The Belmont Stakes is a Grade 1 stakes race contested at Belmont Park in New York on June 10. The Triple Crown of American horse racing consists of the Belmont Stakes, the Kentucky Derby, and the Preakness Stakes. The Belmont Stakes is the oldest and longest of these three contests. It has been contested on a variety of distances and tracks throughout its history. The horse race is the traditional third and concluding component of the Triple Crown. Typically, the Belmont Stakes is conducted five weeks after the Kentucky Derby and three weeks after the Preakness.
HISTORY OF BELMONT STAKES
The inaugural Belmont Stakes was held at Jerome Park Racecourse in the Bronx, which was constructed in 1866 by stock market speculator Leonard Jerome and sponsored by the race’s namesake, August Belmont Senior. Ruthless won the inaugural race in 1867, followed by General Duke the following year. Prior to its relocation to Morris Park Racecourse in 1890, the event was contested at Jerome Park. The 1895 race was nearly cancelled due to new regulations prohibiting betting in New York; it was ultimately postponed to November 2.
The event was held at Morris Park Racecourse until the May 1905 opening of the new Belmont Park racecourse in Elmont, New York. In 1930, when Gallant Fox won all three races, the term “Triple Crown” was coined, but it was not extensively used until 1935, when Gallant Fox’s son, Omaha, accomplished the same feat. Sir Barton was recognised as the first Triple Crown champion posthumously in 1919, before the series was officially recognised. In 1920, the great Man o’ War won the Belmont by 20 lengths, establishing new stakes records and an American record while being strongly pulled.
The Kentucky Derby has been the first leg of the Triple Crown since 1931, followed by the Preakness Stakes and the Belmont Stakes. Eleven Belmont Stakes races have occurred before the Preakness Stakes. Currently, the Kentucky Derby determines the schedules for each event. The Belmont Stakes is one of the most attended horse contests in the United States.
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5 FASCINATING FACTS ABOUT THE BELMONT STAKES
six jockeys share six victories
Eddie Arcaro and Jim McLaughlin each won six races at the Belmont Stakes as jockeys.
The initial woman equestrian
In 1993, Julie Krone became the first female jockey to win a Triple Crown race at Belmont Park.
The speediest steed
Secretariat has the fastest splits in the annals of the Belmont Stakes.
The highly-attended Belmont Stakes
The 2004 Belmont Stakes drew 21,9 million television viewers, the most since 1977.
The ‘Championship Track’.
Practically every significant American racing champion in history has competed at Belmont Park’s ‘Championship Track,’ also known as the ‘Championship Track.’
BELMONT STAKES DATES
| Year | Date | Day |
|---|---|---|
| 2023 | June 10 | Saturday |
| 2024 | June 10 | Monday |
| 2025 | June 10 | Tuesday |
| 2026 | June 10 | Wednesday |
| 2027 | June 10 | Thursday |
