Belmont Racetrack, New York

Belmont Park is located at 2150 Hempstead Turnpike in Elmont, New York, right on the border of Nassau County and the New York City borough of Queens. Established in 1905, this legendary 430-acre thoroughbred racing facility is globally recognized as the historic home of the Belmont Stakes, the final and most grueling jewel of horse racing’s Triple Crown.

• The Historical Timeline

The Opening (1905): A syndicate led by tycoon August Belmont Jr. (after whom the track was named) and William Collins Whitney opened the track on May 4, 1905. It was designed to resemble the finest European racing venues.
The First Belmont Stakes at Elmont (1905): Though the race itself dates back to 1867 (originally run at Jerome Park), the first running at the new Elmont location took place in 1905, won by a horse named Tanya.
The Aviation Milestone (1910): Belmont Park hosted the International Aviation Tournament, a landmark early flight exhibition featuring famed aviators like Wilbur Wright and Glenn Curtiss.
The Fire and Rebirth (1962–1968): The original grandstand was closed in 1962 due to structural instability and later demolished. A massive new, 1.5 million-square-foot grandstand opened in 1968, remaining the largest in American racing for over five decades.
“Big Sandy” Legacy: The track earned its famous nickname, “Big Sandy,” due to its massive 1.5-mile main dirt oval—the largest in North American thoroughbred racing—and its deep, grueling sandy surface that tests a horse’s ultimate stamina.
The 2.0 Modernization (2024–2026): To facilitate year-round racing, the historic 1968 grandstand was demolished to make way for a state-of-the-art, winterized facility. The site officially added a synthetic fourth track and reopened its gates for the 2026 fall meet.