Belmont Stakes facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Belmont Stakes

Grade I race
"The Test of the Champion" "The Test of Champions" "The Run for the Carnations" "The Third Jewel of the Triple Crown"
Location	Belmont Park Elmont, New York, U.S.
Inaugurated	June 19, 1867 (158 years ago) (1867-06-19)
Race type	Thoroughbred
Race information
Distance	1+1⁄2 miles (12.0 furlongs; 2.4 km)
Record	2:24, Secretariat (1973) more
Surface	Dirt
Track	Left-handed
Qualification	3-year-old
Weight	Colt/Gelding: 126 pounds (57 kg); Filly: 121 pounds (55 kg)
Purse	US$ 2 million (2024)

The Belmont Stakes is a famous horse race in the United States. It is for three-year-old Thoroughbreds, which are special racing horses. The race happens at Belmont Park in Elmont, New York. It is a very long race, about 1.5 miles (2.4 km) long.

Male horses (called colts and geldings) carry 126 pounds (57 kg). Female horses (called fillies) carry 121 pounds (55 kg). The Belmont Stakes has several nicknames. People call it The Test of the Champion or The Run for the Carnations.

This race is the third and final part of the Triple Crown. The Triple Crown is a series of three important races. The Belmont Stakes usually takes place in early June. It is five weeks after the Kentucky Derby and three weeks after the Preakness Stakes. In 1973, a horse named Secretariat won the Belmont Stakes. He set a world record for the fastest time on a dirt track, finishing in 2 minutes and 24 seconds.

Belmont Park is known as "The Championship Track." Many great American champion horses have raced there. The track is large with wide turns and a long finish line. This makes it a fair place for horses to race. Even though the race is long, horses that can run fast early on often do well.

The Belmont Stakes is one of the most popular horse racing events in America. Many people come to watch it live. Millions more watch it on TV. For example, in 2004, over 21 million people watched the race on television.

The 157th Belmont Stakes was held on Saturday, June 7, 2025. It took place at Saratoga Race Course. The 2026 race will also be at Saratoga. This is because Belmont Park is being rebuilt.

History of the Belmont Stakes

Early Years: 1867–1929

The August Belmont Trophy, given to the winning owner each year since 1926.

The first Belmont Stakes happened in 1867. It was at Jerome Park Racetrack in the Bronx. A man named August Belmont Sr. helped pay for the track. The race was named after him. The first winner was a filly named Ruthless. The next year, General Duke won.

In 1880, the Belmont Stakes had the first "post parade" in the United States. This is when the horses walk onto the track before the race. The race moved to Morris Park Racecourse in 1890. Then, in 1905, it moved to the new Belmont Park in Elmont, New York. This track is on Long Island, near Queens. The race was not held in 1911 and 1912. This was due to new laws against gambling in New York.

In 1919, a horse named Sir Barton won all three Triple Crown races. But at that time, people did not yet call it the "Triple Crown." In 1920, the famous horse Man o' War won the Belmont. He won by a huge 20 lengths and set a new record.

Since 1926, the winner of the Belmont Stakes gets the August Belmont Trophy. The owner can keep the large trophy for one year. They also get a smaller silver trophy to keep forever.

The Triple Crown Grows: 1930–2000

1940 winner Bimelech in the winner's circle

The name "Triple Crown" became popular in 1930. That year, Gallant Fox won all three races. His son, Omaha, did the same in 1935. After that, Sir Barton was also recognized as a Triple Crown winner.

Since 1931, the races have been in the same order: Kentucky Derby, then Preakness Stakes, then Belmont Stakes. Before 1931, the order sometimes changed. The Kentucky Derby is always on the first Saturday in May. The Preakness is two weeks later. The Belmont Stakes is three weeks after the Preakness.

In 1937, War Admiral became the fourth Triple Crown winner. He set a new track record in the Belmont. The 1940s saw four more Triple Crown winners: Whirlaway (1941), Count Fleet (1943), Assault (1946), and Citation (1948). Count Fleet won the Belmont by an amazing 25 lengths.

From 1963 to 1967, the Belmont Stakes was held at Aqueduct Racetrack. This was while Belmont Park was being fixed up.

In 1973, Secretariat won the Belmont Stakes by an incredible 31 lengths. He finished in a record time of 2:24. This made him a Triple Crown champion. His record is still the fastest time for the Belmont Stakes. In 1977, Seattle Slew became the first horse to win the Triple Crown without ever losing a race. Affirmed was the last Triple Crown winner of the 20th century. He won in 1978 with young jockey Steve Cauthen.

Recent Years: 2001–Present

The crowd fills the stands when a Triple Crown win is possible.

For several years, horses came to the Belmont Stakes hoping to win the Triple Crown, but they didn't.

• In 2002, over 103,000 people watched War Emblem lose.
• In 2003, 101,864 people saw Funny Cide finish third.
• In 2004, a record 120,139 people watched Smarty Jones lose.

In 2007, Rags to Riches became the first female horse to win the Belmont since 1905. More Triple Crown attempts failed in the following years. This led to talks about changing the race schedule.

Then, in 2015, American Pharoah won the Belmont Stakes. He became the 12th horse in history to win the Triple Crown. He was the first in 37 years! His winning time was the sixth-fastest in Belmont history. In 2018, Justify became the 13th Triple Crown winner. He was also only the second horse to win it while still undefeated.

The 2020 Belmont Stakes was different. It happened on June 20, 2020, because of the COVID-19 pandemic. There were no fans in person. Also, for the first time, the Belmont Stakes was the first race of the Triple Crown that year. Its distance was also shortened to 1.125 miles (1.8 km). The race returned to its normal schedule in 2021.

Temporary Move to Saratoga

The New York Racing Association decided to hold the 2024 and 2025 Belmont Stakes at Saratoga Race Course. This is because Belmont Park is undergoing major construction. The prize money for the race was increased to $2 million. The distance was also shortened to 1.25 miles (2 km) at Saratoga. This is due to the smaller size of the Saratoga dirt track. It was announced on June 13, 2025, that the 2026 Belmont Stakes will also be at Saratoga.

Race Details

The Belmont Stakes has been run at different distances over the years.

The prize money for the Belmont Stakes has grown a lot. In 1867, the winner received $1,850. By 1930, it was $66,040. In the 1960s and 70s, it was around $100,000. In 1998, the prize money was guaranteed at $1,000,000. The winner received $600,000. In 2014, the total prize money was raised to $1,500,000.

Since 1900, horses have carried a set weight of 126 pounds. Female horses get a 5-pound allowance, carrying 121 pounds. This weight rule comes from old English races.

The first post parade in the U.S. was at the Belmont in 1880. Before 1921, the race was run clockwise, like in England. Since then, it has been run counter-clockwise, which is the American way.

Traditions

The winner's blanket, made of white carnations

The Belmont Stakes is called "The Test of the Champion" for a good reason. It is the longest of the Triple Crown races. Most three-year-old horses are not used to running such a long distance. They need great stamina to keep their speed. In this long race, where a horse is positioned and when it starts to sprint are very important.

It is also known as "The Run for the Carnations." This is because the winning horse gets a blanket of white carnations. This is similar to the roses for the Kentucky Derby. And the black-eyed Susans for the Preakness.

The Trophy

The winning owner receives a beautiful silver trophy. It was designed by Paulding Farnham for Tiffany and Co.. The Belmont family first gave it out in 1926.

Official Song

The Belmont Stakes has changed its official song a few times. Until 1996, the song was "The Sidewalks of New York". From 1997 to 2009, it was Frank Sinatra's "Theme from New York, New York". This was to attract younger fans. In 2010, it changed to Jay-Z's "Empire State of Mind". But it went back to "Theme from New York, New York" in 2011.

Some people believed changing the song "cursed" the Triple Crown. They thought it was why no horse won between 1978 and 2015. But there were no Triple Crown winners between 1979 and 1996 either, when "Sidewalks" was still played.

Official Drink

The official drink of the Belmont Stakes has also changed. It used to be the "White Carnation." In 1997, it became the "Belmont Breeze." In 2011, it changed again to the "Belmont Jewel."

The white carnation is the official flower of the Belmont Stakes. White carnations often mean love and luck. It takes about 700 special white carnations from Colombia to make the 40-pound blanket for the winner.

Records

Kenny McPeek with Sarava after winning the 2002 Belmont Stakes. Sarava, at 70–1 odds, stopped War Emblem from winning the Triple Crown.

Fastest Times:

• 2:24 flat – Secretariat (1973; 1.5 miles)
• 2:14.20 – Man o' War (1920; 1.375 miles)
• 2:56 flat – Harry Bassett (1871; 1.625 miles)
• 1:46.53 – Tiz the Law (2020; 1.125 miles)
• 2:00.69 – Sovereignty (2025; 1.25 miles)

Biggest Win Margins:

• 31 lengths – Secretariat (1973)
• 25 Lengths – Count Fleet (1943)
• 20 Lengths – Man o' War (1920)

Most Wins by a jockey:

• 6 – Jim McLaughlin (1882, 1883, 1884, 1886, 1887, 1888)
• 6 – Eddie Arcaro (1941, 1942, 1945, 1948, 1952, 1955)

Most Wins by a trainer:

• 8 – James G. Rowe Sr. (1883, 1884, 1901, 1904, 1907, 1908, 1910, 1913)

Most Wins by an owner:

• 6 – Belair Stud (1930, 1932, 1935, 1936, 1939, 1955)
• 6 – James R. Keene (1879, 1901, 1904, 1907, 1908, 1910)

Interesting Facts

• Only James G. Rowe Sr. and George M. Odom have won the Belmont Stakes as both a jockey and a trainer.
• In 1993, Julie Krone became the first female jockey to win a Triple Crown race. She rode Colonial Affair to victory in the Belmont Stakes.
• In 2004, the race had the biggest crowd ever at Belmont Park, with 120,139 people.
• Sarava, a horse with very long odds (70–1), won in 2002. He stopped War Emblem from winning the Triple Crown.
• Jena M. Antonucci became the first woman to train a winner of an American Triple Crown race. She trained Arcangelo to win the 2023 Belmont Stakes.

Fillies in the Belmont

Only 24 female horses (fillies) have run in the Belmont Stakes. Three of them have won:

• 1867 – Ruthless
• 1905 – Tanya
• 2007 – Rags to Riches

This means fillies have won about 13% of the times they have entered. For comparison, fillies have won about 2-3% of all Triple Crown races. Most Triple Crown races are won by male horses (colts). In 2022, a filly named Nest finished second in the Belmont.

Foreign-Born Winners

Some horses born outside the U.S. have won the Belmont Stakes:

• 1874 – Saxon
• 1898 – Bowling Brook
• 1917 – Hourless
• 1918 – Johren
• 1957 – Gallant Man
• 1958 – Cavan
• 1960 – Celtic Ash
• 1990 – Go And Go
• 1998 – Victory Gallop

Winners (since 1867)

Triple Crown winners are in bold.

• Note: Times were recorded differently over the years. Now, they use hundredths of a second.

A † means the winner was a filly.

See also

In Spanish: Belmont Stakes para niños

• American thoroughbred racing top attended events
• Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing