Belmont Stakes

The Belmont Stakes is a prestigious Grade I stakes race held yearly in June at Belmont Park in Elmont, New York. The race is the third leg of the Triple Crown, following five weeks after the Kentucky Derby, and three weeks after the Preakness Stakes. 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 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 first Belmont Stakes was held at Jerome Park in the Bronx, built in 1866 by stock market speculator Leonard Jerome (1817-1891) and financed by August Belmont, Sr. (1816-1890) for whom the race was named. The race continued to be held at Jerome Park until 1890 when it was moved to Morris Park, a nearby racetrack in the Bronx. The race remained there until the May 1905 opening of the new Belmont Park, 430 acre (1.7 km²) racetrack in Elmont, New York.

Anti-betting legislation was passed in New York State, closing Belmont and canceling the race for two years between 1911 and 1912.

The first post parade in the United States was at the 14th Belmont, in 1880. Until 1921, the race was run in the clockwise tradition of English racing.

Since 1926, a silver bowl, made by Louis Comfort Tiffany and donated by the Belmont family, has been given to the winning owner. Atop the bowl's cover is a silver figure of Fenian, winner of the third running of the Belmont Stakes in 1869.

"Victory Gallop" denies "Real Quiet" the Triple Crown in the 1998 Belmont Stakes

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 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).

Due to the reconstruction of Belmont from 1963-1967 the race would be held at Aqueduct Racetrack.

Trainers with most wins:
*James Rowe, Sr. : 8
*Sam Hildreth : 7
*Sunny Jim Fitzsimmons : 6
*Woody Stephens : 5 (all consecutive from 1982-1986)
*Max Hirsch, D. Wayne Lukas, Robert W. Walden : 4
*Elliott Burch, John M. Gaver, Lucien Laurin, Frank McCabe, David McDaniel : 3

Jockeys with most wins:
*Jim McLaughlin, Eddie Arcaro : 6
*Earl Sande, Bill Shoemaker : 5
*Braulio Baeza, Pat Day, Laffit Pincay, Jr., James Stout, Gary Stevens : 3

On June 5, 1993 thoroughbred racing's all-time leading female jockey, Julie Krone, became the first woman to win a Triple Crown race when she rode to victory in the Belmont Stakes aboard Colonial Affair.

Secretariat's 1973 Belmont victory set a record not only for the race, but for the mile and a half (2.4 km) on dirt, that still stands. At 31 lengths, his margin of victory is not only the race record, but the largest in the history of American Grade 1 stakes races.

Broadcasting History

CBS Sports 1960-1985

ABC Sports 1986-2000

NBC Sports 2001-2005

ABC Sports/ ESPN 2006-

Past winners

|1890

Year	Winner	Jockey	Trainer!Time
2006	Jazil	Fernando Jara	Kiaran McLauglin	2:27.81
2005	Afleet Alex	Jeremy Rose	Tim Ritchey	2:28.75
2004	Birdstone	Edgar Prado	Nick Zito	2:27.50
2003	Empire Maker	Jerry Bailey	Bobby Frankel	2:28.26
2002	Sarava	Edgar Prado	Ken McPeek	2:29.71
2001	Point Given	Gary Stevens	Bob Baffert	2:26.80
2000	Commendable	Pat Day	D. Wayne Lukas	2:31.20
1999	Lemon Drop Kid	Jose Santos	Scotty Schulhofer	2:27.80
1998	Victory Gallop	Gary Stevens	Elliott Walden	2:29.00
1997	Touch Gold	Chris McCarron	David Hofmans	2:28.80
1996	Editor's Note	Rene Douglas	D. Wayne Lukas	2:28.80
1995	Thunder Gulch	Gary Stevens	D. Wayne Lukas†	2:32.00
1994	Tabasco Cat	Pat Day	D. Wayne Lukas	2:26.80
1993	Colonial Affair	Julie Krone	Scotty Schulhofer	2:29.80
1992	A.P. Indy	Eddie Delahoussaye	Neil Drysdale	2:26.00
1991	Hansel	Jerry Bailey	Frank Brothers	2:28.00
1990	Go And Go	Michael Kinane	Dermot Weld	2:27.20
1989	Easy Goer	Pat Day	Shug McGaughey	2:26.00
1988	Risen Star	Eddie Delahoussaye	Louie Roussel III	2:26.40
1987	Bet Twice	Craig Perret	Jimmy Croll	2:28.20
1986	Danzig Connection	Chris McCarron	Woody Stephens	2:29.80
1985	Creme Fraiche	Eddie Maple	Woody Stephens	2:27.00
1984	Swale	Laffit Pincay Jr.	Woody Stephens	2:27.20
1983	Caveat	Laffit Pincay Jr.	Woody Stephens	2:27.80
1982	Conquistador Cielo	Laffit Pincay Jr.	Woody Stephens	2:28.20
1981	Summing	George Martens	Luis Barerra	2:29.00
1980	Temperence Hill	Eddie Maple	Joseph Cantey	2:29.80
1979	Coastal	Ruben Hernandez	David Whiteley	2:28.60
1978	Affirmed †	Steve Cauthen	Laz Barrera	2:26.80
1977	Seattle Slew †	Jean Cruguet	Billy Turner	2:29.60
1976	Bold Forbes	Angel Cordero Jr.	Laz Barrera	2:29.00
1975	Avatar	Bill Shoemaker	Tommy Doyle	2:28.20
1974	Little Current	Miguel Rivera	Lou Rondinello	2:29.20
1973	Secretariat †	Ron Turcotte	Lucien Laurin	2:24.00
1972	Riva Ridge	Ron Turcotte	Lucien Laurin	2:28.00
1971	Pass Catcher	Walter Blum	Eddie Yowell	2:30.40
1970	High Echelon	John Rotz	John Jacobs	2:34.00
1969	Arts And Letters	Braulio Baeza	Elliott Burch	2:28.80
1968	Stage Door Johnny	Gus Gustines	John M. Gaver	2:27.20
1967	Damascus	Bill Shoemaker	Frank Whiteley	2:28.80
1966	Amberoid	William Boland	Lucien Laurin	2:29.60
1965	Hail To All	John Sellers	Eddie Yowell	2:28.40
1964	Quadrangle	Manuel Ycaza	Elliott Burch	2:28.40
1963	Chateaugay	Braulio Baeza	James Conway	2:30.20
1962	Jaipur	Bill Shoemaker	Bert Mulholland	2:28.80
1961	Sherluck	Braulio Baeza	Harold Young	2:29.20
1960	Celtic Ash	Bill Hartack	Tom Barry	2:29.20
1959	Sword Dancer	Bill Shoemaker	Elliott Burch	2:28.40
1958	Cavan	Pete Anderson	Tom Barry	2:30.20
1957	Gallant Man	Bill Shoemaker	John Nerud	2:26.60
1956	Needles	David Erb	Hugh Fontaine	2:29.80
1955	Nashua	Eddie Arcaro	Sunny Jim Fitzsimmons	2:29.00
1954	High Gun	Eric Guerin	Max Hirsch	2:30.80
1953	Native Dancer	Eric Guerin	Bill Winfrey	2:28.60
1952	One Count	Eddie Arcaro	Oscar White	2:30.20
1951	Counterpoint	David Gorman	Sylvester Veitch	2:29.00
1950	Middleground	William Boland	Max Hirsch	2:28.60
1949	Capot	Ted Atkinson	John M. Gaver	2:30.20
1948	Citation †	Eddie Arcaro	Horace A. "Jimmy" Jones	2:28.20
1947	Phalanx	Ruperto Donoso	Sylvester Veitch	2:29.40
1946	Assault †	Warren Mehrtens	Max Hirsch	2:30.80
1945	Pavot	Eddie Arcaro	Oscar White	2.30.20
1944	Bounding Home	G.L. Smith	Matt Brady	2:32.20
1943	Count Fleet †	Johnny Longden	Don Cameron	2:28.20
1942	Shut Out	Eddie Arcaro	John M. Gaver	2:29.20
1941	Whirlaway †	Eddie Arcaro	Ben A. Jones	2:31.00
1940	Bimelech	Fred A. Smith	Bill Hurley	2:29.60
1939	Johnstown	James Stout	Sunny Jim Fitzsimmons	2:29.60
1938	Pasteurized	James Stout	George Odom	2:29.40
1937	War Admiral †	Charley Kurtsinger	George Conway	2:28.60
1936	Granville	James Stout	Sunny Jim Fitzsimmons	2:30.00
1935	Omaha †	Willie Saunders	Sunny Jim Fitzsimmons	2:30.60
1934	Peace Chance	W.D. Wright	Pete Coyne	2:29.20
1933	Hurryoff	Mack Garner	Henry McDaniel	2:32.60
1932	Faireno	Tom Malley	Sunny Jim Fitzsimmons	2:32.80
1931	Twenty Grand	Charley Kurtsinger	James Rowe, Jr.	2:29.60
1930	Gallant Fox †	Earl Sande	Sunny Jim Fitzsimmons	2:31.60
1929	Blue Larkspur	Mack Garner	Henry J. "Dick" Thompson	2:32.80
1928	Vito	Clarence Kummer	Max Hirsch	2:33.20
1927	Chance Shot	Earl Sande	Pete Coyne	2:32.40
1926	Crusader	Albert Johnson	George Conway	2:32.20
1925	American Flag	Albert Johnson	G.R. Tompkins	2:16.80
1924	Mad Play	Earl Sande	Sam Hildreth	2:18.80
1923	Zev	Earl Sande	Sam Hildreth	2:19.00
1922	Pillory	C.H. Miller	Thomas J. Healey	2:18.80
1921	Grey Lag	Earl Sande	Sam Hildreth	2:16.80
1920	Man O' War	Clarence Kummer	Louis Feustel	2:14.20
1919	Sir Barton †	Johnny Loftus	H. Guy Bedwell	2:17.40
1918	Johren	Frank Robinson	Albert Simons	2:20.40
1917	Hourless	James Butwell	Sam Hildreth	2:17.80
1916	Friar Rock	E. Haynes	Sam Hildreth	2:22.00
1915	The Finn	George Byrne	E.W. Heffner	2:18.40
1914	Luke Mcluke	Merritt Buxton	J.F. Schorr	2:20.00
1913	Prince Eugene	Roscoe Troxler	James Rowe, Sr.	2:18.00
1910	Sweep	James Butwell	James Rowe, Sr.	2:22.00
1909	Joe Madden	Eddie Dugan	Sam Hildreth	2:21.60
1908	Colin	Joe Notter	James Rowe, Sr.	N/A
1907	Peter Pan	G. Mountain	James Rowe, Sr.	N/A
1906	Burgomaster	Lucien Lyne	John W. Rogers	2:20.00
1905	Tanya	E. Hildebrand	John W. Rogers	2:08.00
1904	Delhi	George Odom	James Rowe, Sr.	2:06.60
1903	Africander	John Bullman	R. O. Miller	2:21.75
1902	Masterman	John Bullman	John J. Hyland	2:22.60
1901	Commando	H. Spencer	James Rowe, Sr.	2:21.00
1900	Ildrim	Nash Turner	H. Eugene Leigh	2:21.25
1899	Jean Beraud	R. Clawson	Sam Hildreth	2:23.00
1898	Bowling Brook	Fred Littlefield	Robert W. Walden	2:32.00
1897	Scottish Chieftain	J. Scherrer	Matt Byrnes	2:23.25
1896	Hastings	Henry Griffin	John J. Hyland	2:24.50
1895	Belmar	Fred Taral	E. Feakes	2:11.50
1894	Henry Of Navarre	Willie Simms	Byron McClelland	1:56.50
1893	Commanche	Willie Simms	Gus Hannon	1:53.25
1892	Patron	W. Hayward	Lewis Stuart	2:12.00
1891	Foxford	Ed Garrison	M. Donavan	2:08.75
Burlington	Pike Barnes	Albert Cooper	2:07.75
1889	Eric	W. Hayward	John Huggins	2:47.25
1888	Sir Dixon	Jim McLaughlin	Frank McCabe	2:40.25
1887	Hanover	Jim McLaughlin	Frank McCabe	2:43.50
1886	Inspector B	Jim McLaughlin	Frank McCabe	2:41.00
1885	Tyrant	Paul Duffy	W. Claypool	2:43.00
1884	Panique	Jim McLaughlin	James Rowe, Sr.	2:42.00
1883	George Kinney	Jim McLaughlin	James Rowe, Sr.	2:42.50
1882	Forester	Jim McLaughlin	Lewis Stuart	2:43.00
1881	Saunterer	T. Costello	Robert W. Walden	2:47.00
1880	Grenada	Lloyd Hughes	Robert W. Walden	2:47.00
1879	Spendthrift	George Evans	Thomas Puryear	2:42.75
1878	Duke of Magenta	C. Holloway	Robert W. Walden	2:43.50
1877	Cloverbrook	C. Holloway	Jeter Walden	2:46.00
1876	Algerine	Billy Donohue	Major Doswell	2:40.50
1875	Calvin	Bobby Swim	Ansel Williamson	2:42.25
1874	Saxon	George Barbee	W. Prior	2:39.50
1873	Springbok	James Rowe, Sr.	David McDaniel	3:01.75
1872	Joe Daniels	James Rowe, Sr.	David McDaniel	2:58.25
1871	Harry Bassett	W. Miller	David McDaniel	2:56.00
1870	Kingfisher	Ed Brown (aka "Dick")	Rollie Colston	2:59.50
1869	Fenian	C. Miller	Jacob Pincus	3:04.25
1868	General Duke	Bobby Swim	A. Thompson	3:02.00
1867	Ruthless	Gilbert Patrick	A.J. Minor	3:05.00

A † designates a Triple Crown Winner.

Note: D. Wayne Lukas swept the 1995 Triple Crown with two different horses.

External links

*Belmont Stakes
*Belmont Stakes website