NYRA adds July 4 festival to Saratoga's schedule
The New York Racing Association said its 2025 racing schedule includes 200 live race days at Aqueduct and Saratoga.
The ongoing construction of a new and re-imagined Belmont Park will again require adjustments to the customary NYRA schedule. Most notably, the 2025 Belmont Stakes racing festival will be held across five days at Saratoga from Wednesday, June 4, through Sunday, June 8.
Saratoga also will host a special July 4 racing festival, which is traditionally held at Belmont Park, from Thursday, July 3, through Sunday, July 6. The July 4 racing festival will serve as the conclusion of the 2025 Belmont at the Big A spring-summer meet.
In addition, the fall and spring-summer meets normally held at Belmont Park will take place at Aqueduct in 2025, including the period between the Belmont Stakes racing festival and July 4 racing festival.
After the close of the 2024 Aqueduct fall meet Sunday, Dec. 29, the 49-day winter meet will begin Wednesday, Jan. 1, and continue through Sunday, March 30. With the exception of opening week, live racing will be conducted Thursday to Sunday from the week of Jan. 9 through the week of Feb. 27. Aqueduct will host a Presidents’ Day card on Monday, Feb. 17. The winter meet will offer three-day race weeks Friday to Sunday throughout the month of March.
The 15-day Aqueduct spring meet will run from Thursday, April 3, through Sunday, April 27, with racing conducted Thursday to Sunday.
The NYRA circuit will remain at Aqueduct for the Belmont at the Big A spring-summer meet, which will open on Thursday, May 1, and continue through Sunday, July 6, with the final four days relocating to Saratoga for the July 4 racing festival. Racing at the Belmont at the Big A spring-summer meet will be conducted Thursday to Sunday throughout the spring-summer meet, with the exception of a Memorial Day program on Monday, May 26.
The 40-day summer meet at Saratoga will open on Thursday, July 10 and continue through Labor Day, Sept. 1. After the four-day opening week, live racing will be conducted Wednesday to Sunday with the exception of closing week, which will conclude on Monday, Sept. 1.
The NYRA circuit then will return downstate for the 32-day Belmont at the Big A fall meet, which will open on Thursday, Sept. 11, and continue through Sunday, Nov. 2. Racing will be conducted Thursday-Sunday throughout the Belmont at the Big A fall meet.
A 27-day fall meet at Aqueduct will draw the curtain on live racing at NYRA in 2025. The fall meet will open on Thursday, Nov. 6, and continue through Wednesday, Dec. 31, with live racing generally conducted Thursday to Sunday.