Aqueduct Racetrack Ends Live Racing After 130 Years

After serving as one of the most recognizable venues in American horse racing for more than 130 years, Aqueduct Racetrack is preparing to host its final live race meeting. The Queens track, which welcomed generations of racing fans and some of the sport’s greatest horses, will stage its last race on Sunday, June 28, before live thoroughbred competition moves permanently elsewhere in New York.

The closing marks the end of an era for the venue known as the “Big A,” while reflecting broader changes across the horse racing industry. Once one of the country’s most prominent betting attractions, Aqueduct now joins a growing list of historic racetracks that have ceased live operations as wagering habits and entertainment preferences continue to evolve.

Historic venue reaches the finish line

Aqueduct opened in September 1894 and became one of the defining tracks in American thoroughbred racing. Over the decades, it hosted legendary horses including Man O’ War, Seabiscuit and Secretariat, while also serving as the site of Secretariat’s career debut in 1972.

The final race on Sunday has fittingly been named “It Was a Good Run.” Although live racing will conclude, the facility will continue offering simulcast wagering on televised races through September 7.

For longtime trainer David Donk, the closure represents both the end of a landmark and the natural evolution of the sport.

“There’s a lot of history here. Just so many good horses,” Donk said, as reported by the Associated Press. “It’s had its use. But, you know, times change. Everything changes in life.”

Aqueduct also played host to moments beyond horse racing. Pope John Paul II celebrated Mass before thousands at the venue in 1995, while the track became a familiar backdrop in popular culture and generations of New Yorkers developed lifelong connections with the facility.

Gambling expansion reshapes racing landscape

Aqueduct’s closure comes as horse racing continues adjusting to increasing competition from other forms of gambling.

Legal sports betting, online wagering, casinos, slot venues and state lotteries have steadily reduced racing’s position as one of the few legal betting options available to consumers. According to the National Thoroughbred Racing Association, roughly 75 thoroughbred racetracks now operate across the United States, compared with more than 300 horse racing facilities during the sport’s peak in the late nineteenth century.

“For over 100 years, thoroughbred racing was one of very few sports outlets you could legally bet on,” said National Thoroughbred Racing Association president Tom Rooney. “With the expansion of sports gambling, our sport will naturally condense and coalesce around a more pragmatic number of marquee tracks and locations, similar to other sports.”

Aqueduct is not the only prominent venue to disappear in recent years. Arlington Park in Illinois closed after being acquired for a potential NFL stadium project, while California’s Golden Gate Fields also ceased racing operations.

The changing gambling environment is already visible on the Aqueduct property itself. A substantial portion of the site now houses Resorts World New York City, which recently expanded into full-scale casino gaming after securing a state license and plans further multibillion-dollar development.

Racing shifts to Belmont’s next chapter

Aqueduct’s closure forms part of a broader restructuring of New York thoroughbred racing.

The New York Racing Association will consolidate racing operations at Belmont Park and Saratoga Race Course after Belmont completes its approximately $550 million redevelopment project. Belmont Park is expected to reopen in September following the renovation.

The transition also fulfills an agreement under which Aqueduct’s more than 100-acre property will eventually return to New York State for future redevelopment.

While many racing fans have already shifted their attention to Belmont and Saratoga over recent decades, Aqueduct’s final weekend has prompted reflection among those who grew up around the track.

Many longtime patrons recall packed grandstands, legendary jockeys including Angel Cordero Jr., Jorge Velazquez and Steve Cauthen, celebrated trainers such as Allen Jerkens and Frank Martin, and iconic race callers including Chic Anderson, Dave Johnson and Tom Durkin.

The venue also became known for its distinctly working-class atmosphere, contrasting with the elegance associated with tracks such as Saratoga or Churchill Downs.

Attendance declined significantly over recent years, reflecting broader industry trends, yet Aqueduct remained an important part of New York racing history until its final meeting.

With Sunday’s closing race, live competition ends at one of America’s oldest racetracks. Although betting activity will continue temporarily through simulcasting, Aqueduct’s role as a venue for live thoroughbred racing will become part of the sport’s history as New York enters its next chapter at Belmont Park.