Harvey's Belmont Stakes Racing Tips
History beckons for Justify as he bids to complete the Triple Crown in Saturday’s Belmont Stakes. Having overcome sloppy conditions and a large field in the Kentucky Derby, Bob Baffert’s colt followed up in the Preakness.
He is now poised to become the first Triple Crown winner that did not race as a two-year-old.
Nine rivals stand in his way including Bravazo and Tenfold, second and third at Pimlico. Both horses stayed on well and are likely to improve over the mile and a half.
Perhaps the biggest danger of all is Hofburg who caught the eye when staying on late at Churchill Downs. William Mott’s chestnut has nine lengths to make up on Justify but looks as though he has been crying out for this distance.
Gronkowski is a fascinating starter for Chad Brown. He was formerly trained by Jeremy Noseda in England and was being aimed at the Kentucky Derby. A minor injury ruled him out of that race but Brown has been pleased with what he has seen.
Todd Pletcher runs Vino Rosso and Noble Indy, neither of which managed to land a blow in the Kentucky Derby. Justify will not go down without a fight but I expect Hofburg to push him all the way.
The 149th running of the Belmont Stakes does not feature the winner of either the Kentucky Derby or the Preakness Stakes. Classic Empire was made favourite after his second in the Preakness but was withdrawn with a minor injury just before the barrier draw was made.
The race may lack a bit of quality this year but it looks very competitive with 12 runners set to go to post. Lookin At Lee is the only horse to have contested the first two legs of the Triple Crown but may not be suited by the mile and a half.
Todd Pletcher has won the Belmont twice previously and has a serious contender in Tapwrit. He was too far out of his ground in the Kentucky Derby before running on into sixth place. He skipped the Preakness to wait for this race.
I also like the chances of Senior Investment who looks an out-and-out stayer. He is trained by Kenneth McPeek who suffered huge disappointment in the Epsom Oaks last weekend. Daddys Lil Darling was spooked by a thunderstorm and unseated Olivier Peslier on the way to post. Senior Investment stayed on strongly in the Preakness and has an extra two and a half furlongs to travel on Saturday.
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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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How to Get There?
Air travellers arriving at New York JFK Airport can take a short ten-minute shuttle or taxi to the racecourse.
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.
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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.
Do you want to experience the area first hand? Hire a car with our search engine
Belmont Stakes HistoryThe 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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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.
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