Belmont Stakes Facts
The Belmont Stakes was named after financier and sportsman August Belmont, Sr. The race was first run on June 19, 1867 in Jerome Park race course in Westchester, New York. It has been run at Belmont Park since 1905.
The Belmont Stakes trophy is a Tiffany-made silver bowl, supported by three horses representing Eclipse, Herod and Matchem - the horses that started the bloodline of thoroughbreds specifically bred for racing in the UK and USA. The bowl is 18 inches high, 15 inches across and 14 inches at the base. It was presented by the Belmont family in 1926 as a perpetual award for the Belmont Stakes. Each year, the owner of the winning horse receives a replica of this trophy while the winning trainer and jockey are given smaller versions.
Secretariat's 1973 Belmont Stakes victory still stands as the track and world record for the mile and one-half distance at 2 minutes and 24 seconds.
The largest Belmont Stakes attendance was recorded in 2002 when 103,222 people were on hand to watch War Emblem gun for the Triple Crown. He finished eighth in the race that was won by longshot Sarava.
The white carnation is the traditional flower of the Belmont Stakes. A blanket of carnations is traditionally draped over the winning horse. This blanket usually takes 10 man-hours to put together, as around 300-400 carnations are glued onto a green velveteen spread.
The largest field for the Belmont Stakes was 15 in 1983 while the smallest was two in 1887, 1888, 1892, 1910 and 1920.
Julie Krone is the first woman to win a Triple Crown race. She rode Colonial Affair to a 2 1/4-length victory in the 125th running of the Belmont Stakes on June 5, 1993.
The first running of the Belmont Stakes took place on June 19, 1867, a Thursday, at Jerome Park Racecourse. Four horses who ran the race were Ruthless, DeCourcey, Rivoli and Monday. The mile and five furlong race was won by Ruthless in 3:05.
In 1921, the Belmont Stakes was first run in the counter-clockwise custom of American racing. Previously, the Belmont Stakes were run clockwise following the English custom.
The Belmont Stakes is named after August Belmont, a leading banker and racing man of the 19th century. He also became the first President of the Jockey Club in 1867.
Since 1919, there have been 11 Triple Crown Winners. However, no Triple Crowns have emerged in the 80s, 90s and in the new millennium. The last horse that ever won a Triple Crown was Affirmed in 1978.
The fastest time for the mile and a half Belmont Stakes race is 2:24 set by Secretariat in 1973. That world record remains unbeaten today.
To help racing enthusiast with their bets, there are three ATM locations in Belmont Park - one each on the ground floor of the Grandstand, on the second floor Grandstand and on the second floor Clubhouse.
The "Belmont Breeze" is the official drink of the Belmont Stakes created by Dale DeGroff, New York's premier authority on beverages. The Belmont Breeze comes from the colonial recipe of one part sour, two parts sweet, three parts strong and four parts weak. Ingredients of the drink include American blended whiskey, Harvey's Bristol Cream Sherry, lemon juice, simple syrup, orange juice, cranberry juice, 7-Up and Club Soda.