{"id":282721,"date":"2026-06-30T20:06:53","date_gmt":"2026-06-30T20:06:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/282721\/"},"modified":"2026-06-30T20:06:53","modified_gmt":"2026-06-30T20:06:53","slug":"queens-chamber-of-commerce-celebrates-lasting-legacy-of-aqueduct-racetrack-as-iconic-venue-closes-after-132-years-qns","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/282721\/","title":{"rendered":"Queens Chamber of Commerce celebrates \u2018lasting legacy\u2019 of Aqueduct Racetrack as iconic venue closes after 132 years \u2013 QNS"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Queens Chamber of Commerce<\/a> has celebrated the \u201clasting legacy\u201d of Aqueduct Racetrack after the iconic Queens venue hosted its last live horse racing meeting on Sunday after 132 years in South Ozone Park.\u00a0<\/a><\/p>\n

Jockey Jaime Rodriguez brought the curtain down on the iconic racetrack as he rode Assume Nothing to victory in the final race of the final day of racing on June 28. Aqueduct will remain open for simulcast wagering \u2014 referring to the live broadcast of horse or greyhound races from a host track to remote locations \u2014 until Sept. 7 before shutting for good.<\/p>\n

With fall, winter and spring horse racing in the New York metropolitan area now set to move exclusively to the renovated Belmont Park in Elmont on the Queens-Nassau County border, the Queens Chamber of Commerce is celebrating the impact that Aqueduct has had on the borough since opening for the first time in 1894.<\/p>\n

\"RacingRacing fans celebrate the last day of live racing at Aqueduct. Photo by Ramy Mahmoud.<\/p>\n

Chamber President Tom Grech said Aqueduct has formed an \u201cenduring part\u201d of the borough\u2019s identity over the past 132 years, stating that it had created rich history and traditions in its storied history.<\/p>\n

\u201cCountless memories were made here, and its impact on the economic and cultural life of southeast Queens will not be forgotten,\u201d Grech said in a statement.\n<\/p>\n

However, he said the anticipated opening of the renovated Belmont Park on Sept. 18 marks a \u201cnew and exciting\u201d chapter for the sports industry in Queens, also noting ongoing renovations at the National Tennis Center and the ongoing construction of New York City FC\u2019s Etihad Park alongside the existing Citi Field.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe revitalized Belmont will continue attracting visitors from around the world, creating new opportunities for local businesses and reinforcing Queens as the place where the world\u2019s biggest sporting events come together,\u201d Grech said. \u201cThe Queens Chamber thanks the New York Racing Association, the dedicated employees, and racing fans who made\u00a0Aqueduct such a special place for 132 years. Its legacy will always be part of the story of Queens.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"PhotoPhoto by Ramy Mahmoud.<\/p>\n

State Sen. Joseph Addabbo said the closure of Aqueduct is \u201cbittersweet,\u201d stating that the venue represents \u201cmuch more than a racetrack.\u201d He praised Aqueduct for the work it had done for the local community during emergencies like the pandemic and the aftermath of Superstorm Sandy.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was part of our community and really helped define Ozone Park,\u201d Addabbo said. \u201cThey did such great work for us during Covid, during Hurricane Sandy, so they really were a partner here. I\u2019ve had job fairs here, we did drive-in movies here\u2026 That partnership, I\u2019m going to miss that.\u201d<\/p>\n

Meanwhile, the MTA<\/a> and the New York Racing Association (NYRA) marked the end of live racing at Aqueduct with a \u201cnostalgia train,\u201d running a vintage R9 train non-stop from Hoyt-Schermerhorn in Brooklyn to the racetrack on June 26 to celebrate the long-standing connection between Aqueduct and the transit agency.<\/p>\n

\"AA vintage R9 subway car travels to Aqueduct on June 26. Photo via Marc A. Hermann \/ MTA<\/p>\n

\u201cNYC Transit has proudly served\u00a0Aqueduct patrons over the year, helping connect generations of New Yorkers with the racetrack through one of the most unique and special subway services in transit history,\u201d said New York City Transit Executive Vice President of Subways Bill Amarosa Jr.<\/p>\n

The Aqueduct Racetrack station, on the IND Rockaway Line, opened in 1959 to coincide with the reopening of the track following extensive renovations between 1955 and 1959. The station remains the only subway station in the city that exclusively serves trains traveling in one direction, with only Manhattan-bound A trains stopping there.<\/p>\n

The New York City Transit Authority operated three special express trains to Aqueduct Racetrack on race days, with two trains departing from the 42 St-Port Authority Bus Terminal in Manhattan and a third departing from Hoyt-Schermerhorn in Brooklyn. The June 26 \u201cnostalgia train\u201d commemorated the non-stop train from Hoyt-Schermerhorn.<\/p>\n

NYRA President David O\u2019Rourke credited the MTA with playing a \u201cvital role\u201d in the \u201cstoried history\u201d of the Aqueduct track, describing the nostalgia train as a \u201cfitting tribute\u201d to the track.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhile\u00a0Aqueduct will certainly be missed, we look forward to an exciting new era at a re-imagined Belmont Park,\u201d O\u2019Rourke said in a statement.\n<\/p>\n

Additional reporting by Ramy Mahmoud.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The Queens Chamber of Commerce has celebrated the \u201clasting legacy\u201d of Aqueduct Racetrack after the iconic Queens venue…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":282722,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[37],"tags":[28060,310,141,9,24,63,122,5807,124,123,615,108382,31641],"class_list":["post-282721","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-queens","tag-aqueduct","tag-daily-newsletter","tag-mta","tag-new-york","tag-new-york-city","tag-nyc","tag-queens","tag-queens-chamber-of-commerce","tag-queens-headlines","tag-queens-news","tag-subway","tag-the-new-york-racing-association","tag-tom-grech"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/282721","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=282721"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/282721\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/282722"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=282721"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=282721"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=282721"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}