When downstate racing on this circuit moves solely to Belmont Park, winter racing will be conducted exclusively over a soon-to-be-constructed synthetic track, the New York Racing Association announced Monday. NYRA officials are targeting the 2026-27 meet as the time when winter racing moves to the Tapeta track. The exact duration of the winter meet is still to be determined, but its likely to be from mid-to-late December through mid-to-late March. Safety and business concerns are at the heart of the winter move to Tapeta, a surface that also will be used for off-the-turf races at Belmont during the other months of the year. NYRA president and CEO Dave O’Rourke is a big proponent of Tapeta being a safer surface on which to run, especially during colder months. Moreover, the quality of NYRA’s product from January through March has dipped considerably over the years, something that is reflected in a reduction in field size and handle. Additionally, this decision allows NYRA to construct a main track at Belmont that is similar in composition to the main track at Saratoga, which has a limestone base with a clay pad below the cushion. The current Aqueduct main track that is in use on a 10-month basis has a limestone base topped with a mix of sand, silt, and clay as the cushion. A track with a clay pad is unusable in the winter as it does not do well under typical freeze/thaw cycles. Salt cannot be applied to the clay pad, something that is necessary for winter use. :: Access morning workout reports straight from the tracks and get an edge with DRF Clocker Reports According to The Jockey Club’s Equine Injury Database, Saratoga, since 2021, has had the lowest rate of incidents per 1,000 starters compared to Aqueduct and Belmont, and is well below the national average. “At its core, our vision for the new Belmont Park is centered around modernizing racing and training facilities in ways that will ensure the sport’s continued success and future growth,” O’Rourke said in a press release. “NYRA has closely tracked the evolution and application of synthetic surfaces, and the relevant data unequivocally supports a shift to the all-weather surface during the winter months.” The move to synthetic likely means some traditional stakes for 3-year-olds, such as the Withers and Gotham, would be run on synthetic. The Grade 2 Wood Memorial, run in April, would remain on dirt. NYRA and its horsemen have had dialogue on this matter for months, capped by a virtual town hall over the weekend. The New York Thoroughbred Horsemen’s Association, as well as the New York Thoroughbred Breeders’ Association, have expressed concern about eliminating dirt racing, even if for a limited time. “It changes the entire dynamics of racing in New York,” said trainer Linda Rice, who has won or shared the training title at seven of the last eight NYRA meets, including the last two winter sessions. “The majority of horses that excel on the synthetic are turf horses and dirt horses don’t. We have a lot of turf horses, turf fields are big, I’m sure that’s part of the reason why NYRA is looking to do that on a financial and field-size end. “I’m sure concerned about long-term effects on dirt racing. The Kentucky Derby is run on dirt, it’s not run on synthetic or turf. I think it will continue to whittle away at our dirt racing, which is concerning to me.” Trainer David Donk, vice president of NYTHA and who like Rice stables exclusively in New York year-round, said while he would prefer there be dirt racing in New York during the winter he will do his best to support the transition to synthetic racing. “My concern is will there be enough of a product for the winter time to have a substantial business model?” Donk said. “It’s an interesting gamble on their part. I’m going to support New York racing regardless of what the surface is. We need everyone else to as well, that includes big trainers, big owners.” Tina Bond, president of the NYTHA whose husband, James, and sons Kevin and Ryan train on this circuit, said she would have preferred a winter schedule that could accommodate dirt and synthetic. “I think options are important,” Bond said. “We never had a synthetic track in New York, so we don’t know how it’s going to play out. We don’t know if our horse population is going to fit that.” Najja Thompson, executive director of the NYTB, echoed Bond’s sentiments. “Ideally, we would like to see a winter racing program that allows the option for racing on dirt and synthetic surfaces,” Thompson said. “We look forward to working with NYRA, NYTHA, and our fellow stakeholders to ensure the demand for New York-breds continues to rise and the New York-bred program continues to grow.” Typically, field size is at its lowest point during the winter months. Average field size in February was 7.05 horses per race. In March it was 6.57. To improve field size, NYRA is banking on attracting outfits from places like Woodbine, which runs its non-turf races exclusively on synthetic but does not race from January through March. Mark Casse, the perennial leading trainer at Woodbine, who has had an on-and-off winter presence in New York, said he would “absolutely” maintain a winter stable at Belmont when the synthetic surface is used. :: Bet with the Best! Get FREE All-Access PPs and Weekly Cashback when you wager on DRF Bets. “We will be there,” Casse said. Turfway Park in Florence, Ky., uses a synthetic surface during the winter and has seen a big uptick in business over the last few years. Handle has shot up from $114.1 million in 2021 to $242 million in 2024. Over that time, purses have skyrocketed from $8.4 million to $25 million. Average betting interests at the recent Turfway meet was 9.53 horses per race. “The only way you’re going to increase the quality and increase the field size is to have much bigger purses in the winter time,” Tina Bond said. “My concern for the winter product is that we have a quality one that will go forward because if we don’t then the winter racing will diminish.” :: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? Check out DRF's Handicapping 101 and Wagering 101 pages.