For so many reasons, final countdowns are on at the three major tracks in New York – Aqueduct Racetrack in Ozone Park, Belmont Park in Elmont, and Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs.
The 132-year run at Aqueduct – aka the Big A -- ends Sunday when the historic venue is shuttered in favor of redevelopment; the three-year rebuilding of Belmont Park is nearly complete and reopens on Sept. 18; and the Saratoga summer season opens on July 3.
Aqueduct, located near John F. Kennedy International Airport, featured a pantheon of champions, among them Cigar, Dr. Fager, Damascus, Forego, Kelso, Ruffian, and Secretariat.
Sunday’s final card, though, offers 11 bland but beatable races, with post time for the finale at 6:20 p.m. ET, an $80,000 maiden special weight at 6 furlongs on the turf.
Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher has won close to 1,000 races at the Big A, including 228 stakes races, among them seven Wood Memorials.
“It’s a big part of our spring and fall program, and we were fortunate enough to have success in the Wood Memorial and the fall races – Remsen, Demoiselle, Cigar Mile, those races were always important to us,” Pletcher said. “Since I went to work for Wayne [Lukas] in ’89, Aqueduct has been part of the program. It’s one of the blue-collar tracks for New York, and you think of the winter program and how important it is to keep it going year-round.
“It’s going to be strange not to have it. It will be a big change, and hopefully the new Belmont is beautiful.”
As the New York Racing Association (NYRA) melds its future seasons between Belmont and Saratoga, there’s great anticipation for the Saratoga Fourth of July weekend, with the Schuylerville Stakes (GX) for 2-year-old fillies the traditional opening day feature.
The meet runs through Sept. 7, and you can be sure that the best horses in training will be running in Grade 1 stakes races that include the Travers Stakes, the Whitney Stakes, the Alabama Stakes, the Personal Ensign Stakes, and the first edition of the Christophe Clement Turf (formerly the Sword Dancer Stakes but renamed to honor the recently deceased Hall of Fame trainer).
Betting on races at Saratoga will be fast and furious with horseplayers looking for that big score to celebrate with friends at the Spa – the Summer Place to Be.
The anticipation is also building as the $550 million reimagined Belmont prepares for its opening day, which will feature global superstar Forever Young in the $1 million Jockey Club Gold Cup (G1).
“We are thrilled to welcome Forever Young to the Jockey Club Gold Cup at the new Belmont Park,” said Andrew Offerman, Senior Vice-President of Racing and Operations for NYRA. “NYRA is deeply appreciative of the Breeders’ Cup for their partnership and support in helping make this possible, and we look forward to celebrating Forever Young, the Jockey Club Gold Cup, and the return to Belmont Park on Friday, September 18.”
Forever Young, trained by Yoshito Yahagi, won the 2025 Eclipse Award as champion older male horse after winning the Breeders’ Cup Classic (G1) at Del Mar on Nov. 1. The 5-year-old will use the prestigious 1 ¼-mile Jockey Club Gold Cup (JCGC) as a prep to defend his Classic title at Keeneland on Oct. 31.
The JCGC returns to Belmont after being contested at Saratoga from 2021-25, and it’s a Breeders’ Cup “Win, and You’re In’’ to the Classic.
“Forever Young has captured the hearts of racing fans around the globe, and we are delighted his connections are targeting the Breeders’ Cup World Championships as the culmination of his 2026 season,” said Dora Delgado, Executive Vice-President and Chief Racing Officer of Breeders' Cup Limited.
Forever Young is a horse for the ages: Under sometimes adverse conditions, the son of Real Steel won the Saudi Cup (G1) in 2025 and 2026, finished third in the 2024 Kentucky Derby (G1) in a three-horse photo finish, finished in the top 3 in all 15 career starts (11-1-3), and has earnings of $31,758,590 – second all-time behind Romantic Warrior.
Among the JCGC winners are champions Man o’ War, Gallant Fox, War Admiral, Whirlaway, Citation, and Nashua. Kelso (five-time winner), Affirmed, John Henry, Cigar, Skipaway, Funny Cide, Curlin, and Tonalist.
Of course, the JCGC is too far off to predict who else might run, but it likely will include several other prominent horses.
Some could come from the stellar field assembled for Saturday’s $2 million Stephen Foster Stakes (G1) at Churchill Downs. Among the entries are reigning Horse of the Year Sovereignty, 2023 BC Classic winner White Abarrio, Dubai World Cup (G1) winner Magnitude, and Pennsylvania Derby (G1) winner Baeza.
White Abarrio won the Oaklawn Handicap (G2) last out, defeating Sovereignty, the Kentucky Derby (G1), Belmont Stakes (G1), and Travers Stakes (G1) winner.
May the odds be with you!
Richard Rosenblatt is an award-winning journalist and former Associated Press Horse Racing Editor. Currently, he serves as the news editor at US Racing, overseeing exclusive content from contributors worldwide.
