For the third time in four years, Belmont Park will play host to a Triple Crown hopeful when American Pharoah attempts to add the 147th running of the Grade 1, $1.5 million Belmont Stakes on June 6, the final and most demanding leg of the series, to his victories in the Kentucky Derby and in yesterday's rain-drenched Preakness Stakes.
It will mark the 14th time since Affirmed swept all three races in 1978 that a horse has had a chance to join the 11 Triple Crown champions; none have succeeded. Three of those attempts have been by American Pharoah's Hall of Fame trainer, Bob Baffert, who won the first two legs in 1997 with Silver Charm; 1998 with Real Quiet and 2002 with War Emblem. Two previous attempts were also made by jockey Victor Espinoza, who rode California Chrome to a fourth-place finish last year, and was also aboard War Emblem.
American Pharoah could face as many as eight competitors in the Belmont, the centerpiece of the expanded three-day Belmont Stakes Racing Festival featuring 17 stakes races and purses of more than $10 million. Among them are Tale of Verve, who was second in the Preakness, and a gaggle of horses from the Derby who skipped the Preakness including Frosted (4th), Keen Ice (7th), Mumtaahij (8th), and Frammento (11th).
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The Belmont Stakes is one of the most famous horse races of the entire year and takes place every June. The race is held at Belmont Park which is located in Elmont, New York and has been running since 1867. The race is one of the Grade 1 Stakes Races that runs every year and is solely for thoroughbred horses that are three years old. The types of horses allowed to run in the race are Colts, Geldings and Fillies and there are weight restrictions for each type of horse that need to be followed.
When the race initially started running in 1867 it took place at Jerome Park Racetrack which is in the Bronx. The race didn't move until the Belmont Park opened in 1905 and the race has since remained at this venue. The race is 1.5 miles long and is truly a test of the horse's endurance. It's the final race counted towards the Triple Crown and is always one of the most watched horse races of the year.
The Belmont Stakes is on Saturday, June 6, 2015.
The Belmont Stakes is raced at Belmont Park in Elmont, New York.
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"For the first time, the New York Racing Association will be expanding Belmont Stakes Day into a multi-day racing festival to kick off the summer season for all New Yorkers," said Christopher Kay, Chief Executive Officer and President. "We are also enhancing our hospitality and entertainment options, and taking additional steps to provide a first-class experience for all of our guests throughout this exciting, three-day event."
The centerpiece of the Festival will be the 147th running of the Grade 1, $1.5 million Belmont Stakes, the oldest and longest leg of racing's Triple Crown. This year, the "Test of the Champion" will be supported by a trio of stakes-laden cards worth $10 million.
Kicking off the 2015 Belmont Stakes Racing Festival on Thursday, June 4 will be the $150,000, seven-furlong Intercontinental for turf fillies and mares. The first day of the Festival will also include the 104th running of the 5 ½-furlong Astoria for 2-year-old fillies, with a purse of $250,000.
On Friday, June 5, the Festival moves into high gear with five stakes races and $1.2 million in purses including:
On Saturday, June 6, the Festival heads down the stretch with a blockbuster card featuring the Belmont Stakes and nine additional stakes races, worth more than $8 million in purses:
The Belmont Stakes Festival will encompass 31 races, including 17 stakes and 14 allowance-level races.
Tonalist won the 2014 Belmont Stakes. The Third Jewel in the Triple Crown, the Belmont Stakes, went down at Belmont Park in Elmont, New York on Saturday June 7. It provided the let-down of the year thus far in Thoroughbred racing when California Chrome was denied history and a first Triple Crown since Affirmed in 1978. 11-1 shot Robert Evan's Tonalist rallied late to edge 28-1 Commissioner in the 1 1/2 mile test as Chrome got caught up in traffic and seemed to lose steam in his third race since May 3. Medal Count was third at 24-1 odds. 4-5 favorite California Chrome (dead-heat) and Wicked Strong (dead-heat) were fourth followed by Samraat, General a Rod, Matterhorn, Commanding Curve, Matuszak, and Ride On Curlin in front of 102,199 pumped up fans. The top 3 finishers didn't race all three legs of the Triple Crown - Tonalist didn't start the first two legs, calling into question the honor of Chrome's competitors, sour grapes It would seem! Like it or not we are all going to have to endure another year of the 1978 feat and non-stop chatter about the 37 year Triple Crown drought.
2014 Belmont Stakes Race Replay | 2014 Belmont Stakes Results
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. When the race initially started running in 1867 it took place at Jerome Park Racetrack which is in the Bronx. The race didn't move until the Belmont Park opened in 1905 and the race has since remained at this venue.
The Belmont Stakes race is the third race in the triple crown and can carry a ton of excitement. By the time the Belmont Stakes rolls around bettors usually have an idea of what to expect from each horse since the top contenders will have already ran two races.. This means bettors have more information to work with in order to tip the odds in their favour and earn money betting on the Belmont Stakes race.
The Belmont Stakes is a 1.5-mile race, while the Kentucky Derby is only 1.25-mile and the Preakness Stakes is only 1.1875-mile. This extra distance changes the entire dynamic of the race and some horses who may excel at the first two races will not be able to last that extra quarter mile at the Belmont Stakes. This is why the Belmont Stakes is often referred to as the "test of the champion".
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