Belmont Stakes Is the Oldie, Goldie of the Triple Crown

By: Greg Melikov

The first Belmont Stakes was staged at Jerome Park on June 19, 1867, a year after its founder brought organized racing to the metropolitan New York City area.

Leonard Jerome named the race for his friend August Belmont, a leading banker that helped finance the track. Jerome Park, an oddly shaped, English-style racecourse, required runners to negotiate three turns instead of two because of a dip in the middle of the backstretch.

A filly named Ruthless won the inaugural Belmont a half-dozen years before the Preakness debuted and eight years ahead of the Kentucky Derby.

The race was moved to Morris Park in 1890 when Jerome Park gave way to a city reservoir because the water system needed an upgrade. In 1905, the Belmont was first staged at a new track in Elmont, New York, after August Belmont II, William Collins Whitney and several business partners built the most lavish track in America.

Many major stakes from Jerome and Morris parks were transferred to Belmont Park, which has hosted the third leg of the Triple Crown except for 1963-67 when the race was staged at Aqueduct while Belmont was being rebuilt.

The expression “Triple Crown” pertaining to thoroughbreds was introduced by Daily Racing Form columnist Charles Hatton while covering Gallant Fox en route to the ‘30 TC title.

Since ‘40, when Bimelech scored against five rivals, 19 odds-on favorites won the Belmont. A year later, TC champ Whirlaway only faced three challengers. In ‘43, TC winner Count Fleet demolished two foes by 25 lengths.

Only four odds-on choices competed in fields of six or less. The most memorable Belmont, in many fans eyes, was in ‘73 when super Secretariat roared to a 31-length victory over four rivals in the record time of 2:24 for the 1½ miles and became the first of three TC winners in that decade.

I asked Steve Haskin, Bloodhorse.com senior correspondent, what was the most exciting Belmont he witnessed and was surprised by his response.

“Last year’s,” Haskin said, “because of the boy vs. girl angle, and it was just a gut-wrencher to the wire, with the filly (Rags to Riches) winning despite stumbling at the start. That was as game a performance as I’ve seen, especially considering what Curlin has gone on to become.

“What no Affirmed and Alydar you ask? To be honest, I was in England for the (’78) English Derby and Royal Ascot and never saw it live. In the Daily Telegraph, at the end of the racing story, was a line that read, ‘And in America, Affirmed beat Alydar by a head to win the Triple Crown.’ That’s how I found out that result. Of course, it has to be one of the greatest races of all time.

“And the Birdstone-Smarty Jones (’04) Belmont had more excitement than any race I’ve ever seen.”

Even before trainer Rick Dutrow Jr. revealed Big Brown developed a hairline quarter-crack on the inside of his front left hoof wall, the son of Boundary wasn’t scaring off many horses that stand in his way of becoming the 12th TC champ.

Dutrow said Sunday the crack was discovered 24 hours earlier, was very minor and he’s confident the horse will be 100 percent on June 7. On Monday a set of sutures made of stainless steel drew together the crack, which was related to past foot problems.

Before the announcement, the field was expected to be about the average size since ‘40 – nine. Three committed challengers that hit the board in the first two TC jewels are Denis of Cork, third in the Kentucky Derby; Macho Again, Preakness runner-up; and Icabad Crane, third at Pimlico.

Other scheduled runners are Tale of Ekati, fourth in the Derby; Anak Nakal, seventh at Churchill Downs; Casino Drive, winner of the Peter Pan; and Tomcito, seventh in that stakes race at Belmont Park,

And there are several others that could bump up the field as high as 11. Some pretty good horses won the Belmont against 10 rivals during the past 25 years: Swale, ‘84; A. P. Indy, ‘92; and Thunder Gulch, ‘95.

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Greg Melikov, a native Chicagoan and retired South Florida newspaperman who resides in Greater San Antonio, has been handicapping and writing about thoroughbreds for decades. His articles and columns appear globally in print and online, including on his own site: www.horsingaround.info. He became a racing fan at 13 when he saw 1948 Triple Crown winner Citation whip 20 older horses at old Arlington Park. He can be contacted at gmelikov@satx.rr.com.

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  1. [...] Belmont Stakes Is the Oldie, Goldie of the Triple CrownMany major stakes from Jerome and Morris parks were transferred to Belmont Park, which has hosted the third leg of the Triple Crown except for 1963-67 when the race was staged at Aqueduct while Belmont was being rebuilt. …nationalsportsreview.com Master Site Feed - http://nationalsportsreview.com [...]

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