Trainers, bettors await Belmont’s Opening Day

As the weather grows warmer and leaves begin reappearing, anticipation builds for Elmont residents — not only for spring, but for a new season at Belmont Park, which is marked by the bustling track’s Opening Day.

Belmont’s Spring/Summer Meet, which has long been a popular, family-friendly series of events for Elmont and the surrounding communities, begins Friday.

“Belmont Park is one of the real treasures on Long Island,” said Dan Silver, director of communications for the New York Racing Association. “It’s not only a majestic racetrack that features some of the best horse racing in the country, it’s a great family destination.”

The Spring/Summer series draws many out-of-town travelers, Silver said, and many come specifically for Opening Day. Shops, hotels, restaurants and other businesses are bolstered by Belmont Park year-round, but they see a noticeable burst of activity on Opening Day.

Gary Contessa, a longtime trainer at Belmont and the top trainer in New York state for four of the past five years, said that nearly 3,000 thoroughbreds will be on the grounds for Opening Day, most of which are already at the park, being cleaned and cared for by stable help, checked by veterinarians and put through their final paces by trainers before Friday’s races.

Since April 1, trainers and horses have been arriving from around the nation, Contessa said, explaining that many trainers and owners travel south for the winter and come back to Belmont for the summer, where they will stay until November.

“It’s kind of like when the birds who flew south for the winter come back in the spring,” Contessa said. “We have all the top trainers here, all of the notables here. It’s just a buzz. It’s beautiful. The flowers are blooming, the leaves are coming out on the trees … Belmont is back, and everybody is excited about it — management, the jockeys, stable help. It’s the start of a new dawn for all of us.”