NEW YORK — Belmont Park will hold its fall meet at Aqueduct during construction of vehicle and pedestrian tunnels that will allow access to the horse racing track’s 45-acre infield.
The New York Racing Association said the 28-day “Belmont at the Big A” meet begins Sept. 15 and runs through Oct. 30. The two tracks are located 9 miles (14.4 km) apart.
NYRA indicated in its announcement that it will completely reconstruct the main dirt track and its two turf courses, which will also provide “the opportunity to consider the installation of a synthetic track in the future.”
NYRA said it expects training to resume next April and reconstruction will begin following the end of its 2023 spring-summer meet.
As part of the projects, a synthetic surface will be installed on the property’s quarter-mile pony track. It will provide an all-weather training option and give information and data on how a synthetic surface performs in the all-season climate at Belmont. Completion is expected in September.