It's a two year run!

The major renovation to Belmont Raceway outside New York City will continue into 2026, which means the Belmont Stakes will once again be held in Saratoga. NYRA confirmed the news on Wednesday. 

The race for 2024 had already been slated for Saratoga and is expected to draw nearly 50,000 people to the Spa City. Rumors had been going around that the massive Belmont construction project would indeed create an opportunity for a second year run for the 2025 stakes in Saratoga. 

NYRA president David O'Rourke was in Saratoga for a press conference at Universal Preservation Hall on Wednesday morning, telling the Times Union: 

The ability to leverage Saratoga during this period of reconstruction is invaluable for the continuity of the racing program. These are marquee races. The entire weekend is stacked with stakes, really important ones that lead into the Saratoga meet. In a lot of ways, having Saratoga increases our ability for continuity as we rebuild Belmont. It’s key to the whole racing ecosystem we are trying to keep together during the next two years.

The Belmont Stakes will be held on Saturday, June 8th at Saratoga Race Course. Racing will also be held in the days leading up and the day following the Belmont on June 6th, 7th and 9th.