The 2024 Belmont Stakes will not take place at Belmont Park.
The third and final leg of the Triple Crown will be run at Saratoga Race Course due to a large renovation project at Belmont Park, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul announced Wednesday, per the Associated Press (h/t ESPN).
“It’s a win for horse racing and for the Capital Region to have the excitement and the ability to host the four-day festival in June at America’s most historic track,” Hochul said in a statement.
The NYRA announced plans in May for a $455 million renovation project at Belmont Park that includes the tearing down of the current building, which opened in 1968. The goal is for the new facility to be up and running by the 2026 Belmont Stakes.
“This is likely a two-year endeavor,” New York Racing Association president and CEO David O’Rourke said Wednesday. “We’re going to get it right, and we’re going to improve on it each year.”
The 2024 Belmont Stakes is expected to be run at 1¼ miles because of the shape of the track at Saratoga Race Course, pending approval from the North American Graded Stakes Committee. The race is typically run at 1½ miles.
The location and distance aren’t the only things changing in the upcoming Belmont Stakes. The purse is increasing to $2 million from $1.5 million.
Up to 50,000 people are expected to attend the Belmont Stakes at Saratoga.
The 2023 Belmont Stakes was historic in its own right as the Jenna Antonucci-trained Arcangelo claimed the final jewel in the crown, making Antonucci the first female trainer to win a Triple Crown race.
The 2024 Belmont Stakes will take place on June 8 following the Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes.
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