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Once, in the not too distant past, the only concentration for the New York Racing Association at Belmont Park was the racing.

Punters were greeted on the first floor by a row of turnstiles, ceilings scarred from years of nicotine and dirty bathrooms full of puddles.

“What we thought was important was the horse,” said Gavin Landry, NYRA’s senior vice president of sales and market development Monday during a walk through the park. “If there was a pebble on the course, we’d have meeting after meeting after meeting.”

And what if a piece of equipment was broken, or staff wasn’t friendly, or the bathrooms were a mess? Well, customers were basically told not to complain, because nothing was going to change, Landry said.

But now it has.

Landry, along with Hal Handel, the new chief operating officer and executive vice president of NYRA, are ushering in a new era at Belmont, one focused on bringing more people in and keeping them happy.

“It’s a revolution of thought we’ve gone through,” Landry said. “The way we’ve defined ourselves has changed.”
That revolution is evident before even reaching the park. Old signs have been replaced, the fence has been painted and entrances have been landscaped.

And inside, standing in the middle of the entranceway is possibly the most emblematic renovation highlighting the new philosophy: a large hospitality center with signage reading, “Welcome to Belmont.”

Visitors got to see these improvements for the first time Wednesday when the park opened its doors for the beginning of its 59-day spring/summer meet.

Other improvements to the first floor include renovations of the bathrooms. On the second floor, woodwork has been refinished, ceilings have been treated to remove odors and a 120-foot long mural of New York racing history - which Handel called priceless - has been restored and relit.
“People will get a sense of care and interest in the building,” Handel said.

Also, NYRA has created an invite-only player’s club that features a wall of flat screen TVs and guests will receive personal attention.

Outside, picnic amenities have been expanded and outbuildings have been renovated. On the technical side, NYRA has launched a new, digital TV system to enhance the experience of people watching Belmont Park races in other locations.

A goal of the new approach is to market the park not just as a racetrack, but as a venue where people can bring a cooler, throw a Frisbee and maybe even go see a show.

Handel said there was no reason the park couldn’t aspire to attract an additional 1,000 people a day.

With a building as large as Belmont Park (the track is as long as the Empire States Building is tall), it’s easy to throw up your hands and say, “it’s too big,” Handel said. But NYRA plans to continue with its renovations in the future.

“The idea is, we’re trying to take one floor at a time,” Handel said.