FILE – Horses break from the gate at the start of the Travers Stakes horse race at Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, Aug. 27, 2016. The Belmont Stakes could be relocated to Saratoga Race Course in upstate New York in 2024 and 2025. That’s one year earlier than the New York Racing Association originally anticipated because of renovations to Belmont Park. (AP Photo/Hans Pennink, File)
The Belmont Stakes could be relocated to Saratoga Race Course in upstate New York as soon as next year, an earlier-than-anticipated move for the third leg of horse racing's Triple Crown.
The New York Racing Association's hope is to hold the Belmont at historic Saratoga in 2024 and 2025. The move, which had already been committed to for 2025 because of a $455 million renovation of Belmont Park, is subject to the approval of an oversight board and the New York State Gaming Commission.
A final decision is expected in the coming months.
NYRA vice president of communications Patrick McKenna said Wednesday the organization envisions two years of the race at Saratoga “to allow for the uninterrupted construction of a new and completely re-imagined Belmont Park.”
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There is no plan to move the Belmont Stakes anywhere on a permanent basis. Nor is there any plan to change the timing of the race from its traditional spot on the calendar in early June, three weeks after the Preakness and five weeks after the Kentucky Derby.
“The transformational project to re-imagine Belmont Park and create one of the finest sports and entertainment destinations in the country will require temporary adjustments to the traditional racing schedule,” McKenna said in a statement sent to The Associated Press. “A Belmont Stakes at Saratoga Race Couse would capture the attention of the sports world while driving tourism and economic impact for upstate New York.”
