Belmont Stakes Facts and Figures

by Patricia Woo | May 31 2010

The last leg of the 2010 Triple Crown series has finally arrived! On Saturday, June 5, 11 horses will line up for the 142nd edition of the Belmont Stakes. Get to know the longest, most challenging race of the Triple Crown series.

RACE:

The Belmont Stakes is the final leg of the Triple Crown series and boasts a purse of $1M. At 1 ½ miles, it is the longest and most challenging of the three races, as most 3-year-old horses will have never raced that distance before. The winner is presented with a blanket of carnations and the August Belmont Trophy.

TRACK:

Belmont Park in Elmont, NY, is the current home of the Belmont Stakes; however, the race was originally hosted in 1867 by Jerome Park Racetrack in the Bronx. In 1890, the race was moved to Morris Park Racecourse. Not till 1905 did the race move to its current site, Belmont Park.

The track has been nicknamed "Big Sandy" - a single loop of the main track measures 1 ½ miles, making it the longest dirt Thoroughbred track in North America. It is known for its wide, sweeping turns and long straightaways.

TEST OF THE CHAMPION:

The Belmont Stakes is also known as the "Test of the Champion." In years that the same horse has won the Kentucky Derby and the Preakness Stakes, the Belmont Stakes poses a nearly insurmountable challenge. The winner of the first two legs of the Triple Crown must overcome not only fatigue but a host of new rivals, many of whom will have fresh legs.

Twenty-one horses have won the Kentucky Derby and the Preakness Stakes, only to lose the Belmont Stakes; the most recent miss was Big Brown in 2008. In the history of the series, only 11 horses have been successful in their bid for the Triple Crown – a feat that has not been accomplished since Affirmed in 1978.

RECORDS:

Arguably the most memorable Belmont Stakes occurred in 1973, the year that Secretariat made his bid for the Triple Crown. He had won the Kentucky Derby in record time (1:59 2/5) and the Preakness Stakes by 2 ½ lengths. In the Belmont Stakes, against only four other rivals, Secretariat astonished onlookers with the race of a lifetime – he opened up an enormous lead and won by a record-smashing 31 lengths. His winning time still stands as the fastest over a 1 ½-mile course: 2.24.

2010 Belmont Stakes:

This year, there will be no Triple Crown bid, and neither Super Saver nor Lookin at Lucky, winners of the first two races, respectively, will be in attendance. Since 1950, only two other races have been run without either the Kentucky Derby champion or the Preakness Stakes champion in attendance. Still, the Belmont Stakes could launch the careers of several promising 3-year-olds – especially those of Ice Box (runner-up in the Kentucky Derby) and First Dude (runner-up in the Preakness Stakes).

As well, no female trainer has ever won the Belmont Stakes; this year, Alexis Barbra has an excellent shot with Make Music For Me. Her charge finished fourth in the Kentucky Derby and has been improving all season.

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