The
Belmont Stakes History
The Belmont horse race is the oldest Triple Crown race, and
The third jewel of the Triple Crown and it is the fourth oldest
race overall in North America.
The Belmont Stakes, held five weeks after the Kentucky Derby
at Belmont Park in Elmont, New York.
The Belmont Stakes can make or break a Triple Crown
champion.
The Belmont Stakes is the most grueling of the Triple Crown
races with a distance of a mile and a half. Of the previous
Belmont Stakes at Belmont Park, 60 have been won by the horse
racing betting favorite (43.5 percent). Eleven of the last
34 horse racing betting favorites have won (32.4 percent).
Because of its length (1.5 miles) the Belmont Stakes is called
the “Test of the Champion.” Most race horses are
not accustomed to the Belmont racetrack distance so it makes
for an interesting challenge for race horses and for those
that bet Belmont Stakes racing. The Belmont Stakes is held
each June at Belmont Park in Elmont, New York. The 2007 Belmont
Stakes will take place on Saturday, June 9th. Even though
there will not be a Triple Crown at stake, the race will still
present great horse racing excitement. The Belmont Stakes
Horse Race is also called the "Run for the Carnations"
because of the blanket of white carnations that are draped
over the winner's neck. The 2007 Belmont Stakes will offer
excitement for many horse gambling players and sports betting
players.
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 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.
Fun Facts
The race distance has varied: from 1867 until 1873, it was
1 5/8 miles (2.6 km). In 1874 the distance was reduced to
1 1/2 miles (2.4 km), and from 1890 to 1892, and in 1895,
the distance was 1 1/4 miles (2 km). From 1896 until 1925,
the distance was increased to the original 1 5/8 miles (2.6
km). In 1926, the race distance was set at the present 1 1/2
miles (2.4 km).
Twenty-nine horses have been eligible to win the Triple Crown
coming into the Belmont Stakes at Belmont Park and eleven
were successful with the last being Affirmed in 1978. The
Belmont Stakes has a lot of tradition. This race at the Belmont
racetrack is older than the Preakness by six years and the
Kentucky Derby by eight.
|
