Just Announced; Belmont Stakes Racing Festival To Return To Saratoga Springs In 2026

Governor Kathy Hochul announces the return of the Belmont Stakes Racing Festival to Saratoga Springs in 2026. The final Saratoga Belmont Stakes paves the way for the Grand Reopening and 2027 Breeders’ Cup at Reimagined Belmont Park.

Governor Kathy Hochul and the New York Racing Association (NYRA) announced that the Belmont Stakes Racing Festival will return to historic Saratoga Race Course in June 2026 for a third and final year to allow for the on-time and uninterrupted construction of a new Belmont Park in Elmont, N.Y.

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New York is home to world class sports and entertainment and this final chapter of the Belmont Stakes at Saratoga Race Course honors our rich racing heritage while paving the way for a bold, new future at Belmont Park. Bringing the race back to Saratoga next year will once again expand the audience for this storied leg of the Triple Crown and ensure fans continue to enjoy the full experience. - Kathy Hochul

The reimagined Belmont Park remains on schedule to open to the public in September 2026. The decision to return to Saratoga Race Course for the 2026 Belmont Stakes Racing Festival will allow the event to be unhindered by various restrictions made necessary by ongoing construction.

In the United States, the Triple Crown is considered the World Series of horse racing as 3-year-old thoroughbreds compete in the Kentucky Derby, Preakness Stakes and the Belmont Stakes. Since 1919 only 13 horses have won all 3 to earn the Triple Crown.