Aqueduct Racetrack stages its final live races in Queens on Sunday, June 28, ending 132 years of New York thoroughbred history before NYRA shifts its circuit fully towards Belmont Park.
The Ozone Park venue, opened in 1894 and long known as the Big A, reaches the end of live racing with a closing-weekend programme designed to mark the track’s place in American racing.
Its final day follows a wider NYRA plan to consolidate operations around the rebuilt Belmont Park, while Aqueduct remains open for simulcast wagering until September 7. The Associated Press reported that the switch is tied to Belmont’s redevelopment and the eventual return of Aqueduct’s 100-acre site for other use.
Belmont shift closes a New York chapter
Aqueduct’s farewell carries obvious sporting weight because the track has been a winter and spring staple for generations of New York horsemen, punters and jockeys, including major figures who built careers on its circuit.
For NYRA, the move is also a structural reset. Belmont Park is due to become the year-round hub after its renovation, with Saratoga retaining its summer role and Aqueduct’s live programme brought to a close.
The final card gives the Big A one last race-day crowd, but the broader story is clear: New York racing is trading a familiar Queens home for a more concentrated Belmont future.
