R5 Did You Know?

The Jerome Park racetrack in Fordham—once part of Westchester—was the original home of the Belmont Stakes. The track was built by Leonard W. Jerome, a prominent New York stock speculator and sportsman, and financier August Belmont in 1866 and held the Stakes until 1889. City officials later bought the venue in 1894 and built the Jerome Park Reservoir, a major water supply for New York City.