After 132 years, the thunder of hooves at Aqueduct Racetrack has fallen silent. On Sunday, June 28, the historic “Big A” in South Ozone Park held its final day of live thoroughbred racing, bringing the curtain down on a venue that had stood as a Queens landmark since September 27, 1894. Fittingly, the day’s final race was named “It Was a Good Run,” a sentiment shared by the thousands who gathered to bid farewell to one of New York City’s most recognizable sporting institutions.
While Aqueduct occupies an important place in New York history, its central purpose – gambling – has long stood in tension with traditional Jewish values. Our tradition emphasizes earning a livelihood through honest, productive work and contributing positively to society. Many rabbinic authorities have cautioned against habitual wagering, viewing it as a pursuit rooted primarily in chance rather than productive endeavor, and therefore inconsistent with the ideal of yishuv ha’-olam – building and sustaining the world through meaningful contribution. At the same time, this perspective does not diminish the dignity of the thousands of men and women who earned an honest living at Aqueduct over the generations. As the property enters a new chapter, its transformation presents an opportunity to reimagine one of Queens’ largest parcels as a place that could strengthen housing, public spaces, employment, and community life for generations to come.
Aqueduct was a cornerstone of New York City’s sporting history. For decades, it stood alongside Belmont Park and Saratoga Race Course as one of the three pillars of New York thoroughbred racing, helping establish New York as one of the nation’s premier racing jurisdictions. Over the last century, the venue hosted legendary horses, from Seabiscuit and Secretariat to more recent champions. As other historic city tracks closed over the decades, Aqueduct became New York City’s last remaining venue for live horse racing. Following major renovations in the 1950s and again in recent decades, the property entered a new phase in 2011 with the opening of Resorts World Casino, dramatically reshaping its financial future.
Beyond the races themselves, the track supported thousands of jobs throughout the regional economy – from jockeys, trainers, veterinarians, and stable workers to food service employees, maintenance crews, security personnel, and countless small businesses that depended on race-day crowds. For generations, the track served as an economic and cultural anchor for the surrounding community, where local residents built traditions that stretched across families and neighborhoods.
While Aqueduct itself was never central to Jewish communal life, generations of Jewish families traveling to and from JFK Airport, shopping along Cross Bay Boulevard, or visiting neighborhoods throughout southern Queens recognized its towering grandstand as one of the borough’s defining landmarks. Its closure marks the end of a familiar part of the Queens landscape for residents of every background.
However, the future is already taking shape. Beginning this fall, New York’s racing calendar will center on the newly rebuilt Belmont Park, bringing to a close Aqueduct’s role after more than a century at the heart of the sport.
The future of the Aqueduct property may prove just as significant as its past. At approximately 100 acres, it is one of the largest redevelopment sites remaining in New York City. Situated adjacent to JFK Airport, the A train, major highways, and the existing Resorts World complex, few parcels offer such strategic potential. Every decision made about its future will have lasting consequences not only for South Ozone Park, but for Queens as a whole.
Empire State Development is expected to conduct community workshops as part of the Aqueduct Community Master Plan, which is anticipated to be completed in early 2027. Early discussions have included affordable housing, public open space, schools, community facilities, and even a new police precinct. At the same time, Resorts World New York City is expected to continue expanding its gaming, hospitality, and entertainment offerings, ensuring the site remains a major economic driver for southeastern Queens.
South Ozone Park now stands at a crossroads. Done well, redevelopment could bring much-needed infrastructure, employment opportunities, housing, and public amenities to a neighborhood that has been defined by the racetrack for well over a century. Done poorly, it risks overdevelopment, worsening traffic congestion, and changing the character of the community that has grown around it.
By Steven Shabsie Saphirstein
