By T. D. Thornton
A first-turn seating expansion at Saratoga Race Course and the addition of a 400-foot long infield horse tunnel at Belmont Park were among the improvement projects floated by New York Racing Association (NYRA) executives on Thursday.
Three new backstretch dormitories at Saratoga are also on NYRA's to-do list, according to a preview of possible 2023 projects discussed at the Sep. 1 Franchise Oversight Board (FOB) meeting.
The FOB represents the interests of NYRA's state-owned properties, and that board still must formally approve the projects if and when NYRA submits a capital expense plan that includes them, most likely when the FOB meets again in early 2023.
The first-turn expansion at Saratoga was billed by NYRA as a natural extension of this year's build-out of the one-mile Wilson Chute near where the home stretch merges with the first turn.
The new amenities on the first turn will likely look similar to the existing Spa Verandas at the other end of the home straight, although NYRA has not formally begun designing them.
The Tailgate at the Turn drive-up picnic section that is there right now might have to go to make way for more permanent structures.
“Get rid of the tents, get rid of that restroom trailer that's over there, and work with [the Saratoga Springs Preservation Foundation] on what we can build over there [to] take out the temporary facilities and build something that will work,” is how Glen Kozak, NYRA's senior vice president of operations and capital projects, described the vision.
“And I think the same concept of what works up at the Spa Verandas can work over there,” Kozak added. “We're looking at multiple things over there to come back to [the FOB] for the capital plan for 2023, but it could be something even with a second floor, similar to what we had out there for the Outback Suites, where you have a deck to be able to view the track..We could make that area really nice.”
Downstate, the Belmont project is predicated on NYRA's desire to add a synthetic racing surface, an idea that is not etched in stone but has been under discussion for the better part of the 21st Century and appears edging closer to reality.
“For 2023, we'll look at if we are going to install a synthetic track, to be able to be prepared for it,” Kozak said, noting the now-common delays for big-ticket projects that have become the norm in the construction industry.
“So even just some of the bidding that would have to take place, even without the [formal] approval of [a synthetic track], just to be able to be keyed up for the time frame,” Kozak explained.
“With bringing in product from England, with the wax and the fibers, it's such a long lead time, and some of the other components for that project as well [including] the safety rail,” Kozak said.
Belmont is already undergoing an initial phase in its multi-year redevelopment. The ongoing construction of vehicular and pedestrian tunnels to provide access underneath all three existing racing surfaces to the 45-acre Belmont infield have necessitated that the traditional 2022 Belmont fall meet be held at Aqueduct Racetrack.
“The other redevelopment is already taking place this year,” Kozak said. “But we'd also look at a horse tunnel to gain access to that synthetic track.”
The horse tunnel didn't come up back in January when the FOB greenlighted the start of NYRA's infield project. The 400-foot length of the proposed horse tunnel was not discussed during Thursday's FOB meeting, but an internet search reveals that the project's specifics have already been listed on several online construction bidding sites.
Kozak also said it's NYRA's desire to get going on a multi-year-plan to get build three new 68-room backstretch worker dorms at Saratoga, two on the Oklahoma training track side of the property and one on main track side across Union Avenue.
Kozak said the first will be located adjacent to soccer field by backstretch recreation center. The other Oklahoma-side dorm is envisioned for “over near where Nick Zito's barn is.” The main-track dorm is proposed for the portion of the property “near barn No. 8, adjacent to Greentree.”
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