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Belmont Park Reopens: Jockey Club Gold Cup Weekend event image
Elmont, Long Island

Belmont Park Reopens: Jockey Club Gold Cup Weekend

The rebuilt Belmont Park runs its first live racing in years, anchored Friday by the Grade 1, $1 million Jockey Club Gold Cup returning from Saratoga, with the Floral Park and Forever Together stakes Saturday.

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Aqueduct ran its last race in June after 132 years, leaving downstate New York without live thoroughbred racing all summer. This is the first racing at the rebuilt Belmont, and the card is not a soft opening: the Jockey Club Gold Cup comes home from Saratoga as a Grade 1 with a million-dollar purse and a Breeders' Cup Classic berth attached. Saturday and Sunday keep the stakes running on turf.

What to expect

A brand-new grandstand, a large opening-day crowd and a stakes race on all three days. Gates open at 11 a.m. daily, with a 1:30 p.m. first post Friday, 12:05 p.m. Saturday and 1:10 p.m. Sunday. Opening-day admission is $50 and includes food, beverage and a commemorative program; Saturday and Sunday are $10.

Good to know

  • The LIRR serves Belmont via the Elmont-UBS Arena Station, and complimentary shuttles run from the station to the entry gates
  • NYRA strongly encourages buying admission and parking in advance rather than at the gate
  • A program is included with admission, so there is no need to buy one separately
  • This is the rebuilt plant, not the old grandstand - expect a new layout, new sightlines and new concessions
  • Aqueduct ran its final live race day this summer, so Belmont is now the only thoroughbred track serving the New York City area
  • Parking lots open ahead of the admission gates, so arriving early is easy

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Common questions

How do I get to Belmont Park without a car?

Take the LIRR to the Elmont-UBS Arena Station. NYRA runs complimentary shuttles from the station to Belmont Park's entry gates. Check MTA.info or the TrainTime app for the current LIRR schedule before you go.

What time does the racing start?

Gates open at 11 a.m. First post on Friday, September 18 is 1:30 p.m. Saturdays run a 12:05 p.m. first post and Sundays a 1:10 p.m. first post.

How much does it cost to get in?

Opening day, September 18, is $50 and includes food, beverage and a commemorative program, with proceeds to the NYRA Foundation. September 19 and 20 are $10 including a program. Season and weekend passes are also sold.

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