Website www.NYRA.com/Aqueduct
Racing Season:
Winter Meet: January to March
Spring Meet: April
Fall Meet: November & December
Notable Aqueduct Stakes Races
G1 Carter Handicap – 4-year-olds & up going 7 furlongs on dirt
G1 Cigar Mile Handicap – 3-year-olds & up going 1 mi. on dirt
G2 Gazelle – 3-year-old fillies going 1-1/8 mi. on dirt
G2 Wood Memorial – 3-year-olds going 9 furlongs on dirt
G2 Remsen Stakes – 2-year-olds going 9 furlongs on dirt
G2 Demoiselle Stakes. – 2-year-old fillies going 1-1/8 mi. on dirt
G2 Nashua Stakes – 2-year-olds going 1 mi. on dirt
G3 Gotham Stakes – 3-year-olds going 1-1/16 mi. on dirt
History of Aqueduct Racetrack
One of America's oldest horse racing venues, Aqueduct Racetrack opened in 1894. The property at the time belonged to the Brooklyn Water Works, on a parcel also containing an aqueduct bringing water to New York City from the Hempstead Plain.
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Aqueduct is the only racetrack in New York City, sitting on over 200 acres in the South Ozone Park neighborhood of Queens, adjacent to JFK International Airport.
In 1944, Aqueduct was the scene of one of horse racing's more unique all-time events. On June 10th of that year, the only triple dead heat in stakes racing history took place as Wait a Bit, Bossuet, and Brownie all simultaneously crossed the finish line of the Carter Handicap. In subsequent years, accomplished thoroughbreds such as Secretariat, Smarty Jones, Easy Goer, Man o' War, Kelso, Dr. Fager, Forego, and Sword Dance laid the foundation for their legacies while racing at Aqueduct.
In the late 1950's, the racetrack added a new grandstand, barns, racing surface, and other facility buildings. The track's re-opening on September 14th, 1959 drew a crowd of over 40,000 and earned widespread praise. In the 1960's while nearby Belmont Park was closed for reconstruction, Aqueduct hosted the Belmont Stakes for several years.
Winter racing came to Aqueduct in 1975 as the track opened its winterized inner dirt track where the old 1-mile turf course had previously been located.
The 1980's featured the opening of the multi-level Equestris restaurant, and two rounds of additional facility improvements including expanded paddocks and grandstands and the construction of mini-theatres.
In 2011, Aqueduct opened a massive, multi-level casino where the old grandstand has been located. The 415,000 sq. ft. Resorts World Casino New York City is operated by Genting New York LLC.
Recent Aqueduct News
How to bet Aqueduct's Say Florida Sandy Stakes (1/10/2020) - Who will prevail in Saturday's $100,000 Say Florida Sandy S. at Aqueduct? You can make a case for pretty much any horse in this 7-furlong… ...Read More
Kentucky Derby contender profile: Independence Hall (1/6/2020) - No matter how you slice it, Independence Hall is a talented prospect. He officially joined the Road to the Kentucky Derby with his dominant triumph… ...Read More
Kentucky Derby contender profile: Shotski (12/10/2019) - The unheralded Shotski sold for just $25,000 as a yearling, but with his triumph in the $250,000 Remsen Stakes (G2) on December 7 at Aqueduct,… ...Read More
Aqueduct spot plays for Cigar Mile Day (12/6/2019) - The last major racing day of the year in New York will take place Saturday, December 7 at Aqueduct. Half a dozen stakes races are… ...Read More
How to bet the 2019 Remsen Stakes at Aqueduct (12/5/2019) - On Saturday, December 7, nine promising 2-year-olds with Kentucky Derby (G1) aspirations will head to the Aqueduct starting gate for the $250,000 Remsen Stakes (G2). ...Read More
Aqueducts's Racing Surface
In May of 2017, the Daily Racing Forum reported on major changes taking place with the racing surface at Aqueduct, including:
"The New York Racing Association will remove the inner track at Aqueduct and replace it with a second turf course. Further, the main dirt track will be renovated to allow winter racing on it.
The project to remove the inner track began this week – shortly after the Aqueduct backstretch was closed for training for the summer – and should be completed by the time Aqueduct reopens for training in September, and certainly by the time racing returns in November.
When Aqueduct's current incarnation opened in 1959, it had one dirt track and two turf courses. In 1975, the outer turf course was replaced by a one-mile inner dirt track. The inner track had a limestone base that enabled it to handle winter weather better than the main track, which had a clay/silt/sand base.
The main track will have a limestone base and a sandy loam cushion, according to Glen Kozak, NYRA's director of racing surfaces."
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