Belmont Stakes Horse Racing To Move To Saratoga For Triple Crown, Will Have Shorter Track

If you like to bet the ponies, this story is for you.

On Wednesday, New York Governor Kathy Hochul announced that all upcoming Belmont Stakes races will be moved to Saratoga, New York as a result of the facility's massive renovation.

Most notably, this will include the annual third leg of the Triple Crown which will now be run at a shorter length. The race's traditional 1 1/2 miles will be cut to 1 1/4 miles because of the shape of Saratoga's dirt track.

THE BELMONT STAKE WILL HAVE A SHORTER TRACK

However, not all racing fans are excited about the change in venue. Whereas it was much more convenient to take public transportation to Belmont Park located on the Queens / Long Island border, fans will now have to travel a couple of hours to Saratoga and most likely need a hotel room - which are already becoming pricey. Others are concerned that the shortened distance could have an effect or even an asterisk should there be a Triple Crown winner this year.

The 2024 Belmont Stakes will now be held on June 8th as part of a four-day "Racing Festival" culminating in the main race. In total there will be 23 takes totaling $9.7 million, with $2 million for the main purse winner.

Belmont Stakes will take place in Saratoga next year. (Getty Images)

The move comes after last year's Belmont faced heightened criticism after a number of horses died due to poor air quality from the Canadian wildfires.

The Kentucky Derby will kick off the Triple Crown next year on May 4th.