It’s official: The Belmont Stakes will be held at Saratoga Race Course in 2026 – the third year in a row the final leg of the Triple Crown is contested at the Spa as the rebuilding of Belmont Park continues.
The announcement on Friday by the New York Racing Association and Gov. Kathy Hochul comes less than a week after Sovereignty won the 157th Belmont Stakes (G1) at Saratoga and became the first horse in 30 years to collect a Kentucky Derby (G1)-Belmont double.
The Belmont Stakes will again be the centerpiece of NYRA’s annual racing festival over five days in June. The 2026 Belmont is scheduled for June 6 and will be run at 1 ¼ miles again, rather than the traditional 1 ½ miles, due to the configuration of the Spa’s main track. The Belmont returns to the new Belmont Park in 2027.
“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,” Hochul said. “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.”
The new Belmont Park is still on schedule to open to the public in September 2026, NYRA said in its announcement.
“Saratoga has served our fans and stakeholders extremely well as the temporary home of the Belmont Stakes during the construction of a new Belmont Park on Long Island,’’ NYRA president and CEO Dave O'Rourke said in a statement. “As we prepare for the opening of the new Belmont Park in the fall of 2026, NYRA is pleased to bring the Belmont Stakes to Saratoga for a third and final time next June. Belmont Park will always be the home of the Belmont Stakes, and we look forward to its return to the newly reimagined Belmont in 2027.”
Saratoga will also play host to an upcoming July 4th Racing Festival, which is traditionally held at Belmont Park. Racing will run July 3-6 prior to the 40-day Saratoga meet that opens July 10 through Labor Day, Sept. 1.
The new Belmont Park will host the 2027 Breeders’ Cup for the first time in 20 years.
The writing team at US Racing is comprised of both full-time and part-time contributors with expertise in various aspects of the Sport of Kings.
