NYRA extends Belmont meet, pushes back Aqueduct dates
Fans will be unable to attend races at Aqueduct, where the first floor continues as a COVID-19 mass vaccination site, so the Belmont Park fall racing meet will be extended by three dates - Nov. 5 through 7 - to allow fans ontrack to watch and wager on the Breeders’ Cup, the New York Racing Association announced Saturday.
The Breeders' Cup will be held at Del Mar on Nov. 6-7. A limited number of owners, trainers and staff will be allowed onsite at Aqueduct.
Belmont’s fall meet was scheduled to end on Oct. 31. The Aqueduct fall meet will now start on Nov. 11 and run through Dec. 6. Aqueduct’s winter meet runs from Dec. 9 through March 27, 2022.
Regarding Aqueduct's inability to host fans, NYRA spokesman Patrick McKenna said, “It’s a fluid situation. We’ll be working with the state in the weeks and months to come.”
Aqueduct has been used as vaccination site since the administration of COVID-19 shots began in early 2021. While many mass vaccination sites in New York City's five boroughs have been closed, Aqueduct has remained open.
“NYRA is committed to supporting the ongoing effort to vaccinate New York, and Aqueduct Racetrack is an important piece of that puzzle,” NYRA President & CEO Dave O’Rourke said in a release. “This schedule adjustment provides our fans the opportunity to experience world class racing on-track while enjoying Breeders’ Cup weekend at Belmont Park.”
Five stakes races scheduled to be run at Aqueduct from Nov. 5-7 - the Tempted, Atlantic Beach, Turnback the Alarm, Stewart Manor and Nashua - will be conducted at Belmont Park on their regularly scheduled days.