Before next month’s Breeders’ Cup, there’s a key date for horse players at Belmont Park: Sept. 30. The venerable Long Island “Championship Track” will host four Grade I stakes races, headlined by the $750,000 Jockey Club Gold Cup. This year, those races have added importance thanks to their inclusion in the Breeders’ Cup Challenge.

The 1 1/2-mile dirt track, which first opened in 1905, is most famous for the Belmont Stakes. The New York Racing Association has promoted the final leg of the Triple Crown heavily over the past decade, turning the June race into a “Festival” with the requisite parades and food fairs.

Big Sandy, as the track is called, also hosts the prestigious New York Handicap Triple in May. The feature event of the three is the Metropolitan Handicap, also known as the Met Mile. This year’s winner was Corinthian, who picked up a cool $450,000 and upset Lawyer Ron in the process.