoga could ever have asked for. Some Gin Blossoms fans found the next vacation spot they want to come back to.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt wasn\u2019t exclusively a track crowd,\u201d Fortier said. \u201cI think the format is the selling point. A beautiful, beautiful town. Historic, shopping, food, night life, entertainment and concerts on the main drag right in the middle of town. You don\u2019t find that environment too many places across our country.\u201d<\/p>\n

Fortier noted, \u201cThey might go to the Kentucky Derby, they might do their racing in California or Florida, but they came because it was the Belmont, and discovered Saratoga. Then they discovered the track, which speaks for itself on so many levels \u2013 the ambience, the atmosphere, the every-man track that Saratoga is. That will last for many years because of the exposure we get from the Belmont. I\u2019m glad we get another shot at it next year, too.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s been an honor for the local and regional community to help serve as stewards for the Belmont Stakes during the construction of the new Belmont Park, and we are excited to do so for one final year,\u201d Saratoga County Chamber of Commerce President Todd Shimkus said. \u201cThe Chamber and our partners are already working on plans for a third Belmont on Broadway kick-off concert in 2026 to support the Belmont Stakes Racing Festival.\u201d<\/p>\n

Discover Saratoga President Darryl Leggieri said, \u201cWe are absolutely thrilled to welcome the Belmont Stakes Racing Festival back to Saratoga in 2026 for the third consecutive year. Hosting this iconic event is not only a tremendous honor, it\u2019s a testament to Saratoga County\u2019s ability to safely and successfully accommodate major events on a national scale. The Belmont Stakes brings a remarkable boost to our local economy and provides incredible exposure for our community, our small businesses, and the world-class hospitality that defines Saratoga.\u201d<\/p>\n

New York Racing Association President and CEO Dave O\u2019Rourke said, \u201cSaratoga has served our fans and stakeholders extremely well as the temporary home of the Belmont Stakes during the construction of a new Belmont Park on Long Island. As we prepare for the opening of the new Belmont Park in the fall of 2026, NYRA is pleased to bring the Belmont Stakes to Saratoga for a third and final time next June. Belmont Park will always be the home of the Belmont Stakes and we look forward to its return to the newly reimagined Belmont in 2027.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By Paul Post The Spa City has hit the trifecta of Belmont Stakes fortunes as the historic race will be back next year for a third and final time. Dust is still settling from this year\u2019s five-day racing festival and officials are already making plans for an even bigger and better event. \u201cBy all measure, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":89,"featured_media":40753,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-40752","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-business-news"],"yoast_head":"\r\nBelmont Stakes Heads Back To Saratoga In 2026 As Fans And Businesses Celebrate Success - Saratoga Business Journal<\/title>\r\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\r\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.saratoga.com\/saratogabusinessjournal\/2025\/06\/belmont-stakes-heads-back-to-saratoga-in-2026-as-fans-and-businesses-celebrate-success\/\" \/>\r\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\r\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\r\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Belmont Stakes Heads Back To Saratoga In 2026 As Fans And Businesses Celebrate Success - Saratoga Business Journal\" \/>\r\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"By Paul Post The Spa City has hit the trifecta of Belmont Stakes fortunes as the historic race will be back next year for a third and final time. Dust is still settling from this year\u2019s five-day racing festival and officials are already making plans for an even bigger and better event. \u201cBy all measure, […]\" \/>\r\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.saratoga.com\/saratogabusinessjournal\/2025\/06\/belmont-stakes-heads-back-to-saratoga-in-2026-as-fans-and-businesses-celebrate-success\/\" \/>\r\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Saratoga Business Journal\" \/>\r\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2025-06-23T21:49:37+00:00\" \/>\r\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.saratoga.com\/saratogabusinessjournal\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/48\/2025\/06\/belmont-h-2.jpg\" \/>\r\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1100\" \/>\r\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"733\" \/>\r\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\r\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Jake Van Ness\" \/>\r\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\r\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Jake Van Ness\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"5 minutes\" \/>\r\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.saratoga.com\/saratogabusinessjournal\/2025\/06\/belmont-stakes-heads-back-to-saratoga-in-2026-as-fans-and-businesses-celebrate-success\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.saratoga.com\/saratogabusinessjournal\/2025\/06\/belmont-stakes-heads-back-to-saratoga-in-2026-as-fans-and-businesses-celebrate-success\/\",\"name\":\"Belmont Stakes Heads Back To Saratoga In 2026 As Fans And Businesses Celebrate Success - Saratoga Business Journal\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.saratoga.com\/saratogabusinessjournal\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.saratoga.com\/saratogabusinessjournal\/2025\/06\/belmont-stakes-heads-back-to-saratoga-in-2026-as-fans-and-businesses-celebrate-success\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.saratoga.com\/saratogabusinessjournal\/2025\/06\/belmont-stakes-heads-back-to-saratoga-in-2026-as-fans-and-businesses-celebrate-success\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.saratoga.com\/saratogabusinessjournal\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/48\/2025\/06\/belmont-h-2.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2025-06-23T21:49:37+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.saratoga.com\/saratogabusinessjournal\/#\/schema\/person\/a11ec438b5f0e57f1156754ba3931b86\"},\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.saratoga.com\/saratogabusinessjournal\/2025\/06\/belmont-stakes-heads-back-to-saratoga-in-2026-as-fans-and-businesses-celebrate-success\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.saratoga.com\/saratogabusinessjournal\/2025\/06\/belmont-stakes-heads-back-to-saratoga-in-2026-as-fans-and-businesses-celebrate-success\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.saratoga.com\/saratogabusinessjournal\/2025\/06\/belmont-stakes-heads-back-to-saratoga-in-2026-as-fans-and-businesses-celebrate-success\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.saratoga.com\/saratogabusinessjournal\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/48\/2025\/06\/belmont-h-2.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.saratoga.com\/saratogabusinessjournal\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/48\/2025\/06\/belmont-h-2.jpg\",\"width\":1100,\"height\":733,\"caption\":\"The lead pack rounds the first turn at Saratoga Race Course during the 2025 Belmont Stakes. 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