Belmont Park Ends Three-Year Hiatus With $455 Million Overhaul Ready for Its Debut

Racing returns to Long Island this week as the New York Racing Association reopens Belmont Park following a three-year, $455 million renovation — the most significant transformation in the historic venue’s modern era. Friday’s nine-race “Return to Racing” card marks the first day of racing at the Elmont, N.Y. track since it shut its doors in July 2023 to accommodate construction.

The reopening comes at a moment of broader interest in the racing and wagering business, an industry that includes operators such as Churchill Downs Incorporated, whose live racing and wagering venues remain among the sector’s benchmarks. Churchill Downs shares recently traded at $82.40, down 0.3% from the prior close of $82.65, giving the company a market capitalization of roughly $6.07 billion.

What changed at Belmont

The centerpiece of the project is a new five-story grandstand. Its exterior combines 869 glass panels with 3,568 aluminum panels, while the interior houses 620 televisions and three LED video boards — the largest, in the infield, measuring 65 feet high by 115 feet wide. The paddock video board spans 21 by 60 feet.

Equally notable is what lies beneath the grandstand: four entirely new racing surfaces. The lineup includes a 1½-mile dirt oval, two turf courses, and a one-mile synthetic Tapeta track. The Tapeta surface will serve as the exclusive winter racing surface and remain available for year-round training.

Demolition of the old grandstand began in April 2024, with groundbreaking on the new structure following in September 2024. At the project’s peak, roughly 300 construction workers were on site daily, supported by an additional 100 staff. Populous, the stadium-focused architecture firm, served as lead designer, with Aecom-Tishman managing construction.

What fans can access Friday

First post is set for 1:30 p.m., with the Jockey Club Gold Cup headlining the card and a performance from country artist Dierks Bentley on the schedule. Not all of the facility will be open: only the first two floors of the grandstand will welcome the public as work continues on the upper levels.

General admission grants access to first-floor bars, restaurants and concessions — including Big Red’s, Homestretch Market, Silks and the Trackside Lounge — with no reservations or cover charge required. Second-floor venues such as the Turf Club Restaurant and Lounge, The Overlook and The Stretch View require advance bookings.

Capacity will be constrained during the reopening weekend, with attendance capped at 6,000. Once fully complete, the grandstand is designed to hold 10,000 people, with overall facility capacity of at least 50,000.

What to watch

• Attendance and operations during the reopening weekend under the 6,000-person cap
• The timeline for completing the grandstand’s remaining floors and reaching the 10,000-person capacity
• Early performance of the new Tapeta surface as winter racing shifts to Belmont
• Breeding and wagering data from the fall meet, including Jockey Club Gold Cup results

Source: original release