Aqueduct Racetrack 2012
Aqueduct Racetrack 2012 Fall Meet
Dates: NOVEMBER 2 - DECEMBER 31
Aqueduct Fall Horse Racing Schedule: Wednesday through Sunday; no racing Dec 19 - Dec 25th
Aqueduct Racetrack Information:
Main track (dirt): 1 1/8 mile oval
Inner dirt track: 1 mile oval
Turf: 7/8 mile 43 feet, oval
About Aqueduct Racetrack:
Aqueduct Racetrack, also known as the Big A, is located in the neighborhood of Ozone Park in Queens, New York. Aqueduct, operated by the Queens County Jockey Club, opened on September 27, 1894 for thoroughbred horse racing. It is the only racetrack located within New York City limits.
The track itself has three courses. The Main Track, which is dirt, has a circumference of 1 1/8 miles; inside of this circuit is the one-mile Inner Dirt Track, consisting of a special type of dirt over which races are run during the winter; and the innermost course is a Turf (grass) course, spanning 7 furlongs plus 43 feet.
In 1941, a new clubhouse and track offices were built. In 1956, the track was torn down and after remodeling Aqueduct was re-opened in 1959. In 1975, the grass was uprooted and the Inner Dirt Track took its place as the permit circuit for year-round racing. From 1959-71, the track was idle from shortly before Christmas to March, until off-track betting began in New York City. In the fall of 2005, construction began on the Aqueduct grandstand, and resulted in the installation of a 4,500 video lottery terminal casino.
Aqueduct Racetrack has an impressive 17,000-person seating capacity, with a total capacity of 40,000. A courtesy shuttle bus service is available from all general areas of the parking lot that holds up to 8,000 cars. This track offers several amenities from a 1,200-seat fine-dining restaurant - where the recommended dress attire is elegant - to a children's playroom.