Belmont Park winter meet to feature 28 stakes races

The New York Racing Association (NYRA) has announced the stakes schedule for the 2026-27 winter meet at Belmont Park. The meet is scheduled to open on Thursday, Dec. 10, and will run through March.

The program will feature 28 stakes races with total purses amounting to nearly $5.7 million. Racing will take place exclusively on the one-mile Tapeta oval, which also serves as a year-round training surface for horses stabled at the facility.

Key highlights of the schedule include:

• Dec. 19: The Say Florida Sandy and the Broadway. • Dec. 26: The Grade 2 Red Smith, which has been shortened to 1 3/16 miles and moved from turf to Tapeta, alongside four legs of the Empire Trillium Series. • Jan. 16: The Withers and Busanda, which offer points toward the Kentucky Derby and Kentucky Oaks. • Feb. 20: A program headlined by the Grade 2 Suburban. This card also includes the Grade 3 Gotham, which features an increased purse of $400,000 and a distance increase to nine furlongs.