NYRA: Saratoga is ‘preferred’ site for 2025 Belmont Stakes

[affirmedny]

https://archive.ph/xY0Y5

The home of the third and final leg of horse racing’s Triple Crown is finally getting a major makeover. But the timeline could have the 2025 Belmont Stakes looking for a temporary home, and the New York Racing Association would like it to be at Saratoga Race Course.

[Sheffwed]

Time to stop pretending that racing is what it ever was

Play to our strengths, move the Belmont Stakes to Saratoga permanently, run it as part of a short Spring meet

Racing globally is strong, HK is fine, Japan is booming, likewise fine in the Middle East and managing well in Ireland, France, even if the UK is a mess in general, that's a different story

Here our strengths are Del Mar, Keeneland, Woodbine (yes, this is North America), Saratoga, Turfway off season, Churchill needs to get its act together, then that as well would qualify

Bring back a strong Pimlico too (and race at Fair Hill!) but NYC racing will never be what it was - how long has Belmont been a ghost town other than Saturday?

Stop pretending, play to our strengths

[dilanesp]

An old NYRA tradition- starting the Belmont on the turn!

[PaceAdvantage]

Originally Posted by Sheffwed

Time to stop pretending that racing is what it ever was

Play to our strengths, move the Belmont Stakes to Saratoga permanently, run it as part of a short Spring meet

Racing globally is strong, HK is fine, Japan is booming, likewise fine in the Middle East and managing well in Ireland, France, even if the UK is a mess in general, that's a different story

Here our strengths are Del Mar, Keeneland, Woodbine (yes, this is North America), Saratoga, Turfway off season, Churchill needs to get its act together, then that as well would qualify

Bring back a strong Pimlico too (and race at Fair Hill!) but NYC racing will never be what it was - how long has Belmont been a ghost town other than Saturday?

Stop pretending, play to our strengths

Shifting everything and everyone update for a "short spring meet" is ridiculous and unworkable on an annual basis.

Logistics isn't your strong suit.

[Sheffwed]

Understood Saratoga likely can't do a longer Spring meeting,
but one weekend at a time?

it's not that long a drive from Belmont - I wasn't talking about anything longer than a weekend - Fri/Sat/Sun, done

(and they should bring back the Open House also - that's a precedent for what I'm talking about, Saratoga has done off season racing at times without everyone being upstate)

NYRA could do one or more shorter meets rather than something longer/undoable - they could experiment in June 2024 with a Spring Weekend, in fact there's no jump racing at all in the US then, it could be a day or two of racing just to get the logistics down

[PaceAdvantage]

I don't think you understand the undertaking every summer when everything moves up to Saratoga.

[Tom]

Might be a good excuse to move the et Mile back to Memorial Day so it can stay on a real 1 turn mile!

[Sheffwed]

Originally Posted by PaceAdvantage

I don't think you understand the undertaking every summer when everything moves up to Saratoga.

Some of that 450M USD could go a long way towards helping make this a possibility, rather than just building a fancy new facility in Elmont that will largely sit empty, maybe they could phase in whatever was planned for Belmont

It would benefit the upstate economy a lot if this happened

Just sayin'

I realize it would take a lot more thought of course...

[elhelmete]

Originally Posted by PaceAdvantage

I don't think you understand the undertaking every summer when everything moves up to Saratoga.

I don't think it...I know it.

Opening Saratoga isn't like opening a 7/11.

[PaceAdvantage]

Originally Posted by Sheffwed

Some of that 450M USD could go a long way towards helping make this a possibility, rather than just building a fancy new facility in Elmont that will largely sit empty, maybe they could phase in whatever was planned for Belmont

You think they have that kind of discretion with that money? Imagine...

[Sheffwed]

Originally Posted by elhelmete

I don't think it...I know it.

Opening Saratoga isn't like opening a 7/11.

Here's another idea - build a wall between the clubhouse and grandstand at Belmont and leave the existing building standing, then the existing seating could be used if accessed from outside but not the existing facility, which could be gutted while the right side of the building gets renovated, keep the paddock, horses entrance to the track, etc.

In fact, the existing building could be turned into an artwork (it already pretty much is), have a competition, someone like Christo could have done this some justice ("draped buildings") with the precedent established in Central Park 20 years ago

Even better, convert the existing grandstand into a museum much like Tate Modern in London, very popular and successful, could be a museum on a number of topics - could move in the Museum of New York City (didn't even know there was one), or could be another topic entirely

https://www.tate.org.uk/visit/tate-modern

https://www.mcny.org/visit

Surely we could use that 450M USD more creatively, what is the likelihood anyone will return to a new Belmont when they don't show up today?

[PaceAdvantage]

Originally Posted by Sheffwed

Here's another idea - build a wall between the clubhouse and grandstand at Belmont and leave the existing building standing, then the existing seating could be used if accessed from outside but not the existing facility, which could be gutted while the right side of the building gets renovated, keep the paddock, horses entrance to the track, etc.

In fact, the existing building could be turned into an artwork (it already pretty much is), have a competition, someone like Christo could have done this some justice ("draped buildings") with the precedent established in Central Park 20 years ago

Even better, convert the existing grandstand into a museum much like Tate Modern in London, very popular and successful, could be a museum on a number of topics - could move in the Museum of New York City (didn't even know there was one), or could be another topic entirely

https://www.tate.org.uk/visit/tate-modern

https://www.mcny.org/visit

Surely we could use that 450M USD more creatively, what is the likelihood anyone will return to a new Belmont when they don't show up today?

YouTube

[ScottJ]

If the 2025 Belmont Stakes is ....

[1] ... run at Aqueduct in June, you would likely have the least disruption to that year's NYRA schedule although ramping Aqueduct to handle 40,000-50,000 (assuming no Triple Crown attempt) racing customers will be a logistical issue.

[2] ... run at Saratoga in June, you will have an issue being able to ramp up local staff to begin working at that time of year and would likely need to commit to a 12-13 week Saratoga season from early June through Labor Day weekend.

[3] ... rescheduled for July, perhaps Independence Day weekend, you can expand the Saratoga season by 2+ weeks and run the season in a normal albeit expanded fashion.

Both main ovals are 9f so the 12f Belmont will face a similar starting challenge. See this video reel from the 1966 Belmont at Aqueduct.

YouTube

[Al Gobbi]

There is absolutely no chance a Belmont Stakes at Saratoga or Aqueduct would be run at 1 1/2 miles in this day and age.

A 1 1/4 mile race is most likely what will happen if it has to be temporary relocated to either venue.

[cj]

Originally Posted by Al Gobbi

There is absolutely no chance a Belmont Stakes at Saratoga or Aqueduct would be run at 1 1/2 miles in this day and age.

A 1 1/4 mile race is most likely what will happen if it has to be temporary relocated to either venue.

It isn't much different than the 1 1/4 mile at Belmont if we're being honest.