Davidowitz column

[Calzone Lord]

If the New York Racing Association wants to make a courageous move that would be well received by a large percentage of horsemen and horseplayers, perhaps it could use some of the newly minted slot money to redesign Belmont's three racing surfaces.

In my fantasy for Belmont, I see an outer 1 1/2-mile turf course, ringed around a 1 3/8-mile main dirt track, which in turn would encircle a 1 1/8-mile inner turf course, with room for minor design differences reserved for the inside two tracks.

People who may regret losing the simplicity of seeing the Belmont Stakes run in one complete turn of the present dirt track, actually would be given a longer run to the first turn at no depreciation of the race's historic significance or the degree of difficulty associated with winning a 1 1/2-mile race around two turns.

What would be gained, of course would be the opportunity to offer 1 1/4-mile races on the dirt that would not have to start on the far turn.

Races at this classic 10-furlong distance would begin in front of the Belmont grandstand, while races at 1 1/8 and 1 1/16 miles no longer would be one-turn races and also could be set up where they belong -- in front of the crowd. To accomplish this, Belmont could follow examples set by Keeneland and Oaklawn via an alternate finish line placed about 150 feet farther back in the stretch. This will give middle distance races that are best when two turns are involved, much needed balance at the start and finish.

Sounds like an expensive and borderline pointless project to me.