Step One if New York wants the Breeders Cup in 5 or so years…
Belmont fall meet to be partially run at Aqueduct due to construction
To accommodate expected construction of a hockey arena on the grounds of Belmont Park, the final 14 race days of the 37-day Belmont fall meet will be conducted at Aqueduct, the New York Racing Association announced Wednesday.
Racing at Belmont will run Sept. 6 through Oct. 6 and allow for all of the usual Grade 1 stakes, such as the Jockey Club Gold Cup and Joe Hirsch Turf Classic, to be run there. Racing will move to Aqueduct on Oct. 11 and what will be considered the Belmont fall meet will go through Oct. 27.
The official Aqueduct fall meet will begin Nov. 1 and run 22 days through Dec. 1. The 2019-20 Aqueduct winter meet commences Dec. 5.
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The construction, expected to last until the fall of 2021, also is expected to impact post times for the weekday cards held at Belmont in September and October. NYRA did not announce post times for the fall meet, but it is expected that the Wednesday through Friday cards will start after 3 p.m.