For over 30 years, the New York Racing Association has searched in vain for a way to bring the big crowds back Belmont Park regularly.
That solution arrives on November 20.
After the game was scrapped on Saturday night and the first phase began to pass in the New Yorkers’ first home game inside the UBS Arena at Belmont Park, the grounds of the famous 116-year-old racetrack will have a new identity and explain why crowds in the 17,000-person area will become popular in the complex.
Beautiful Belmont Park will no longer be considered one of Thoroughbred’s most historic tracks. On Saturday night, when the Islanders compete in the Calgary Flames, Belmont Park will officially begin its reign as a premier sports and recreation facility, combining approximately 75 days of racing, with 41 games National Hockey League competition with the possibility of a knockout round and a regular mix of concerts and shows.
Vitality? After decades of low attendance for racing, it will now pervade the campus of Elmont, NY.
“It was the dawn of a new era with islanders returning home and horse racing a part of Long Island since 1665,” said NYRA CEO and President Dave O’Rourke. “We’re excited about this. Think about what it’s going to bring to Long Island. Long Island is home to horse racing and hockey, and bringing Islanders on the same campus as us will open. presents a host of opportunities to transform Belmont Park into a destination like a sports venue.There are more options now.Islanders are sure to bring activity here and eventually there will be a retail and we’re looking at re-developing the track and that opens up a lot of possibilities for synergy between things.”
First announced on December 20, 2017, Islanders, unhappy with the move from the old Nassau Veterans Memorial Arena to the new Barclay’s Center in Brooklyn, will be building a new home on land used as a parking lot behind Belmont Park. stand.
Nearly 4 years later, all the years of subsequent construction have resulted in the emergence of an ultra-modern, $1.1 billion arena that will host around 17,000-18,500 fans not just for the NHL games but also a variety of concerts and events that take place year-round. will include Genesis, Harry Styles, John Mayer, Journey, college basketball games, WWE and AEW professional wrestling, Disney On Ice and Monster Jam in the coming months.
“UBS Arena is probably going to be the premier concert venue in the area,” says O’Rourke.
Of course, how all of this will benefit the NYRA is a pertinent question for the racing industry, especially at a time when the NYRA has established a burgeoning online and mobile betting platform. strong growth supported by extensive national television coverage. As O’Rourke sees it, having more people on the field gives the NYRA an opportunity to draw a small army of newcomers onto the track.
Due to the inevitable traffic jams for evening events at the arena and NYRA offering afternoon races and having the Long Island Railroad station fully operational in the summer, NYRA plans to push the idea to complex early and enjoy a few races to pass the time on dates starting five months from now in the spring when there are both racing and arena events.
“We race during the day so what’s better than going out early, hanging out in the park and watching some races? The best way to engage racing fans is to show them a race; let them watch a race,” said O’Rourke. “This opens up a huge potential for the causal sports fan or an early concert-goer, hanging out in beautiful Belmont Park and taking in some races. From our experience me, that’s how you build fans. We learned that from Saratoga. To make a racing fan, all you have to do is bring them to Saratoga and we also want to create a racing fan. that feeling at Belmont Park.”
Located in Nassau County, a short walk from the border with New York City, Belmont Park may enjoy a densely populated location. However, in an area with as many sports and entertainment options as the Big Apple, there is indeed a large segment of people whose next visit to Belmont Park for an event at UBS will be a visit their first.
“This will introduce a lot of people in the area to Belmont Park. You’d be surprised by how many people live around here and haven’t been there,” says coach Dave Donk, a regular on the NYRA line for over 35 years. said . “It could only get us down the road. The new train station is a big deal, making it easier for people to access Belmont. There are a lot of professionals to get the arena going here.”
While racing and hockey won’t share the complex until late April, O’Rourke and NYRA staff have reached out to Islanders and arena officials to create a framework. for those days. So far, the Belmont Stakes Day presented by NYRA Bets (G1) is the only time that only races can take place in the complex, but O’Rourke says that could be revised to include more dates. Breeders ‘ Cup if NYRA secures the event in the future .
He added that posting times are not likely to change on race/arena days and the plan is to finish the race by 6pm to prevent a backlog of patrons going in and out of the parking lot. .
“Those logistics are done on paper, but we have to live through it and then we can make adjustments, if needed,” says O’Rourke.
O’Rourke expressed confidence in working out every detail of trouble with the Islanders and arena management based on the partnership he has experienced over the past four years.
“So far the relationship with the Islanders has been very good. They built the arena and we really didn’t miss any races and the fact that they were able to do it seamlessly was impressive. . I think they’ve learned a lot about racing, judging by the way they aim to build around training and everything else. The partnership is off to a great start,” said O’Rourke speak.
Initially there were concerns that the construction of the arena would affect training or create a distraction for the horses in the paddock and force the cancellation of many race days, but that never materialized. .
“We’ve had some disruptions but not an unreasonable amount,” said Joe Appelbaum, president of the New York Thoroughbred Riders Association. “The first concern is noise, dust, affecting the training, but knocking on wood it’s not so terrible.”
Donk said the construction of the arena went as anyone would have liked.
“Things went well, and that started with the work of Glen Kozak (Senior Vice President of Capital Operations and Projects for NYRA) and NYRA,” said Donk. “I think once they start having events, the horses will be fine although the barn closest to it may be affected.”
Appelbaum expressed regret that having lost about half of Belmont Park’s backyard to an arena, some of the landmark trees were removed by the development company.
He said: “I think it is very sad that the number of our trees is lost. “We already have a nationally recognized nursery and it’s disappointing that in this day and age the arena developers can’t figure out how to save more trees.”
Appelbaum said a few trees had been relocated recently in preparation for the NYRA’s infield tunnel construction but added that he had been assured by the NYRA that they would be replaced once the project was completed.
Many times when the gymnasium opens on November 19 with a charity concert, the work on the campus remains unfinished. A multi-story parking garage in the south parking lot will be the next addition, followed by full LIRR service in the summer (currently eastbound service only) and then a retail area in south parking lot.
Against that backdrop, the final piece of the puzzle will come as the NYRA begins its long-awaited racetrack renovation. While final plans have yet to be announced, the redevelopment includes a smaller stand that will be modernized to accommodate year-round races. There could be a smaller racing oval, and a winter track is another possible addition, and the infield area is likely to include parking and a park area for patrons to enjoy. replace backyard space that’s been chewed up by the gymnasium.
“The arena is great for the surrounding community and it opens up a lot of possibilities as we begin developing our lots there,” said O’Rourke. “When you think about redevelopment, remember it’s Belmont Park and let me emphasize the park part. With a smaller building, we’ll have more green space. The backyard will be incredibly welcoming. and as we look at the evolution of our spaces, we’re going to create them in conjunction with the arena so people can get in early, hang out, maybe go have a drink, watch a few races and then go to see their concert.
“We are working on an infield tunnel and would like more parking there that will help alleviate the need for our parking lot and train road parking,” he added.
Over time, the NYRA renovates the racing facility, they will also run more marketing promotions with the Islanders and arenas to enhance the crossover among the fan bases.
“We’re going to do some cross-marketing, but we haven’t done anything yet,” O’Rourke said. “They’ll come to fruition once we decide what the new Belmont Park will look like, but for now the majority of what we’ll be doing will revolve around the backyard.”
Appelbaum said he welcomes the focus on making the long-discussed modernization of Belmont Park a reality.
“Hopefully now this leads to everyone getting seriously involved in the development of our own property. Now that building a stadium is no longer possible, we can do it. more of a central stage with the renovation of its base,” said the cavalry leader. “I don’t see much crossover or spillover to racing from this. The biggest benefit of racing will be to professionalize the complex as a whole. Now we have room to upgrade the engine. its base and having a functional train stop on site, not just a push, will be hugely important.”
While bulldozers and cranes may not say goodbye to the complex for a few more years, there’s no denying that Saturday night has the potential to spark the kind of partnership, excitement and activity that Belmont Park has been searching for decades.
“Things will go well. While the Islanders are in their best season, we will Aqueduct race track and even as we start operating all year in Belmont, winter is our low season and crowd expectations will be lower,” O’Rourke said. On top of that, it will bring us lots of activity, which in our business is just a good thing. “
