What time does Belmont Stakes 2026 start? Full Saratoga festival lineup and schedule

Scheduled for June 6, 2026, at Saratoga Race Course, the Belmont Stakes will begin at 7:04 p.m. ET.

Published on: Jun 7, 2026, 03:02:28 IST

Edited by HT US Desk

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Belmont Stakes 2026 is set for Saturday, June 6, at Saratoga Race Course, and the main race is scheduled for 7:04 p.m. ET. The day also includes a full broadcast schedule that starts in the morning and builds through the evening.

Horses took to the track in a prep race ahead of the 157th running of the Belmont Stakes at Saratoga Race Course on June 7, 2025, in Saratoga Springs, New York. (Photo by AL BELLO / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA / Getty Images via AFP) (Getty Images via AFP)

The entire horse racing weekend is referred to as the Belmont Stakes. The race will be held at Saratoga Race Course for the third and last time in 2026. The racing event will return to Belmont Park in 2027 after the 2026 Belmont Stakes.

Race time

The official NYRA guide says post time for the Belmont Stakes is 7:04 p.m. ET. Fox coverage begins earlier in the day. NYRA’s TV schedule lists 10:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. on FS2, 3:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. on FOX, and 4:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. across FOX and FS1 before the Belmont itself goes off at 7:04 p.m. ET.

Full schedule

The Belmont Stakes Racing Festival runs across several days at Saratoga. NYRA’s schedule shows stakes races on Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, with the Belmont Stakes headlining Saturday night.

Friday’s card includes the New York Stakes, the DraftKings Acorn, the Ogden Phipps, Bed o’ Roses, and Wonder Again. Saturday also includes the Metropolitan Handicap, Manhattan, Woody Stephens, Just A Game, Jaipur, and True North before the main event.

Also Read | Kentucky Derby winner Golden Tempo faces a pace challenge in the Belmont Stakes

The official fan guide says the event is built as a full festival. It points to food and drink vendors, live events, parking, fashion tips, and other visitor details for fans attending Saratoga. Saratoga Race Course has been hosting races since 1863, making it the oldest sporting venue in the country.

The track is located in the picturesque upstate New York town of Saratoga Springs, which is known for its elm-lined lanes. Every July and August, Saratoga Springs becomes the summer capital of American racing. Saratoga provides its small 50,000-seat venue for the June Belmont Stakes, which stands in sharp contrast to Belmont Park's enormous size.

Fans online have been sharing viewing reminders, race-day questions, and comments about the schedule on racing posts and social platforms tied to the Belmont build-up. The official festival pages and broadcast guides have become the main reference points for those discussions.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
HT US Desk
The Hindustan Times US Desk brings you the latest news and developments from across the United States. The team covers everything from breaking news and politics to sports, business, entertainment and stories that are trending across the country. Our coverage includes the White House, Congress, US elections, immigration and visa updates, H-1B, green cards, Social Security, education, jobs, layoffs, the economy, technology and major policy changes. We also closely follow stories that matter to Indian and South Asian communities in the US. The desk covers major US sports, including the NFL, NBA, MLB and NHL, along with player news, injuries, schedules, results and major events. Entertainment coverage includes Hollywood, celebrities, television, streaming, music and pop culture. We also report on breaking developments, major incidents, weather, public safety, court cases and other stories making headlines across the country. When a major policy or news development affects people's everyday lives, the team works to explain what happened, what it means and what readers need to know. Alongside breaking news, the US Desk produces explainers and practical stories on topics such as immigration, Social Security, taxes, education, employment and government programmes. The team also works on science, tech, business and AI stories analyzing the impact they may have on people. The team follows developments throughout the day, keeping an eye on official announcements, public records, reliable news sources and what people are talking about across the US.Read More

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