From Belmont Park to Aqueduct: The Thrill of Horse Racing in NY

Belmont Park and Aqueduct Racetrack are forever intertwined with each other and are undoubtedly the two most popular racetracks in New York. Each of these racetracks has hosted iconic games for over a century. It's no wonder players flock to these racetracks still! In this article, we're going to compare Belmont Park and Aqueduct Racetrack.

Belmont Park

Belmont Park has a long history of horse racing. Belmont Park's racing history began over a century ago in 1902, and was founded by August Belmont II and Navy William C. Whitney when they bought the land on Long Island to build this lavish track. The design is based on a great race course in Europe. Since its formation, Belmont has hosted some of the world's racing legends, like Man o' War, Curlin, Rachel Alexandra Seabiscuit, Cigar, Beldame and Curling, along with many others.

This racetrack is located on the border of Queens County and Nassau County, and was formerly known as Fosters Meadow. This park opened in May of 1905 to roughly 40,000 fans. Like any business or long-term establishment, Belmont Park has endured a plethora of ups and downs. It closed in 1963 for structural reasons, it underwent construction then

reopened just five years later. Modern Belmont Park is a sight to see! They've managed to preserve everything historical and elegant about the track, while still incorporating modern aspects such as HD televisions, and track technology for horseplayers and they even have a wonderful Belmont Cafe and the Top of the Stretch Picnic area for onlookers to enjoy a nice meal as they watch. Belmont is known for its aristocratic elegance.

Aqueduct Racetrack

Aqueduct Racetrack is another historical racetrack located in New York. They established themselves in September of 1894. The racetrack was built on property that was formerly the old Brooklyn Water Works, hence its name! Aqueduct Racetrack is the only racetrack in New York City, and occupies roughly 210 acres of land in South Ozone Park in the Borough of Queens, and is located about eight miles from Belmont Park. This racetrack is actually located right by the airport! Over the years Aqueduct has hosted some of the racing industry's landmark events. Aqueduct Racetrack has gone through several makeovers as the years have gone by, like the rebuild in 1955 that cost 34.5 million dollars and introduced a new modern grandstand, racing trip, and barns, and other enmities.

Aqueduct Racetrack reopened in 1959, and during the reconstruction of Belmont Park, it was even the home of the Belmont Stakes, so the two racetracks have been intertwined for a long time. Around 1975 Aqueduct opened a winterized one-mile inner dirt track on the former site of the inner turf course, so players could enjoy horse racing without having to endure the freezing temperatures of New York State during the winter. Plus, in 1981 it opened one of the largest restaurants in New York City. This racetrack continues to be innovative, going through various improvements and renovations over the years and has even expanded to include mini-theatres and more.