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 (157 years ago) (1867-06-19)
Race type	Thoroughbred
Race information
Distance	1+1⁄2 miles (12 furlongs)
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 super important horse race in America. It's for special three-year-old horses called Thoroughbreds. The race happens at Belmont Park in Elmont, New York. Horses run a long distance, about 1.5 miles (2.4 kilometers). Boy horses (colts and geldings) carry 126 pounds, and girl horses (fillies) carry 121 pounds.

This race has cool nicknames like "The Test of the Champion" and "The Run for the Carnations". It's the third and final part of the famous Triple Crown. The Belmont Stakes usually takes place in early June. It's five weeks after the Kentucky Derby and three weeks after the Preakness Stakes.

A legendary horse named Secretariat won the Belmont Stakes in 1973. He set an amazing record, finishing the race in just 2 minutes and 24 seconds. This is still the fastest time ever!

The race covers one full lap of Belmont Park. This track is known as "The Championship Track". Many famous American champion horses have raced here. Belmont Park has big, wide turns and a long finish line. It's thought to be one of the fairest racetracks. Even though it's a long race, horses that can run fast from the start often do well.

Lots of people come to watch the Belmont Stakes. It's one of the most popular horse racing events in America. In 2004, over 21 million people watched the race on TV. This was the most viewers since 1977. That year, Seattle Slew won the Triple Crown.

In 2018, a horse named Justify won the 150th Belmont Stakes. He became the 13th horse to win the Triple Crown.

History of the Belmont Stakes

Early Years: 1867–1929

The August Belmont Trophy is given to the winning owner each year.

The very first Belmont Stakes was held in 1867. It took place at Jerome Park Racetrack in the Bronx. This track was built by Leonard Jerome and paid for by August Belmont Sr.. The race was named after August Belmont Sr. The first winner was a girl horse 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 horses walk in front of the crowd before the race. The race stayed at Jerome Park until 1890. Then it moved to Morris Park Racecourse.

In 1905, the Belmont Stakes moved to the new Belmont Park. This huge racetrack is in Elmont, New York. It's on Long Island, near Queens. The race was canceled in 1911 and 1912. This happened because of new laws against gambling in New York.

The first horse to win the Triple Crown was Sir Barton in 1919. But back then, people didn't call it the "Triple Crown" yet. In 1920, the amazing horse Man o' War won the Belmont. He won by a huge 20 lengths!

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

The Triple Crown Grows: 1930–2000

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

Since 1931, the order of the Triple Crown races has been the same. First is the Kentucky Derby, then the Preakness Stakes, and finally the Belmont Stakes. 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 2020, things changed because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The Belmont Stakes was held first, in June. The other races were later in the year. But in 2021, the races went back to their normal schedule.

Assault, who won the Triple Crown in 1946.

In the 1940s, four horses won the Triple Crown. They were Whirlaway (1941), Count Fleet (1943), Assault (1946), and Citation (1948). Count Fleet won the Belmont by a record 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 in the 20th century. He won in 1978 with young jockey Steve Cauthen. Affirmed had a great rivalry with another horse named Alydar.

In 1988, Secretariat's son, Risen Star, won the Belmont. He had the second-fastest time ever. The next year, Easy Goer ran even faster, setting a new second-fastest time.

Recent Years: 2001–Present

The crowd at Belmont Park when a Triple Crown is possible.

For several years, horses would win the first two Triple Crown races. But then they would lose the Belmont Stakes. In 2002, a huge crowd of over 103,000 people watched War Emblem lose. In 2003, Funny Cide finished third. In 2004, a record 120,139 people saw Smarty Jones lose.

In 2007, Rags to Riches became the first girl horse to win the Belmont since 1905. More horses tried for the Triple Crown and failed. This made people wonder if the races should be spread out more.

Then, in 2015, American Pharoah won the Belmont Stakes. He became the 12th horse to win the Triple Crown. This was the first time in 37 years! His 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, later than usual, because of the COVID-19 pandemic. There were no fans allowed. It was also the first time the Belmont Stakes was the first race of the Triple Crown. The race distance was also shorter, at 1 1/8 miles.

In 2022, Mo Donegal won the 154th Belmont Stakes.

Temporary Move to Saratoga

In 2023, it was announced that the 2024 Belmont Stakes would be held at Saratoga Race Course. This is because Belmont Park is being renovated. The prize money for the race will be $2 million. The distance will be a bit shorter, 1 1/4 miles, because the Saratoga track is smaller. The 2025 Belmont Stakes might also be at Saratoga.

Where the Race Has Been Held

The Belmont Stakes has been held at different racetracks over the years:

• 1867-1889 - Jerome Park Racetrack
• 1890-1904 - Morris Park Racecourse
• 1905-1910 - 1st Belmont Park
• 1911-1912 - Not held (due to laws)
• 1913-1962 - 1st Belmont Park
• 1963-1967 - Aqueduct Racetrack
• 1968-2023 - 2nd Belmont Park
• 2024 - Saratoga Racecourse

Race Details and Traditions

The Belmont Stakes is usually 1.5 miles long. This makes it the longest of the Triple Crown races. It's also one of the longest important dirt races in the U.S. Most young horses are not used to running such a long distance. This is why it's called "The Test of the Champion." Horses need a lot of stamina to win.

The race is also known as "The Run for the Carnations." This is because the winning horse gets a blanket of beautiful white carnations. This is like the roses for the Kentucky Derby and black-eyed Susans for the Preakness.

Trophy and Song

The winning owner gets a fancy silver trophy. It was designed by Tiffany and Co. The Belmont family started giving it out every year in 1926.

The official song for the Belmont Stakes has changed over time. For many years, it was "The Sidewalks of New York". Then it changed to "Theme from New York, New York" by Frank Sinatra. In 2010, it was "Empire State of Mind" by Jay-Z. Now it's back to "Theme from New York, New York". Some people joked that changing the song "cursed" the Triple Crown. They said it was why no horse won for so long!

Official Drink

The official drink of the Belmont Stakes has also changed. It used to be the "White Carnation." Then it became the "Belmont Breeze." Now, the official drink is called the "Belmont Jewel."

About 700 white carnations are used to make the winner's blanket. They come from Colombia. White carnations traditionally mean love and luck.

Records

Kenny McPeek with Sarava after winning the 2002 Belmont Stakes. Sarava was a big surprise winner!

Fastest Time:

• 2:24 flat – Secretariat (1973; 1.5 miles). Secretariat also holds the fastest times for shorter parts of the race.
• 2:01.64 – Dornoch (2024; 1.25 miles)

Biggest Winning Distance:

• 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)

Fun 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 woman jockey to win a Triple Crown race. She rode Colonial Affair to victory in the Belmont Stakes.
• The 2004 race had the biggest crowd ever at Belmont Park, with 120,139 people.
• Sarava was a huge longshot at 70-1 odds. He surprised everyone by winning in 2002. This stopped War Emblem from winning the Triple Crown.
• Fifteen Belmont Stakes winners have had sons who also won the Belmont. Man o' War sired three winners!
• Twenty-three horses have won the first two Triple Crown races but lost the Belmont. Some finished second, like Smarty Jones in 2004. Others finished third, fourth, or didn't finish at all.
• In 2023, Jena M. Antonucci became the first woman to train a winner of an American Triple Crown race. Her horse, Arcangelo, won the Belmont Stakes.

Girl Horses in the Belmont

Only 24 girl horses (fillies) have raced in the Belmont Stakes. Just three of them have won:

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

This means fillies have a good chance of winning when they enter the race. In 2022, a filly named Nest finished second!

Winners (since 1867)

Triple Crown winners are in bold.

• Note: Times were recorded differently in the past. Now, they are measured to the nearest hundredth of a second.

A † means the winner was a filly (girl horse).

See Also

In Spanish: Belmont Stakes para niños

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