Day 5 – Belmont

On Friday, April 24, we planned to take the Long Island Railroad from Penn Station to Belmont Park for the opening day of racing. Here’s our video tour. The soundtrack is Frank Sinatra’s rendition of “New York, New York,” the official song of Belmont.

After a full day of watching races at Belmont and wandering through the historic grounds and perhaps picking a few winners, we will head back to Manhattan.

Last year, after an exhausting day at Aqueduct, we dined at Osteria al Doge just down the street from the Algonquin, so we may try that again this year.

Today’s Drink: Belmont Jewel (Belmont’s answer to the Kentucky Derby’s mint julep is a blend of bourbon, lemonade and pomegranate juice).

Today’s Dish: Mushroom Risotto from Osteria al Doge

Tonight’s Movie: Meet Me After the Show at first we thought about Secretariat, because of its culmination at Belmont Park, but we are going to try this musical starring Betty Grable, because it has a fantastic song “Better Off Betting on a Horse.” You can see a clip of that number on YouTube.