NYRA’s return to a rebuilt Belmont Park will begin with a significantly expanded fall meet on Sept. 18, anchored by 72 stakes races worth $17.7 million and structured to re-establish the venue as a central stage for North American racing heading into the 2027 Breeders’ Cup World Championships.

The opening day feature will be the $1 million GI Jockey Club Gold Cup, returning to Belmont after a five-year stint at Saratoga between 2021 and 2025. The race, which carries a Breeders’ Cup Classic “Win and You’re In” berth, is set to provide an immediate focal point for the relaunch of the New York circuit’s flagship track.

FOX will broadcast the Gold Cup live on its network television platform as NYRA looks to introduce the redeveloped facility to a national audience.

NYRA Senior Vice President of Racing and Operations Andrew Offerman said the schedule was designed with long-term positioning in mind, particularly with Belmont expected to play a major role in the future Breeders’ Cup landscape.

“The new Belmont Park will provide the stage to showcase the best racing in North America,” Offerman said in a statement. “With that in mind, we have arrived at a stakes schedule that reflects the importance of the fall racing season, emphasizes major weekends throughout the meet, and establishes a strong foundation in advance of the 2027 Breeders' Cup World Championships.”

Woodward Removed From 2026 Calendar

The most notable omission from the schedule is the Woodward Stakes, once among the premier dirt races for older horses in the United States. The race has struggled in recent years to maintain a clear position on a crowded late-summer and autumn calendar and was downgraded to Grade II level.

The absence is historically significant given that 20 Woodward winners ultimately entered the Hall of Fame.

NYRA Vice President of Communications Patrick McKenna confirmed the race has not been scrapped permanently.

“As a result of the shift of the Jockey Club Gold Cup to Belmont Park, the Woodward has been temporarily furloughed for 2026 and will return to the NYRA Stakes Schedule in 2027 on a date to be determined,” McKenna said.

Brooklyn Stakes Returns

One historic fixture restored to the program is the GII Brooklyn Stakes, which was absent from the 2025 schedule. The race will now be run on Dec. 5 during the final weekend of the meet after previously being staged in early July when last contested in 2024.

The broader structure of the meet places heavy emphasis on concentrated high-end race days. NYRA has built the early part of the stand around consecutive Saturdays featuring 10 graded stakes and six Breeders’ Cup qualifying events.

Sept. 26 will center around the $500,000 GI Joe Hirsch Classic alongside the $500,000 GII Flower Bowl, which offers automatic entry into the Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf. The same card will also include the $250,000 GII Vosburgh, a Breeders’ Cup Sprint qualifier, and the $250,000 GII Gallant Bloom.

Juvenile Focus On Oct. 3

The Oct. 3 program shifts attention toward the 2-year-old division with four additional “Win and You’re In” opportunities.

The $500,000 GI Champagne Stakes will headline the card as a key stepping stone toward the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile. Supporting races include the $500,000 GI Frizette Stakes, the $250,000 GII Pilgrim Stakes, the $250,000 GII Miss Grillo Stakes, the $200,000 GII Futurity and the GIII Matron Stakes.

Elsewhere on the calendar, the GII Man o’War Stakes has been moved from the traditional Belmont spring meet to Nov. 28.

The closing Saturday on Dec. 5 will feature one of the deepest programs of the meet, led by the Brooklyn Stakes, the $250,000 GII Cigar Mile, the $250,000 GII Remsen Stakes, the $250,000 GII Demoiselle Stakes and the $250,000 GIII Elite Power Stakes.

The overall shape of the schedule suggests NYRA is positioning Belmont’s autumn meet not simply as a continuation of the Saratoga season, but as a standalone championship-style program built around Breeders’ Cup relevance, concentrated stakes days and the long-term re-establishment of Belmont Park at the center of elite American racing.