"We set out to build an international racing hub that could double as a concert and entertainment space," Gov. Kathy Hochul said at the September 18 ribbon-cutting in Elmont, as Long Island Press reported, "a versatile venue that belongs not to racing fans, just racing fans alone, but to the entire community."
The venue she described doesn't fully exist yet. When it's finished, the new Belmont Park is built to hold at least 50,000 people on Belmont Stakes and Breeders' Cup days. For the rest of this fall meet, every race day is capped at 4,000. The top three floors of the grandstand are still being built. The infield, the most talked-about addition, isn't on NYRA's own list of what a general admission ticket covers.
For anyone within a short drive of Hempstead Turnpike, the smaller version is the one open right now. It runs through December 6 and costs $7.
The Size of This Fall, in Numbers
The capacity numbers show how much of the building's future this season holds back. Opening weekend was capped at 6,000, and amNewYork's opening-day report said the limit would drop to 4,000 for every race day after that. NYRA and Newsday date the lower cap to September 24, while Thoroughbred Daily News put it a day later. Either way, it has been in place since late September.
The grandstand alone is expected to hold about 10,000 once all its interior floors are done. The state's opening-day release puts that finish in the first quarter of 2027. So a race-day crowd this fall is less than half of what the building's indoor space is designed for, and about one-twelfth of the eventual big-event capacity.
Price tells a similar story. Opening Day general admission cost $50, and the state's release described a sold-out crowd of 6,000. On most days now, NYRA charges $7 for general admission bought in advance and $10 at the gate.
What the $7 Ticket Opens, and What It Doesn't Yet
NYRA's admissions page spells out what general admission covers. That list is the most reliable guide to what you'll find if you go this weekend.
| Area | Status for a GA ticket this fall |
|---|---|
| Grandstand first floor, with its restaurants, bars and concessions | Included |
| Backyard, with free picnic tables | Included |
| Paddock viewing areas | Included |
| Trackside apron | Included |
| Grandstand seats | Included on most days, not on Oct. 24 or Oct. 31 |
| Grandstand floors 3 through 5 | Under construction, expected Q1 2027 |
| Infield | Not on NYRA's list of what GA includes |
The first floor is where most of the new food is. Menus come from NYRA executive chef Marc Forgione. Big Red's is a sports bar at the western end, named for Secretariat, who won the 1973 Belmont Stakes by 31 lengths. The Homestretch Market is a food court, and Silks and the Trackside Lounge are two upscale clubs. Premium spaces also opened on Opening Day, including the Turf Club Restaurant and Lounge, The Overlook and The Stretch View.
Out back, the saddling paddock is 50% larger than the one it replaced, and it was redesigned to bring fans closer to the horses and jockeys. NYRA says GA guests have free seats along the paddock rail and at the backyard picnic tables.
About the infield
Long Island Press's opening-day coverage said the public would be able to use the infield for the first time in Belmont's more than 120 years. The state frames it as part of the long-term plan. Its release says the new grandstand and "access to the infield via pedestrian tunnels" will create nearly five times more green space for fans and the local community. amNewYork's preview before reopening tied tunnel use to the Belmont Stakes Racing Festival and other events. No source found for this post confirms that a regular fall ticket gets you into the infield. Anyone counting on it for a specific day can call the NYRA box office at 844-697-2849.
Why the Smaller Version Works for a Local Afternoon
The rules are built around a low-cost day. NYRA allows outside food and factory-sealed water in soft-sided containers and offers hundreds of free backyard picnic tables to GA guests. Coolers and outside alcohol aren't allowed, and you can bring one non-alcoholic, non-glass drink if it fits in a permitted bag. A family can pack lunch, pay $7 a head in advance, and spend the afternoon at the paddock rail without buying anything inside.
The racing surfaces are new too. The 1 1/2-mile dirt main track is the largest in North America. Inside it are two new turf courses and a one-mile Tapeta synthetic track that NYRA will use for winter racing and for races moved off the grass in bad weather. That Tapeta oval is part of what lets Belmont race year-round for the first time in its history. Belmont also takes over from the now-closed Aqueduct as NYRA's main home, racing every month except during the six-week summer meet at Saratoga. For western Nassau, the track is now a year-round neighbor, open in the off-season months when Aqueduct used to carry the schedule.
The Fall Calendar, Through December 6
NYRA races Thursday through Sunday, plus select Wednesdays. Three earlier race days were canceled, and the New York State Gaming Commission approved three Wednesday cards to replace them. Across the whole meet, 72 stakes races carry $17.7 million in total purses.
- October 14, 21 and 28. The added Wednesday cards.
- October 17, Fall Starter Championship Day. Eleven starter allowance races worth a combined $1.085 million, which NYRA calls a celebration of "the hard-knocking horses that are the heart and soul of the New York racing circuit."
- October 24, NY-Bred Showcase Day. One of the dates when GA doesn't include grandstand seats.
- October 31, Halloween at Belmont. The card includes the Key Cents and the Knickerbocker, each worth $175,000. GA doesn't include grandstand seats that day either. NYRA's calendar lists no other details for the day.
- November 28. The Man o' War, Jockey Club Derby, Jockey Club Oaks and Long Island stakes.
- December 5, Cigar Mile Day, followed by the meet's last races on December 6.
On high-demand days like October 24 and 31, it's more likely that people pay for reserved seats or a spot by the rail. NYRA has priced reserved grandstand seats at $50 on designated high-demand days, with a $25 food-and-beverage credit. With 4,000 people allowed on any race day, buying ahead also locks in the lower $7 price.
Getting There Without a Parking Surprise
The MTA has called the Elmont-UBS Arena LIRR station the main transit gateway for the fall meet. A NYRA shuttle runs continuously from the platform during racing hours, or it's a short walk. The MTA lists regular service of 90 trains on weekdays and 159 on each weekend day. NYRA also points riders to the n6 bus, which connects to city subway and bus lines.
Drivers need to know which lot they're assigned before they leave:
- Emerald Lot. Take Cross Island Parkway Exit 26D.
- Gold and Silver Lots. Take Exit 26B. Each exit leads only to its own lots.
- Timing. Lots open 60 minutes before the gates.
- Payment. Parking, tickets, concessions and programs are mostly cashless, and ticketed events, parking included, use mobile tickets. ATMs and reverse ATMs are on site.
What Changes After December 6
The building will look different the next time a crowd fills it. Floors three through five are expected to open in the first quarter of 2027, raising grandstand capacity to about 10,000. The Belmont Stakes is coming back to Elmont, and Belmont will host the Breeders' Cup World Championships in fall 2027. Days like those are what the 50,000-person design is for. The fall meet now under way is the stretch when a Nassau neighbor can bring a packed lunch, grab a picnic table in the backyard, and watch horses come off a brand-new turf course with no more than 4,000 people in the building.
Big venues change the streets around them, and Belmont's return is one of the largest changes Elmont and its neighbors have seen in years. If you own a home in western Nassau and want to talk through what the reopened track means for your block, Cotler Real Estate is glad to help. Let's Connect.
