NYRA has opened Belmont Park’s new Tapeta inner track to horses, with the rebuilt New York racecourse reaching a major training milestone on Monday morning.
The New York Racing Association said the surface was unveiled on June 29 and used at 5.35am Eastern by Private Flight, ridden in exercise by Ricardo Fragoso, and Mo Kreesa, with Cirilo Paredes up, both from Mark Hennig’s barn.
It is a tangible step in Belmont’s wider redevelopment, with live racing still scheduled to return on September 18. The opening-day card is due to be anchored by the Grade 1, $1million Jockey Club Gold Cup, a Breeders’ Cup Classic “Win and You’re In” race for Keeneland in October.
NYRA announces opening of main track and Tapeta at Belmont Park.
— NYRA (@TheNYRA) June 2026
Why The Tapeta Opening Matters
Belmont will reopen with four newly built racing surfaces: its traditional 1 1/2-mile dirt track, two turf courses and the one-mile Tapeta oval. NYRA says the Tapeta will initially be available for light galloping and jogging on Mondays and Tuesdays, before the main track opens for training from Wednesday, July 1.
Hennig said the riders described the new surface as “like galloping on air”, while Tapeta Footings president Michael Dickinson pointed to safety and consistency as the main benefits. NYRA’s Andrew Offerman called the rebuilt surfaces “a significant milestone” in the project, according to the official Belmont Park update.
For New York horsemen, the immediate gain is flexibility. For Belmont, it is another visible sign that the September return is moving from construction plan to racing reality.
