BELMONT: ‘Heaven on earth’: Belmont Festival opening day a thrill for fans

Horses make their way down the stretch as fans look on during he opening day of the Belmont Stakes Racing Festival at Saratoga Race Course. (Emma Ralls — MediaNews Group)

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. — Bob Schlanger has been coming to Saratoga Race Course for “probably 57 or 58 years. Ever since I was a kid with my dad.”

When he found out the track he’s been coming to since the 1960s would be hosting this week’s Belmont Stakes Racing Festival, the Saratoga Springs resident knew where he was going to be for the next four days.

“How could it have been held anywhere else than right here?” Schlanger asked. “This is the mecca (of horse racing). It’s Yankee Stadium. It’s Madison Square Garden. It’s whatever you consider your sports mecca is.

“This place is heaven on earth.”

Great excitement was the general feeling as fans made their way to the Spa on Thursday for the opening day of the four-day meet, highlighted by Saturday’s 156th running of the $2 million Grade I Belmont Stakes presented by NYRA Bets.

Post time for the third leg of thoroughbred horse racing’s Triple Crown is scheduled for 6:41 p.m.

“It’s great that they’re having this (the Belmont Stakes Racing Festival here),” said Colonie resident Tom Williams, a regular visitor to the Spa since 1983. “NYRA really didn’t have a choice than to bring it here. It’s just a great place to have it.”

While Williams said he would miss out on coming on Belmont Stakes Day (“A little too crowded for my liking),” he said he expected to attend the other three days.

“If the weather holds up, the racing (all four days) should be spectacular,” Williams said.

Carol Boles of Strafford, Vermont, has been coming to Saratoga Race Course for 35 years. Although she did not attend last year’s meet following the passing of her husband, Oliver, when she found out the Spa would be hosting the Belmont Stakes Racing Festival, she knew this was an event she couldn’t miss.

“When my husband retired, we wanted to go to all these races, like the Belmont. After he passed away, even though we had season tickets (to Saratoga Race Course), I just couldn’t come. It feels great to be here. It’s easy to get here and the people here are so nice and friendly.”

Accompanying Boles was Tracy Amell of South Royalton, Vermont, who came “because Uncle (Oliver) would have wanted me to be here.” She said she was last at the track 10 years ago for her mother’s birthday, but wanted to be here with Boles this week.

“It’s a great atmosphere, a lot of fun,” Amell said.

Kevin Bockelmann, of Kingston, said he has been coming to the normal Saratoga racing meet 38 of the last 40 years. The opportunity to attend the Belmont Stakes Racing Festival was something he could not say no to.

“I’ll be here all four days,” he said. “It’s great to be able to come here in June. I start coming (to Saratoga) in May at the harness track and go through October. As soon as I found out the Belmont would be here, I got online and got a ticket.

“This is such a family-oriented place. The people here are so friendly.”

From those in the picnic area to those sitting trackside to others sitting in the grandstand, they had to adjust to the new rules in effect for the Festival, including cashless purchases for food and beverage service, admissions, and parking.

Also, deviating from the typical practice of the annual 40-day meet, no outside alcoholic beverages were allowed to be brought into the venue, including in coolers as well as pop-up tents, folding tables of any kind, and wagons were not permitted inside the gates.

While some described the changes as a “bummer” and a “bit of a moneygrab,” most just shrugged off these temporary changes.

“What are you going to do? It’s four days. It’s no big deal,” Schlanger said.

With major renovations occurring at Belmont Park in Elmont, N.Y., it was announced last December that the Belmont Stakes Racing Festival would be run at Saratoga Race Course this year and next before returning to its permanent home in 2026.

On Thursday, NYRA Vice President of Communications Pat McKenna said he was particularly excited for this special opening day.

“As we’ve said before, it’s an absolute thrill to be able to hold the first Triple Crown race here at Saratoga Race Course, a place that has provided special memories for more than 150 years,” McKenna said. “We thank the fans. We thank the city of Saratoga Springs.

“The enthusiasm for this has been building up for a while now. Thousands packed Broadway last night to see the (Belmont on Broadway) concert. (Belmont Day) Saturday is already a sellout of 50,000 people, so we are expecting to have more than 100,000 fans here (throughout the Festival).

“This is a unique and exciting event. And today, all the attention on this event can finally turn to the track to see all these world-class horses and jockeys.”

From early indications on Day 1, that excitement will only continue to build throughout the meet.

“Having this event here is icing on the cake,” Schlanger said. “Win or lose, you come here and it’s like a day at the fair. It’s kind of magical.”