Estimated read time: Less than a minute
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
Winter racing at Belmont Park will be exclusively run on a synthetic surface when the track reopens in 2026. The New York Racing Association announced that move Monday. The aim is to make racing safer for horses and jockeys by running on a newly constructed Tapeta to reduce the impacts of weather elements like rain and snow. Dirt and turf racing remain the norm in the spring, summer and fall. The addition of a synthetic track using the same materials as Gulfstream Park in Florida allows the NYRA to make a higher-quality renovated dirt course for the remainder of the year.
