In 1863, John (Old Smoke) Morrissey, seeing promise in a northern town with natural springs that would allow him to rub shoulders with the wealthy and reckless from New York to Boston, organized the first horse races in Saratoga Springs. Morrissey’s background foreshadowed his future: Old Smoke was a boxing champion, gangster, casino owner, gambler and future U.S. congressman.
Since then, horse racing fans from all over the world have made Saratoga their summer home, knowing that what happens at the track will surely take a toll on their souls, their livers and their bank accounts.
Saratoga’s past will always be linked to its future: The Battle of Saratoga was a pivotal part of the American Revolutionary War, potato chips were born here, and a horse named Upset handed the immortal Man O’War his only defeat in 22 races, earning the country’s oldest racetrack the nickname “Graveyard of Champions.”
History and hope will once again unite when 10 horses compete Saturday in the 156th Belmont Stakes, the third leg of the Triple Crown at America’s most historic racetrack at a time when developing safety measures and increasing capital investment are brightening the outlook for a rundown, old sport.
The move was made necessary because of a $455 million renovation and modernization of Belmont Park, Long Island’s grand old racetrack, which is scheduled to reopen in 2026. But it also offers an opportunity to bring an exciting, casualty-free Triple Crown series to a graceful end.
This time last year, none of this would have been imaginable: A doping scandal that sent more than 30 people to prison, a former Kentucky Derby winner failing a drug test and being disqualified, 12 horses fatally injured in the days leading up to and following the Derby, and two weeks later, another colt being euthanized at the racetrack in a preliminary race to the Preakness Stakes, further eroding public confidence in the safety and fairness of horse racing.
“This is a big stage, a chance to show off the power of big-time horse racing,” said New York Racing Association CEO David O’Rourke. “This may be our crown jewel, but it’s also an opportunity to show how the sport of horse racing is evolving.”
To celebrate the 150th Kentucky Derby this year, Churchill Downs unveiled a $200 million paddock that’s more than just a place to saddle horses. Luxury suites, reserved seating, bars and even speakeasies are part of the design, making a day at the track a must-attend hospitality event for high rollers. The paddock drew its largest television audience since 1989; NBC’s coverage averaged 16.7 million viewers, up 13 percent from last year’s 14.8 million.
Maryland Gov. Wes Moore signed the bill last month. The state Legislature passed a bill to set aside $400 million in state bonds to renovate Pimlico Race Course, home of the Preakness race, and Keeneland, one of America’s major horse racing tracks in Kentucky, is undergoing a $93 million renovation of its paddocks to add more dining and spectating options.
“Our sport is taking the steps that major sports are taking to prove that it deserves to be on the world stage,” said Shannon Irvin, CEO of Lexington-based Keeneland, which also is an auction company.
Decades ago, Red Smith memorialized Saratoga as the Brigadoon of horse racing fans, with a ready answer to a simple question: “How do you get there?”
“Drive north about 175 miles, turn left on Union Avenue and you’ll be transported back 100 years,” the Pulitzer Prize-winning sports columnist wrote.
Victorian homes draped in pastel colors and surrounded by wraparound porches evoke the timeless atmosphere of Saratoga, or as it is commonly known, Spa. Race horses are carriage-driven down Union Avenue every morning to the racetrack, and morning fog rolls in, shrouding the view of the horses as they glide around and circle the clouds.
But in recent years, Saratoga Race Course has been subtly but thoroughly modernized: While picnic tables are set up in the backyard for cooler-toting $2 punters and day-trippers, the racing association has spent $113 million since 2016 to create a range of experiential options in the hopes of making it a destination for a wider range of sports fans.
For example, the 1863 Club ($32.9 million) offers fine dining and a club-like atmosphere for horse owners and would-be horse owners, the Post Bar and Paddock Suite ($3.6 million) is a venue for corporate events, and the Finish Line Bar and Grill ($1.7 million) draws patrons for shots and beers.
In tandem with the renovations, the association used what O’Rourke called its “intellectual property” to launch its own online betting site, NYRA Bets, in 2016. At the same time, it partnered with Fox Sports to produce “Saratoga Live,” bringing 80 hours of live broadcasts. The network’s horse racing coverage has expanded every year since. In 2023, it aired 934 hours of racing (225 of which were at Saratoga) and the Belmont Stakes for the first time.
Both gamble have paid off.
Since renovations began at Saratoga, the ballpark has attracted more than 1 million fans each year, from July through Labor Day, except for 2020, when it was closed to the public due to the pandemic. Last year, the ballpark averaged 27,000 fans per day during its 40-day season, making it one of the best-attended sports venues in New York, outattending the Knicks, Rangers and Bills on home days.
Even better, increased television coverage and NYRA Bets’ expansion into new markets have boosted revenue: In 2016, $306 million was wagered on the platform; last year, that figure increased 127% to $695 million. And despite 32 fewer race days, total wagers at Aqueduct, Belmont and Saratoga increased to more than $2.2 billion last year.
Racetracks are not immune to the problems facing the industry as a whole. Last summer, 13 horses were fatally injured at Saratoga Race Course, including two at the finish line of a nationally televised stakes race. State veterinarians have been working for weeks with their colleagues at the federal regulator, the Office of Racing Integrity and Safety, to test horses and medical records with the goal of ensuring only healthy competitors make it through the starting gate.
“HISA is a year old now,” O’Rourke said of the regulator. “We have a lot more talent here. Everyone is focused.”
For Sierra Leonean trainer Chad Brown, the 9-5 morning line favorite, the Belmont Stakes represents an opportunity for himself and for horse racing in general. Brown is a four-time champion trainer looking for his first Belmont Stakes victory.
“It would mean a lot to us,” Brown said of a possible Sierra Leone win.
But he knows there’s a lot more at stake. Brown grew up near Mechanicville, New York, and spends as much time as he can in Saratoga. He walks through the fog most mornings and knows the Spa’s charms. He’s eager to get new audiences hooked on his town and his sport.
“My interest in horse racing started when I went to Saratoga Race Course with my family,” Brown said. “I think everyone is looking forward to a really historic and exciting weekend.”
