Aqueduct race track, known as the big A by horse racing fans, is the only race track located within the boundaries of New York City. The track opened on September 27th 1894. In 1941 a new clubhouse and offices were built. The track was torn down and rebuilt in 1956 when the new present day Aqueduct was reopened in 1959. Located in the borough of Queens in Ozone Park, horse racing is generally conducted at Aqueduct in the late fall and throughout the winter.
Aqueduct, home of the New York Racing Association's (NYRA) headquarters has a seating capacity of 17,000 and a total capacity of over 90,000. The Aqueduct grandstand overlooks 3 race tracks. The outer main dirt track measures 1 1/8 miles with a straightaway chute on the backstretch that allows for races up to a mile to be run with one turn. Next there is an inner dirt track that measures exactly 1 mile. The inner race track, installed in the mid 70's, consists of a special mixture of dirt that allows for winter racing. The inner most track is a 7 furlong turf track used for late late fall and early spring turf races. The turf track has a diagonal chute that allows for races up to 1 1/8 miles. There is no turf racing at Aqueduct in the winter months.
Hall of Fame horse Cigar won the first two of his sixteen race win streak at Aqueduct after switching from turf to dirt. On May 31. 1965, 73,375 spectators were on hand at Aqueduct to watch Gun Bow win the Metropolitan Mile. At the time, it was the largest crowd ever to watch a horse racing event in New York.
Champion racehorse Secretariat, was retired here before the public on November 6, 1973. He was paraded here for his last public appearance before being retired to stud at Claiborne Farms.
Longtime NY sportscaster Tom Durkin is the chief track announcer at Aqueduct. John Imbriale, the veteran NYRA backup and TV host, is the race caller during the winter portion of the Aqueduct meet.
Handicapping The Aqueduct Fall/Winter Meet
Handicappers and horse players generally agree that horse racing in the New York area ends with the last turf race, around Thanksgiving, when the main track at Aqueduct is bundled up tight against the winter elements. Many of the top stables then migrate to Florida and in their place comes horses from Canada, New Jersey, and Maryland. Although the quality of racing suffers, there are still plenty profit opportunities for those who know where to look. The tight turns of Aqueduct's smaller (1 mile) inner track creates a huge inner track speed bias especially on two turn route races. The track's early speed bias makes sprint-to-route stretchouts especially dangerous from December through mid-March.
The track layout produces limited running distances. All sprints are run at 6 furlongs. No 7 furlong racing. All routes are run at a mile 70 yards, a mile and 1/16th, or a mile and an 1/8th. There is no turf racing to speak of, and no 2 year old races until mid April.
