9
Gaming
The Big Win. Everybody dreams about it. Pick the right
ponies. Hit the right numbers. Get the jackpot. Queens has
a few venues where humans can go for the gold while in a
comfortable, clean environment with great food and service.
AQUEDUCT RACETRACK
Best known as “Big A,” Aqueduct Racetrack is the only
thoroughbred horse-racing facility located entirely within New
York City limits. With a season that usually runs from October
through April, the winterized complex’s main feature is a 1-andone
75
eighth-mile course. It also has smaller inner dirt and turf
courses. The track has an estimated seating capacity of 17,000
with a total attendance capacity of 40,000 guests. Its stables
house about 400 horses.
The original hippodrome opened in 1894, but the track was
torn down in 1956. The Big A opened in 1959 after a major
renovation.
Inside scoop: A major project in 2017 involved the addition of a
turf course and the complete renovation of the main dirt track. As
a result, the Big A now offers two turf courses and one main dirt
track.
Address: 110-00 Rockaway Blvd., South Ozone Park, and www.
nyra.com/aqueduct
BELMONT PARK
Belmont Park is world-renown as the host of Belmont Stakes,
the Triple Crown’s final leg. (The other two are Kentucky Derby
and the Preakness Stakes.) Spread over 445 acres, the race track
can host more than 100,000 attendees at a time and is one of the
country’s biggest grossing venues.
The main track is 1.5 miles long, and the site stretches from
the Queens border to Elmont, Long Island. Belmont Park first
opened in 1905 before closing in 1963 and reopening with a
grandstand in 1968.
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