Most recently, the New York Racing Association has published its full racing schedule for the upcoming 2024 season across the Empire State. The racing calendar features 195 live race dates at Aqueduct Racetrack and Saratoga Race Course. Meanwhile, Belmont Park will now host the Belmont Stakes due to ongoing renovations, and the event will be moved to Saratoga Springs.
Earlier this year, the Empire State gave its blessing for a US$455 million loan for the renovation of Belmont Park. A few weeks ago, Gov. Kathy Hochul confirmed the Belmont Stakes will be relocated to Saratoga Race Course and will be held from June 6 through June 9, 2024. Also, the spring meets at Belmont will be moved to the Aqueduct in 2024.
2024 Calendar Promises Tons of Action
Right into 2024, Aqueduct Racetrack will kick off its meet on January 1, 2024, and will run through March 30, 2024. Racing will be contested Thursday-Sunday for the first three weeks of January and Friday-Sunday, from January 26 until the first week of March. The track will also run a Presidents’ Day card on February 19. Four-day race week continues on March 7.
Its spring meet kicks off on April 4 and runs until April 28, 2024. NYRA’s circuit will be kept at the track for the 31-day Belmont at the Big A spring/summer meet, which starts on May 2 and runs through July 7, 2024. Racing will be done from Thursday to Sunday, during the spring/summer meet, except the Memorial Day program scheduled for May 27.
By receiving approval from the North American Graded Stakes Committee, the Belmont Stakes will be contested at a shorter distance of 1 ¼ miles, instead of the usual 1 ½ miles. This is due to the shape of the dirt track at Saratoga Race Course. Meanwhile, purses will be boosted to US$2 million and the race will be held a month before the usual summer meet that starts in July.
Meanwhile, the highly-anticipated 40-day summer meet at its historic Saratoga Race Couse kicks off on July 11 and continues through Labour Day, September 2. After the four-day opening weekend, live racing will be conducted Wednesday-Sunday except closing week, which will come to a close on Labour Day, September 2, 2024.
NYRA circuit comes back for the 31-day Belmont at the Big A fall meet, which starts on September 13 and runs until November 3, 2024. The association’s 2024 calendar concludes with a 26-fall meet at the Aqueduct, which begins on November 7 and continues until December 29, 2024. Except for the last week, racing will be run Thursday through Sunday.
Recruitment Starts Early
This week, NYRA also informed the local public that it will start recruiting early next year for its 2024 Belmont Stakes, this time held at Saratoga Race Course. It is yet to be determined how many employees would be needed for the Belmont Stakes, but the association predicts it would be around 1,900 in total between NYRA staff and part-time and seasonal workers.
Source: “NYRA To Race 195 Days Between Aqueduct, Saratoga In 2024” Paulick Report, December 28, 2023
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