2009 Belmont Stakes Race
Details
 Location: Belmont Park in Elmont, NY
Track: 1.5 mile dirt track
Date: June 6, 2020
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Horse race at Skytower Racebook
The Belmont Stakes: Going the Distance Set to
run every June, the US $1 million Belmont
Stakes is the longest and most demanding leg
of the Triple Crown Series.
The third jewel in the Triple Crown, the
Belmont Stakes can make or break a Triple
Crown champion. Because of its distance and
status as the race that can make or break a
Triple Crown champion, the Belmont Stakes has
been the venue for some of the most famous
moments in American racing.
Quick Facts:
Main Course: 1 1/2 Miles
Last Turn to Finish on Main Track:
1,097 feet
Widener Turf Course: 1 5/16 Miles
Inner Turf Course: 1 3/16 Miles
Attendance Capacity: 85,000 - 90,000
Parking Capacity: 18,500 Cars
Trackside Dining: 2,300
Total Seating Capacity: 32,941
The Belmont Stakes, the final and most
demanding leg of the Triple Crown, is named
after August Belmont who had been a leading banker
and racing man of the 19th century. He was
also the first President of the Jockey Club in
1867. In 1869, August Belmont took first and second money with his own Fenian and Glenelg.
The Race
It is a 1.5 mile (2.4 km) thoroughbred horse race for three-year-old colts and geldings carrying a weight of 126 pounds (57 kg) and for fillies with a weight of 121 pounds (55 kg).
The History
The first Belmont in the United States was not the famous stakes race or even the man for whom it is named. Rather, the first Belmont was a race horse that arrived in California in 1853 from his breeding grounds of Franklin, Ohio. The Belmont Stakes, however, are named after August Belmont, a financier who made quite a name and fortune for himself in New York politics and society. Obviously, Mr. Belmont was also quite involved in horse racing, and his imprint is even intertwined within the history of the Kentucky Derby.
The Tradition
The Belmont Stakes is called the "Run for the Carnations" because of the blanket of white carnations that are draped over the winner's neck. Through 1996, the post parade song was "Sidewalks of New York." Beginning in 1997, the audience was invited to sing the Theme from New York, New York following the call to the post. This tradition mirrors the singing of two other songs at the post parades of the first two Triple Crown races, My Old Kentucky Home at the Kentucky Derby and Maryland, My Maryland at the Preakness Stakes.
The Belmont's Age
One thing the Belmont does have over the Derby is that it is the oldest of the three Triple Crown events. The Belmont predates the Preakness by six years, the Kentucky Derby by eight. The first running of the Belmont Stakes was in 1867 at Jerome Park, on, believe it or not, a Thursday. At a mile and five furlongs, the conditions included an entry fee of $200, half forfeit with $1,500 added. Furthermore, not only is the Belmont the oldest Triple Crown race, but it is the fourth oldest race overall in North America. The Phoenix Stakes, now run in the fall at Keeneland as the Phoenix Breeders' Cup, was first run in 1831. The Queen's Plate in Canada made its debut in 1860, while the Travers in Saratoga opened in 1864. However, since there were gaps in sequence for the Travers, the Belmont is third only to the Phoenix and Queen's Plate in total runnings.
The Winning Strategy
Because of its length (one lap around the enormous Belmont main track), and because it is the final race of the Triple Crown, it is called the "Test of the Champion". Most three-year-olds are unaccustomed to the distance, and lack the ability to maintain a winning speed for so long. In a long race such as the Belmont, positioning of the horse and the timing of the move to chase for the lead can be critical.
The Belmont Stakes Trophy The Belmont Stakes trophy is a Tiffany-made
silver bowl measuring 18 inches high, 15
inches across and 14 inches at the base. A
silver figure of Fenian, winner of the
Belmont Stakes in 1869, sits atop the cover
of the bowl, and the bowl itself is
supported by three horses representing the
three foundation thoroughbreds: Eclipse,
Herod and Matchem.
Presented by the Belmont family as an annual
award for the Belmont Stakes in 1926, the
Belmont Stakes trophy stays with the winning
owner for a period of one year.
Belmont Stakes Betting on the phone Guide
Please call your bets in the following order: 1st -- state the name of the Race track, 2nd -- state the race number
you wish to bet on, 3rd -- state the dollar amount you wish to bet, 4th -- state the type of wager, 5th -- state the
program number(s) of the horse(s) that you wish to bet. EXAMPLE: "Belmont Park, 4th race, $2 to win, on number 5" or
"Santa Anita, 2nd race, $10 exacta box, numbers 1 &2,."
More Belmont Stakes Betting Guide
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