Thursday, October 1, 2026
Racegoers were pouring into Belmont Park last Friday, eager to see the track they remembered in a whole new form.
Longtime fans wandered through the grounds, finding their way around a racetrack that was familiar in name but looked almost entirely new in person.
“Everything’s new,” said Loretta Tumbarello of West Hempstead, who has been coming to Belmont for more than 30 years. “We loved it.”
The old Belmont, she said, felt like a place where families could settle in and stay awhile.
Now, she was trying to figure out whether that part of Belmont would have a place in the new version.
“Are we going to be allowed to enjoy the backyard like we did with the old Belmont?” Tumbarello asked.
The rebuilt park is centered around a five-story grandstand, with the first two floors open for the return of racing. The remaining floors are expected to be completed in early 2027. The facility includes four racing surfaces, including a 1 1/2-mile dirt track, two turf courses and a one-mile Tapeta track.
There are also new restaurants, bars and concession areas, including Big Red’s, Homestretch Market, Silks and the Trackside Lounge.
“At the old Belmont, we paid $3 or $5 for preferred parking in front,” Tumbarello said. “I want to be able to park in the front so I can just walk out that gate like I used to in the old days.”
She also hopes the new park eventually offers more shade and places to sit.
For Tumbarello, those details are tied to decades of memories. She remembered coming to Belmont with her mother, husband and brother, spending long afternoons outside and celebrating milestones there.
“We used to have parties there when we retired,” she said. “My husband and I, we had a huge party back there.”
Shari Brosnan, who grew up in Rego Park and has lived in the area for more than 30 years, also came to see the new Belmont for herself.
Brosnan liked the sleek, modern appearance, but said the new building felt strikingly different from the old Belmont she remembered.
She also remembered bringing her children to the old track, where a duck pond, playground and children’s activities gave families another reason to spend the day there.
“It was family-oriented,” Brosnan said.
For Donald and Doreen Smith, opening day was a chance to return to a place that had been part of their lives long before the construction began.
The couple, formerly of Freeport, now lives about six miles south of upstate Saratoga, but came back to Long Island for the much-anticipated return to racing. They said they once made regular trips to Belmont with a group of friends.
“We used to come here all the time,” Donald Smith said.
The Smiths have been involved in horse ownership for more than 20 years. They have celebrated victories by horses including Kentucky Derby winners Orb and Authentic, as well as Seize the Grey’s Preakness win.
For Doreen Smith, the thrill of racing still comes down to moments like celebrating a victory in the winner’s circle.
The couple praised the new facility, although Donald had one suggestion after spending time outside.
“I wish they had more seats, more benches in the shade,” he said. “Me with the fair skin, I can’t take this.”
Vince Roth of East Rockaway’s two-year-old filly, Winning Fashion, competed in the first dirt race at the rebuilt Belmont Park.
The result was not what Roth and NY Final Furlong, had hoped for, but being there was enough to make the afternoon memorable.
“It’s cool to be part of the first race on the dirt at Belmont,” Roth said.
Roth has been involved in horse racing for about 15 years. He first became interested in the sport after watching Smarty Jones race at Belmont Park about 20 years ago.
Last Friday marked Winning Fashion’s racing debut, and Roth said several of the horses ahead of her already had experience.
“You never know what you’re gonna get with a two-year-old,” he said.
He expects the experience to give Winning Fashion something to build on as she gets more races under her belt.
The park has plenty of history left to make. The Belmont Stakes is scheduled to return in 2027 on June 5, followed by the Breeders’ Cup World Championships on Oct. 29-30.
