NYRA Racetracks
With a lineage dating back 150 years, NYRA tracks are the cornerstone of New York State's thoroughbred industry, which contributes more than $2 billion annually to its urban, suburban and rural economy.
Saratoga Race Course is the summer place to be.
Already famous for its mineral baths, Saratoga held its first thoroughbred meet just a month after the Battle of Gettysburg. Staged by gambler, casino owner, ex-boxing champion and future Congressman John “Old Smoke” Morrissey in 1863, the four-day meet drew thousands of locals and tourists. Emboldened by the success of that first meet, Morrissey promptly enlisted his friends John R. Hunter, William Travers and Leonard Jerome to form the Saratoga Association. Its first responsibility was the construction of a new, permanent grandstand on the current site of Saratoga Race Course, which has hosted an annual meeting ever since.
Today, the past comes alive every summer in the historic grandstand as guests experience not only the best in thoroughbred racing, but the unmatched ambience and charm of Saratoga Springs. The annual summer meet attracts the world's top horses, jockeys, trainers, and owners, along with over 1 million fans each year. Highlighted by the historic Travers Stakes in late August, the lucrative summer meet features at least one stakes race each live racing day.
Although some may quibble with the order, it’s no wonder that Saratoga’s motto is “Health, history, and horses.”
Belmont Park is where champions are crowned.
Home to the Belmont Stakes, the final (and most demanding) leg of the Triple Crown, Belmont Park has cemented its legacy as a place where dreams are made – or shattered.
In the 1973 Belmont Stakes, the immortal Secretariat produced the single greatest performance in the history of horse racing. With the Triple Crown on the line, Secretariat was completely alone as he finished an astounding 31 lengths in front, completing the 1 1/2-mile race in record time that still stands today.
Just 13 horses in racing’s illustrious history have swept across the finish line at the Belmont Stakes to complete the Triple Crown; most recent were American Pharoah (2015) and Justify (2018), building upon their prior victories in the Kentucky Derby and Preakness and securing their legacies at Belmont Park in the “Test of the Champion.”
In May 2023, Governor Kathy Hochul authorized NYRA to utilize a $455 million loan to build new racing facilities at Belmont Park. NYRA has embarked on the most significant racetrack construction project in modern memory, all at no cost to taxpayers. The centerpiece of the re-imagined Belmont Park is a new building that will completely replace the former grandstand and clubhouse. New Belmont Park is scheduled to open in the fall of 2026.
Aqueduct is New York City's racetrack.
Affectionately known as "the Big A", Aqueduct is the only racetrack in New York City, occupying 210 acres in South Ozone Park, Queens. Aqueduct opened on September 27, 1894, on property that belonged to the old Brooklyn Water Works, which was home to a conduit that delivered water from the vast Hempstead Plain. In proper New York City fashion, Aqueduct is directly accessible via the MTA's A train.
Through the years, the Big A has been the scene of some of racing’s landmark events, including the only triple dead heat in stakes history when Brownie, Bossuet, and Wait a Bit hit the wire as one in the Carter Handicap on June 10, 1944. Man o’ War, Sword Dancer, Kelso, Forego, Easy Goer and Smarty Jones built their legends at Aqueduct, and Cigar, for whom the Cigar Mile is named, won the first two races of his legendary 16-race win streak at the Big A. On November 6, 1973, Secretariat was retired at the track; ridden by jockey Ron Turcotte, he paraded for 30,000 fans before beginning his life as a stallion in Kentucky.
Each year, Aqueduct is an important stop on the Derby trail. The Remsen, Jerome, Withers, Gotham, and Wood Memorial award qualifying points towards the once-in-a-lifetime chance to run in the Kentucky Derby.