The Belmont Stakes is a Grade 1 race for three-year-olds held every June at Belmont Park in Elmont, New York.
The Race is known as “The Run for the Carnations” and is the third and final leg of the Triple Crown. The winner has a 40lb blanket of white carnations draped over it in the winner’s enclosure.
Justify the Triple Crown winner of Belmont Stakes 2018. Image by: Mike Lizzi
The Belmont takes place five weeks after the Kentucky Derby and three weeks after the Preakness Stakes. It is run over a mile and a half and puts the emphasis on stamina.
In 2020 the race will be on June 20(behind closed doors). In 2019 the post time was 18:46 ET Standard time and the race was on Saturday June 8, 2019. For the 2019 contenders and odds, see below.
The Belmont Stakes is one of the best attended meetings in the American racing calendar. It hosted its largest crowd in 2004 when over 120,000 spectators flocked to watch Smarty Jones beaten by Birdstone in his bid for Triple Crown glory.
Belmont Race Track
Belmont Park is located in Elmont just outside New York City limits. The racecourse opened in 1905 and has been the stage for 12 Triple Crown winners.
Image by: PandamicPhoto.com
Belmont Origin
The origin of the name “Belmont” can be traced back to financier and sportsman August Belmont. Some sources state that Belmont Park was named in honour of his son, August Belmont II, a key member of the Westchester Racing Association which established the racecourse.
First Belmont Stakes
The first running of the Belmont Stakes took place in 1867 at Jerome Park Racetrack in the Bronx. The Belmont Stakes races have been run at Belmont Park since 1905.
There was no race in 1911–12 when gambling was banned in New York State. Between 1963 and 1967, the big race took place at Aqueduct while the grandstands at Belmont Park were being reconstructed.
Secretariat
Secretariat set a world record time for a mile and a half on dirt of 2 minutes and 24 seconds in his 1973 Belmont victory.
His remarkable 31-length victory secured the first Triple Crown since Citation in 1948. A statue of Secretariat is on display in the centre of the Belmont paddock.
Other key dirt races at Belmont Park include the Jockey Club Gold Cup, the Woodward Stakes and the Suburban Handicap.
Important turf races include the Man O’ War Stakes, Flower Bowl Invitational Stakes and the Joe Hirsch Turf Classic Invitational.
Tickets sell quickly for the final leg of the Triple Crown. Don’t delay – reserve your Belmont Stakes tickets today!
Belmont Stakes 2019
The Belmont Stakes Racing Festival 2019 takes place between June 6th and 8th. The climax of the meeting is the 151st Running of the Belmont Stakes on Saturday June 8th.
As well as the racing, Belmont will be providing musical entertainment.
The betting market begins to take shape after the Kentucky Derby and a clear favourite is established after the Preakness Stakes. Since Country Horse (Kentucky Derby 2019 winner) didn’t compete in Preakness 19, there will be no 16th Triple Crown winner this year. Justify won the 2018 Triple Crown after American Pharaoh back in 2015.
The 2019 Belmont Stakes Contenders and Odds
Sir Winston is the Belmont 2019 Stakes winner
Most of the contenders from Preakness continued for the last leg of the Triple Crown. The interesting new edition was Master Fencer with a 8-1 odds. Alwaysmining won’t compete in Belmont Stakes 2019, while War of Will looked to secure his second victory after Preakness 2019, but didn’t even finish in the top 3.
The 2019 Belmont Stakes race was unpredictable and close until the end. Sir Winston conserved strength well to finish strong at the end, while Joevia started strong and faded at the end. Tacitus Couldn’t keep with Sir Winston at the end and War of Will never truly threatened the top spots.
1st place – Sir Winston
2nd place – Tacitus
3rd place – Joevia
Here’s the list of the 10 Belmont Stakes 2019 contenders with odds:
The Pole Position and odds
Tacitus (9-5)
War of Will (2-1)
Bourbon War (12-1)
Master Fencer (8-1)
Sir Winston (12-1)
Intrepid Heart (10-1)
Everfast (12-1)
Spinoff (15-1)
Joevia (30-1)
Tax (15-1)
The 2020 Belmont Stakes Contenders and Odds
After a final decision was concluded to race in 2020, the contenders and odds list is ready for 2020.
Pick your contender from the list (odds from William Hill):
The current purse from 2014 till today (2019) is $1,500,000 dollars for the winner. Before 2014 the purse stood at $1,000,000.
What to Do?
The 9/11 Memorial & Museum located at the World Trade Centre honours the 2,983 people killed in the attacks of September 11, 2001 and February 26, 1993. The New York Water Taxi is the best way to see the 9/11 Memorial. This 90-minute Tour departs from midtown’s Pier 79 at 44th street and the Hudson River.
Sports fans can take in the Yankee Stadium Tour which takes you behind the scenes. Those with an interest in finance should consider the Wall Street Tour, a guided Tour of the New York Financial District.
Located in the heart of midtown Manhattan, the Empire State Building Experience is well worth a visit. The tour includes the Art Deco lobby and murals and the famous 360-degree open-air observation deck.
Visit the Statue of Liberty National Monument via a short ferry ride from Battery Park. You can also pop in at the historic halls and galleries at Ellis Island, where more than 12 million immigrants first entered America.
Book your trip to New York for the Belmont Stakes now!
Where to Stay?
Fans who want to be close to the track stay in hotels in Nassau County or JFK Airport. For Nassau hotels, the nearby villages of Garden City, Westbury, Roslyn, Rockville Centre, Carle Place, Uniondale or Farmingdale offer the best possibilities.
Langham Place in Fifth Avenue, New York, provides luxurious contemporary accommodation of the highest order. There are 214 stylish guest rooms and suites, each lavishly furnished and many providing views of the Manhattan skyline. The cuisine is inspired by Italy and the French Riviera for a fine dining experience in stunning surroundings.
Hampton Inn JFK Airport offers complimentary Continental breakfasts and wireless Internet access throughout the hotel. Soundproofed guestrooms at Hampton Inn include a dry cleaning service and a 24-hour front desk. The Hampton Inn JFK Airport serves a complimentary Continental breakfast each morning.
The Floral Park Motor Lodge at 30 Jericho Turnpike, Floral Park is a suburban hotel with free breakfast and 24-hour fitness centre. The Lodge is less than two miles from the airport and all 107 rooms offer free WiFi, cable TV and free long-distance calls.
Book your stay for the Belmont Stakes well in advance to avoid disappointment!
Where to Eat?
You can find a vast array of food choices in the Food Truck Village. Belmont Park caters for all tastes with catchy titles such as Hibachi Heaven and Papaya King.
Book your stay for the Belmont Stakes now!
Crabtree’s Restaurant at 226 Jericho Turnpike, Floral Park, provides a beautiful outdoor patio where you can enjoy family-style Rotisserie Barbeques.
Roast suckling baby pig is tender and juicy option and there are a variety of kebabs, served with a special Greek Salad. Soak up the atmosphere among the nostalgic photographs on the walls of the Mediterranean-Continental restaurant which was named after Miss Crabtree from the “Our Gang” series.
Wendy’s at 199 Hempstead Turnpike, Elmont offers a range of burgers and wraps including the Spicy Asiago Club. Spicy chicken breast topped with thick-cut Applewood Smoked Bacon, Asiago Cheese, creamy ranch source with lettuce and tomatoes.
Book your stay for the Belmont Stakes now!
How to Get There?
Air travellers arriving at New York JFK Airport can take a short ten-minute shuttle or taxi to the racecourse.
Long Island Railroad
Fans are encouraged to plan ahead when making their travel arrangements to and from Belmont Park. The Long Island Railroad runs trains right to Belmont Park from Manhattan’s Penn Station, Brooklyn’s Atlantic Avenue Terminal and Jamaica Station.
It makes sense to buy a roundtrip ticket in New York to avoid having to wait on a long ticket line after the races.
Book your travel arrangements for the Belmont Stakes now!
If arriving by road, traveling South on the Cross Island Parkway: Use 26$ for access to the Green Parking Lot or Exit 26B for access to the Hempstead Avenue entrance. Traveling North on the Cross Island Parkway: Use Exit 26A for access to the Yellow Parking Lot or Exit 26B for access to the Hempstead Avenue entrance.
Belmont Stakes History
The first Belmont Stakes in 1867 was won by the filly Ruthless. Only three fillies have won the Belmont Stakes in the history of the race with Tanya in 1905 and Rags to Riches in 2007. The race was moved to the nearby Morris Park Racecourse in 1890 and was staged at Belmont Park for the first time in May 1905.
The first winner of the Triple Crown was Sir Barton in 1919 and the following year Man O‘War won by 20 lengths, setting a new stakes and American record. From 1926 onwards, the winner of the Belmont Stakes has been presented with August Belmont Trophy. The owner retains the trophy for one year and receives a silver miniature to keep.
In 1937, War Admiral became the fourth Triple Crown winner after winning the Belmont in a new track record time. In the 1940’s, there were four Triple Crown winners: Whirlaway (1941), Count Fleet (1943), Assault (1946) and Citation (1948).
Secretariat’s brilliant victory in 1973 set a new track record while Seattle Slew became the first horse to win the Triple Crown while undefeated in 1977. Affirmed and Steve Cauthen battled to a thrilling Triple Crown at the expense of Alydar in 1978. The two horses were locked in battle with the former eventually emerging the narrow victor. It was 37 years before American Pharoah ended the long wait for a next Triple Crown hero.
Trainer Woody Stephens won the Belmont for five consecutive seasons from 1982 to 1986. Other notable performances in Belmont Park history include the clash between Kentucky Derby winner Zev and Epsom Derby winner Papyrus. Zev won by five lengths in front of the biggest crowd for a match race in a hundred years.
In 1993 Julie Krone became the first woman to win a Triple Crown race when she rode Colonial Affair to victory in the Belmont Stakes.
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