Historic Saratoga takes its place at center of horse racing world when Belmont Stakes comes to town

By SPENCER RIPCHIK
Associated Press

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. (AP) — Saratoga Race Course is getting ready to be the center of the horse racing world when the Belmont Stakes comes to town. It will be the venerable racing city’s first Triple Crown race. But in many ways, Saratoga Springs, New York, has been hosting front-page spectacles longer than anywhere else. The track that draws Northeasterners out in droves each summer has been around since 1863, making it the oldest active sporting venue in the country. It will host the Belmont Stakes on June 8 and again in 2025 because of renovations at Belmont Park.