{"id":41608,"date":"2026-06-22T14:00:11","date_gmt":"2026-06-22T18:00:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.saratoga.com\/saratogabusinessjournal\/?p=41608"},"modified":"2026-06-22T14:00:11","modified_gmt":"2026-06-22T18:00:11","slug":"saratoga-looks-to-build-on-belmont-momentum-during-summer-racing-season","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.saratoga.com\/saratogabusinessjournal\/2026\/06\/saratoga-looks-to-build-on-belmont-momentum-during-summer-racing-season\/","title":{"rendered":"Saratoga Looks To Build On Belmont Momentum During Summer Racing Season"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"\"
Jockey Jose Ortiz crosses the finish line with Golden Tempo to win the 158th running of the Belmont Stakes at Saratoga Race Course on June 6. Trainer Cherie DeVaux is expected to enter the champion 3-year-old in the $1.25 million Travers Stakes on Saturday, Aug. 29.
Courtesy NYRA<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

By Paul Post<\/p>\n

Golden Tempo\u2019s dramatic come-from-behind Belmont Stakes victory set the stage for what promises to be an exciting summer season at Saratoga Race Course.<\/p>\n

Trainer Cherie DeVaux, a Saratoga Springs native, made history by becoming the first female trainer to win the Kentucky Derby and the first to win multiple Triple Crown races.<\/p>\n

DeVaux has already mapped out a schedule targeting the $1.25 million Travers Stakes on Saturday, Aug. 29, which should no doubt bring huge throngs to the Spa.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think the timing is perfect for Golden Tempo to run in the Travers,\u201d said longtime fan Mike Campanile of Long Island. \u201cHe is only getting better and the two-plus months between races is perfect. Then it\u2019s almost exactly two months to the Breeders\u2019 Cup. I hope he stays sound.\u201d<\/p>\n

Campanile, along with family and friends, is among the legions of visitors who help make Saratoga Race Course one of the Capital Region\u2019s most significant economic engines.<\/p>\n

Each day of racing generates an estimated $9 million economic impact. So the benefit from this year\u2019s 51-day schedule is almost half a billion dollars.<\/p>\n

Such activity includes direct spending and broader ripple effects, giving a huge boost to local businesses such as hotels, restaurants and retail stores.<\/p>\n

<\/span><\/span><\/b><\/span><\/span>Local government revenue increased, too.<\/p>\n

\u201cFrom 2023, before we hosted the Belmont festival, to 2024, we saw an increase in sales tax collections in Saratoga County,\u201d said Todd Shimkus, president of the Saratoga County Chamber of Commerce. \u201cThey rose again in 2025. The same is true for revenue-per-available hotel room in the city and county. Where people stay is where they spend their money and more people stayed here so sales tax collections went up.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Belmont Stakes Racing Festival will return to New York City next spring following its three-year run in Saratoga while Belmont Park underwent a major overhaul. But the benefit to the Saratoga area will be felt for years to come.<\/p>\n

Three-year attendance at the Belmont festival totaled 334,893 and accounted for almost $560 million in total wagering. But the worldwide publicity the event created is virtually priceless for the area\u2019s tourism and hospitality industry.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe 2026 Belmont Stakes was a fitting conclusion to a memorable and historic three-year period at Saratoga Race Course,\u201d said Patrick McKenna, New York Racing Association vice president of communications. \u201cThanks to the enthusiastic support from fans and the collaborative efforts from city and county leadership, the Belmont was a celebration of what makes racing in Saratoga so special. While the Belmont Stakes will return to its Long Island home in 2027, the final jewel of the Triple Crown will always be a part of Saratoga\u2019s rich history.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBeyond the thrilling performances on-track, the event drove important economic impact for Saratoga Springs and the Capital Region while highlighting Saratoga\u2019s tourism attractions to a national television audience,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

In addition to five days of top-flight racing, the festival attracted thousands of people to the city with entertainment such as a free Belmont on Broadway concert.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Belmont Stakes Racing Festival definitely exceeded expectations both on and off the track,\u201d Discover Saratoga President Darryl Leggieri said. \u201cOver three years, we welcomed visitors from across the country and around the world, generated demand for hotels, restaurants, attractions, and retail businesses, and showcased Saratoga Springs and Saratoga County on an international stage. The event reinforced what we\u2019ve long known locally, that Saratoga is capable of hosting world-class events while delivering an exceptional visitor experience.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOne of the most important long-term benefits of Belmont has been the exposure,\u201d he said. \u201cThe worldwide media coverage introduced Saratoga to audiences who may have never previously considered visiting. While the immediate economic impact during race week was substantial, the lasting value comes from elevating Saratoga\u2019s profile as a premier destination for tourism, meetings, events, cultural experiences, and future investment.\u201d<\/p>\n

Saratoga Economic Development Corp. President Greg Connor said racing\u2019s financial benefit extends far beyond hospitality and tourism. Capital investors who have come to Saratoga Springs and the region \u201cfollow up with us after the racing season is over for other economic opportunities,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

SEDC has executed four nondisclosure agreements on potential capital investments that officials hope will come to Saratoga County as a result of international, national and regional attention generated by the Belmont Stakes festival.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe work continues,\u201d Connor said.<\/p>\n

Forty-six more days of racing are on tap this summer, starting with the July 4th Racing Festival from Friday, July 3, to Sunday, July 5. The Spa Oval will then host a series of four-day racing weeks, Thursday through Sunday, from Thursday, July 9, to Sunday, July 26, before a five-day racing week resumes Wednesday, July 29.<\/p>\n

The summer meet will conclude with a six-day week from Wednesday, Sept. 2, through Labor Day, Monday, Sept. 7.<\/p>\n

Next year, Belmont Park will once again host the Belmont Stakes and July 4th Racing festivals, while Saratoga Race Course reverts to its traditional 40-day summer meet.<\/p>\n

\u201cOur hotels, bars, restaurants, and shops are all asking what are we doing to replace those visits and that business in 2027,\u201d Shimkus said. \u201cThis really was a once or three-time in a lifetime chance to showcase our small city to the world, and I think from the kick-off Belmont on Broadway concert to the Racing Festival itself we outperformed expectations. We demonstrated that we are a fully functional, fun and safe major events destination.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThe publicity generated shined a great spotlight on Saratoga and all of our amenities and attractions,\u201d he said. \u201cThe media coverage was phenomenal and the stories Fox Sports shared were 110 percent positive, helping to capture some of the best stories about this city you will ever see. I really believe we will see a positive impact particularly in visits for years to come, and once people visit here you have a chance to get them to invest here, too.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By Paul Post Golden Tempo\u2019s dramatic come-from-behind Belmont Stakes victory set the stage for what promises to be an exciting summer season at Saratoga Race Course. Trainer Cherie DeVaux, a Saratoga Springs native, made history by becoming the first female trainer to win the Kentucky Derby and the first to win multiple Triple Crown races. […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":89,"featured_media":41609,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-41608","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-business-news"],"yoast_head":"\r\nSaratoga Looks To Build On Belmont Momentum During Summer Racing Season - 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\/2026\/06\/saratoga-looks-to-build-on-belmont-momentum-during-summer-racing-season\/\" \/>\r\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\r\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\r\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Saratoga Looks To Build On Belmont Momentum During Summer Racing Season - Saratoga Business Journal\" \/>\r\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"By Paul Post Golden Tempo\u2019s dramatic come-from-behind Belmont Stakes victory set the stage for what promises to be an exciting summer season at Saratoga Race Course. 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