Belmont Park, Elmont, New York

From the air the scale of Belmont Park makes sense: the main dirt oval is a mile and a half around, the biggest in American racing, which is why the Belmont Stakes can be run over a single lap. Nicknamed Big Sandy, the track opened on Long Island in 1905, and it was here that Secretariat won the 1973 Belmont by 31 lengths. This 2021 view shows the old grandstand, since replaced in a three-year rebuild; the new Belmont reopened in September 2026 and takes back the Belmont Stakes in 2027.