Belmont Park is a major
thoroughbred
The Thoroughbred is a horse breed best known for its use in horse racing. Although the word ''thoroughbred'' is sometimes used to refer to any breed of purebred horse, it technically refers only to the Thoroughbred breed. Thoroughbreds are ...
horse racing facility in the
northeastern United States, located in
Elmont, New York
Elmont is an unincorporated hamlet and census-designated place (CDP) located in northwestern Hempstead in Nassau County, New York, United States, along its border with the borough of Queens in New York City. The population was 35,265 at the 2 ...
, just east of the
New York City
New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the most densely populated major city in the Un ...
limits. It was opened on May 4, 1905.
It is operated by the non-profit
New York Racing Association
The New York Racing Association, Inc. (NYRA) is the not-for-profit corporation that operates the three largest Thoroughbred horse racing tracks in the state of New York, United States: Aqueduct Racetrack in South Ozone Park, Queens; Belmont Park i ...
, as are the
Aqueduct Racetrack and
Saratoga Race Course
Saratoga Race Course is a Thoroughbred horse racing track located on Union Avenue in Saratoga Springs, New York, United States. Opened in 1863, it is often considered to be the oldest major sporting venue of any kind in the country, but is actu ...
. The group was formed in 1955 as the Greater New York Association to assume the assets of the individual associations that ran Belmont, Aqueduct, Saratoga, and the now-defunct
Jamaica Race Course.
Belmont Park is typically open for racing from late April through mid-July (known as the Spring meet), and again from mid-September through late October (the Fall meet). It is widely known as the home of the
Belmont Stakes in early June, regarded as the "Test of the Champion", the third leg of the
Triple Crown
Triple Crown may refer to:
Sports Horse racing
* Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing
* Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing (United States)
** Triple Crown Trophy
** Triple Crown Productions
* Canadian Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing
* Tri ...
.
Along with Saratoga Race Course in
Upstate New York
Upstate New York is a geographic region consisting of the area of New York State that lies north and northwest of the New York City metropolitan area. Although the precise boundary is debated, Upstate New York excludes New York City and Long Is ...
,
Keeneland
Keeneland Association, Inc. is an equine business based in Lexington, Kentucky. It includes two distinct divisions: the Keeneland Race Course, a Thoroughbred racing facility, and Keeneland Sales, a horse auction complex. It is also known for its ...
and
Churchill Downs in
Kentucky
Kentucky ( , ), officially the Commonwealth of Kentucky, is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States and one of the states of the Upper South. It borders Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio to the north; West Virginia and Virginia ...
, and
Del Mar
Del Mar is Spanish for "of the sea" or "from the sea". It may refer to:
Places in the United States
* Del Mar, California
* Del Mar High School, located in San Jose, California
* Del Mar racetrack, located in Del Mar, California
* Del Mar Fai ...
and
Santa Anita in
California
California is a state in the Western United States, located along the Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the most populous U.S. state and the 3rd largest by area. It is also the m ...
, Belmont is considered one of the elite racetracks in
North America.
The race park's main dirt track has earned the nickname, "the Big Sandy," given its prominent overall dimensions and the deep, sometimes tiring surface. Belmont is also sometimes known as "The Championship Track" because almost every major champion in racing history since the early 20th century has competed on the racecourse – including all of the Triple Crown winners. Belmont Park, with its big, wide, sweeping turns and long homestretch, is considered one of the fairest racetracks. The Hall of Fame champion
Easy Goer
Easy Goer (March 21, 1986 – May 12, 1994) was an American Champion Hall of Fame Thoroughbred racehorse known for earning American Champion Two-Year-Old Colt honors in 1988 and defeating 1989 American Horse of the Year Sunday Silence in t ...
graces the cover of the 2005 book, ''Belmont Park: A Century of Champions'', with paintings by Richard Stone Reeves and text by Edward L. Bowen. The book chronicles seventy racehorses who competed from 1905 to 2005 thrilling fans, setting records, and becoming legends at the venerable New York track.
Belmont hosted its largest crowd in
2004, when 120,139 saw
Smarty Jones
Smarty Jones (February 28, 2001) is a champion Thoroughbred racehorse who won the 2004 Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes and came second in the Belmont Stakes.
Background
Born at Fairthorne Farm in Chester County, Pennsylvania, the horse was n ...
upset by
Birdstone
Birdstone (foaled May 16, 2001, in Kentucky) is an American Thoroughbred racehorse best known for winning the 2004 Belmont Stakes and has become a successful sire.
On August 28, 2020 Birdstone was pensioned from stud duty to Old Friends Retir ...
in his Triple Crown bid.
History
Old Belmont Park
August Belmont Jr. and
William Collins Whitney
William Collins Whitney (July 5, 1841February 2, 1904) was an American political leader and financier and a prominent descendant of the John Whitney family. He served as Secretary of the Navy in the first administration of President Grover Cle ...
, along with other investors, built the original Belmont race track which opened on May 4, 1905. Arthur Underhill was hired as Engineer and Landscape Architect to design and oversee construction of the park. In its first 15 or so years, Belmont Park featured racing clockwise, in the "English fashion"—allowing the upper-class members of the racing association and their guests to have the races finish in front of the clubhouse, just to the west of the grandstand. (A "field stand," at what was then the top of the stretch, was located east of the grandstand). The original finish line was located at the top of the present-day homestretch. In his 1925 book, "The Big Town",
Ring W. Lardner refers to the then-recent directional change when he has a character at Belmont say (speaking of a recent race) "At that time, they run the wrong way of the track, like you would deal cards".
A later innovation was created by
Joseph E. Widener, who took over track leadership when August Belmont II died in 1924: the Widener Chute. It was a straightaway of just under that cut diagonally through Belmont's training and main tracks, hitting near the quarter-pole of the main track; the course was removed in 1958.
Two features of Old Belmont Park remain today. First is the display of four stone pillars on
Hempstead Turnpike, a gift from the mayor and park commissioners of
Charleston, South Carolina. The pillars had stood at the entrance of the Washington Course of the South Carolina Jockey Club in Charleston, which operated from 1792 to 1882. The stone pillars are now found at the clubhouse entrance. Lesser known but more visible are the racing motif iron railings seen partially bordering the walking ring. The railings, used as decoration on the south side of the old Belmont grandstand, were salvaged during the 1963 demolition.
The original Belmont Park was not only unprecedented in its size but also had the then-new innovation of a
Long Island Rail Road extension from the
Queens Village
Queens Village is a mostly residential middle class neighborhood in the eastern part of the New York City borough of Queens. It is bound by Hollis to the west, Cambria Heights to the south, Bellerose to the east, and Oakland Gardens to the north ...
station, running along the property, tunneling under Hempstead Turnpike, then terminating on the south side of the property. The
train terminal was moved to its present location north of the turnpike after the 1956 season.
Near the railroad terminal was yet ''another'' track—Belmont Park Terminal, a steeplechase course operated by United Hunts until 1927.
In addition to racing history, Belmont Park made history in another industry native to the Hempstead Plains –
aviation
Aviation includes the activities surrounding mechanical flight and the aircraft industry. ''Aircraft'' includes fixed-wing and rotary-wing types, morphable wings, wing-less lifting bodies, as well as lighter-than-air craft such as hot a ...
. Some 150,000 people were drawn to the track on October 30, 1910, at the climax of a
Wright Brothers-staged international aerial tournament, which had started eight years earlier. The event came at the beginning of a period (1910, 1911, and 1912) in which racing was outlawed in New York State.
Eight years later, Belmont and aviation were reunited when the racetrack served as the northern point of the first U.S.
air mail route, between the New York area and Washington, D.C.
Today, two displays in the clubhouse of the current Belmont Park commemorate the history of the racetrack: a long mural by
Pierre Bellocq featuring the dominant jockeys, trainers and racing personalities of the track's history; and a series of paintings of Old Belmont Park that were featured at a nearby restaurant before the eatery closed.
Later history
The last race at the old Belmont Park was run in October 1962. The following spring, NYRA Chairman James Cox Brady announced that two separate engineering surveys found the grandstand/clubhouse was unsafe due to age-induced structural defects and needed to be rebuilt. The book ''Belmont Park: A Century of Champions'' noted the comment of NYRA President Edward T. Dickinson: "When you sighted down the stands, you could see some of the beams were twisted. They were in something of an S-shape."
The old structure was demolished in 1963. The new grandstand was built 1964–1968. (The Inner Turf Course was also added during this time.) The Belmont race meetings were moved to
Aqueduct Racetrack in
South Ozone Park
South Ozone Park is a neighborhood in the southwestern section of the New York City borough of Queens. It is just north of John F. Kennedy International Airport, between Aqueduct Racetrack to the west and the Van Wyck Expressway to the east.
Adja ...
,
Queens
Queens is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Queens County, in the U.S. state of New York. Located on Long Island, it is the largest New York City borough by area. It is bordered by the borough of Brooklyn at the western tip of Long ...
, during that time.
The new $30.7 million Belmont Park grandstand, designed by
Arthur Froehlich
Arthur Froehlich (May 17, 1909 – October 3, 1985), of the firm Arthur Froehlich & Associates, was an architect in Beverly Hills, California, known for his mid-century commercial building designs, especially racetracks. Froehlich's firm ...
, was opened May 20, 1968, and is the largest in Thoroughbred racing. It has a total attendance capacity of more than 100,000, with the adjoining backyard being able to accommodate more than 10,000. The seating portion totals nearly 33,000. The smaller, more cramped Churchill Downs grandstand has more seats than Belmont, 51,000, but unlike Churchill and
Pimlico, Belmont does not allow paying spectators to picnic in the infield.
Expansion plans
![Belmont Park aerial 2021](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/97/Belmont_Park_aerial_2021.jpg)
In May 2007, reports surfaced suggesting that then New York Governor
Eliot Spitzer was considering closing Aqueduct Racetrack, which is ten miles west of Belmont in
Ozone Park, New York, and turning Belmont into a nearly year 'round race track when the New York Racing Association lease for all three of New York State's tracks expired at the end of 2007. According to the plans being discussed, Belmont's stands would have been heated, additional barns built for Aqueduct's 400 horses, and the track modified to accommodate winter racing. In addition, video lottery machines would have been introduced. A new entity would have operated Belmont from fall to spring while the New York Racing Association would have operated Saratoga Race Course in the summer. However, any plans the former governor might have had for the track alignment likely left office with him when Spitzer was forced to resign amid
a prostitution scandal in March 2008.
In July 2017, New York State officials announced that vacant parking lots behind the Belmont grandstand had been put to tender for two area top-level professional sports teams: the
New York Islanders, an
NHL
The National Hockey League (NHL; french: Ligue nationale de hockey—LNH, ) is a professional ice hockey league in North America comprising 32 teams—25 in the United States and 7 in Canada. It is considered to be the top ranked professional ...
ice hockey team; and
New York City FC
New York City Football Club is an American professional soccer club based in New York City that competes in Major League Soccer (MLS), the highest level of American soccer, as a member of the league's Eastern Conference. The club is co-owned b ...
, an
MLS
Major League Soccer (MLS) is a men's professional soccer league sanctioned by the United States Soccer Federation, which represents the sport's highest level in the United States. The league comprises 29 teams—26 in the U.S. and 3 in Canada ...
soccer team. Both teams were unhappy with their current locations (the Islanders at
Barclays Center; New York City FC at
Yankee Stadium
Yankee Stadium is a baseball stadium located in the Bronx, New York City. It is the home field of the New York Yankees of Major League Baseball, and New York City FC of Major League Soccer.
Opened in April 2009, the stadium replaced the orig ...
) and proposed to redevelop the land into their own stadiums. The Islanders proposed
an 18,000 seat sports arena, for retail development, a 225-room hotel, and a community center, while NYCFC's pledge included a 26,000 seat soccer ground, for retail, a community park, and soccer complex: both proposals were fully privately funded and included improved parking and LIRR facilities as well. On December 20, New York Governor
Andrew Cuomo
Andrew Mark Cuomo ( ; ; born December 6, 1957) is an American lawyer and politician who served as the 56th governor of New York from 2011 to 2021. A member of the Democratic Party, he was elected to the same position that his father, Mario Cu ...
announced that the Islanders project had won approval to be built. In July 2019, the plan was adopted by the
Empire State Development Corporation
Empire State Development (ESD) is the umbrella organization for New York's two principal economic development public-benefit corporations, the New York State Urban Development Corporation (UDC) and the New York Job Development Authority (JDA). T ...
board, and
UBS Arena
UBS Arena is a multi-purpose indoor arena located at Belmont Park in Elmont, New York directly adjacent to the New York City limits. Opened in 2021, it is the home of the New York Islanders of the National Hockey League (NHL), replacing Nassau C ...
opened in time for the
2021-22 NHL season
Increment or incremental may refer to:
* Incrementalism, a theory (also used in politics as a synonym for gradualism)
* Increment and decrement operators, the operators ++ and -- in computer programming
* Incremental computing
* Incremental backu ...
. The plan also included a new
Elmont station on the LIRR, in addition to the hotel, arena, and retail village.
In December 2022 the New York Racing Association formally announced its intention to upgrade the facilities at Belmont to make it suitable to host year-round thoroughbred racing and training, which would ultimately lead to the closure of nearby
Aqueduct Racetrack. The plans are contingent on NYRA receiving state-backed bonds to fund the construction projects at Belmont.
Important races
Belmont Stakes
The Belmont Stakes was named after financier and sportsman
August Belmont Sr., who helped fund the race, and most sources say the racetrack itself was also named for him. Other sources say Belmont Park was named in honor of his son—
August Belmont Jr., a key member of the Westchester Racing Association, which established the racecourse.
The race was first run in 1867 at
Jerome Park Racetrack
Jerome Park Racetrack was an American thoroughbred horse racing facility from 1866 until 1894. It was located in a part of Westchester County, New York that was annexed into the Bronx in 1874. Jerome Park Racetrack was the home of the Belmont Sta ...
in the Bronx. In 1937, the wrought iron gates that bore an illustration of that first Belmont Stakes were donated to the track by August Belmont II's sole surviving son, Perry Belmont. The gates are now on the fourth floor of Belmont Park's clubhouse.
The Belmont Stakes races have been run at Belmont Park since 1905, with the exceptions of 1911–12, when gambling was banned in New York State; and the 1963–67 editions, held at Aqueduct while the grandstands at Belmont Park were reconstructed. The first post parade in the
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...
was at the 14th Belmont, in 1880.
Secretariat
Secretariat may refer to:
* Secretariat (administrative office)
* Secretariat (horse)
Secretariat (March 30, 1970 – October 4, 1989), also known as Big Red, was a champion American thoroughbred racehorse who is the ninth winner of the Ame ...
's finishing time in his
1973
Events January
* January 1 - The United Kingdom, the Republic of Ireland and Denmark 1973 enlargement of the European Communities, enter the European Economic Community, which later becomes the European Union.
* January 15 – Vietnam War: ...
Belmont victory (2 minutes, 24 seconds) set a world record for on dirt,
a world record which still stands. The 31-length victory clinched the first Triple Crown in 25 years, dating back to
Citation in
1948. A statue of Secretariat is in the center of the Belmont paddock.
Another Belmont Stakes achievement is recognized by the "Woody's Corner" display in the first-floor clubhouse lobby, commemorating the five consecutive Belmont Stakes winners trained by
Woody Stephens
Woody Stephens (September 1, 1913 – August 22, 1998) was an American Thoroughbred horse racing Hall of Fame trainer.
Biography
Born Woodford Cefis Stephens in Stanton, Kentucky, he had a younger brother named William Ward Stephens who also b ...
from 1982 to 1986.
Other memorable performances in Belmont Park history include the opening of the track in 1905 with the famous
dead heat
A dead heat is a rare situation in various racing sports in which the performances of competitors are judged to be so close that no difference between them can be resolved. The result is declared a tie and the competitors are awarded a joint ra ...
between
Sysonby and Race King in the
Met Cap. In 1923, Belmont Park was host to an international duel between the
American
American(s) may refer to:
* American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America"
** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America
** American ancestry, pe ...
and
English
English usually refers to:
* English language
* English people
English may also refer to:
Peoples, culture, and language
* ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England
** English national ide ...
champions:
Zev, winner of the
Kentucky Derby, against Papyrus, winner of
The Derby. Zev won by five lengths in front of the biggest crowd for a match race in a hundred years.
Belmont Park was the site of the tragedy-marred victory of
Foolish Pleasure
Foolish Pleasure (March 23, 1972 – November 17, 1994) was an American bay Thoroughbred race horse who won the 1975 Kentucky Derby.
Background
Foolish Pleasure was a bay horse bred at Williston, Florida by Waldemar Farms, Inc. He was owned by J ...
over champion filly
Ruffian in a 1975 match race. Ruffian broke down during the race and had to be euthanized; she is buried near the finish line in the infield at Belmont Park, her nose pointed towards the finish pole.
The racetrack was also the site of
Affirmed
Affirmed (February 21, 1975 – January 12, 2001) was a champion American Thoroughbred racehorse who is the eleventh winner of the American Triple Crown. Affirmed was well known for his famous rivalry with Alydar, whom he met ten times, includi ...
's epic stretch duel with
Alydar
Alydar (March 23, 1975 – November 15, 1990) was an American Thoroughbred race horse and sire. A chestnut colt, he was most famous for finishing a close second to Affirmed in all three races of the 1978 Triple Crown. With each successive ...
in the
1978 Belmont Stakes
The 1978 Belmont Stakes was the 110th running of the Belmont Stakes. It occurred on June 10, 1978, and was televised on CBS. Affirmed completed the 11th Triple Crown after his victories in the 1978 Kentucky Derby and the 1978 Preakness Stakes. ...
, a victory that gave Affirmed the Triple Crown; and Triple Crown winner
Seattle Slew
Seattle Slew (February 15, 1974 – May 7, 2002) was a champion American Thoroughbred racehorse who became the tenth winner of the American Triple Crown (1977). He is one of only two horses to have won the Triple Crown while being undefeated in ...
's defeat of Affirmed in the
Marlboro Cup
The Marlboro Cup Invitational Handicap was a Thoroughbred horse race first run in September 1973 at Belmont Park in Elmont, New York. A Grade 1 race for horses 3 years old and up, it was raced over a distance of miles on a dirt track.
The race ...
in September of that same year. The Marlboro, a key event of the Fall Championship meets in the 1970s and 1980s, included a dramatic come-from-behind win by
Forego
Forego (April 30, 1970 – August 27, 1997) was an American Thoroughbred racehorse that won eight Eclipse Awards including Horse of the Year, Champion Handicap Horse and Champion Sprinter.
Background
Foaled at Claiborne Farm in Paris, Kentuc ...
in the 1976 installment.
Officials of the New York Racing Association made a concerted effort to boost attendance on Belmont Stakes Day after the 1995 installment drew only 37,171. In 1997, NYRA and local officials put together the Long Island Belmont Stakes Festival—featuring parades, food fests and other events in surrounding communities to promote the big race. The effort succeeded in creating a buzz around the Belmont Stakes apart from the chance of seeing a Triple Crown. The
2000
File:2000 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: Protests against Bush v. Gore after the 2000 United States presidential election; Heads of state meet for the Millennium Summit; The International Space Station in its infant form as seen from S ...
and
2001 Belmonts—both run when there was no Triple Crown on the line—drew announced crowds of 67,810 and 73,857. The Belmont Stakes Festival continues to be held in communities near the track, such as Floral Park and Garden City. In
2004, a record attendance of 120,139 was on hand to see if
Smarty Jones
Smarty Jones (February 28, 2001) is a champion Thoroughbred racehorse who won the 2004 Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes and came second in the Belmont Stakes.
Background
Born at Fairthorne Farm in Chester County, Pennsylvania, the horse was n ...
would be the first Triple Crown winner since 1978.
American Pharoah
American Pharoah (foaled February 2, 2012) is a Thoroughbred racehorse who won the American Triple Crown and the Breeders' Cup Classic in 2015. He was the 12th Triple Crown winner in history, and in winning all four races, became the first ho ...
won the
2015 Belmont Stakes
The 2015 Belmont Stakes (known as the 147th Belmont Stakes presented by DraftKings for sponsorship reasons) was the 147th in the Belmont Stakes series. The race, known as the "test of the champion" and sometimes called the "final jewel" in tho ...
on June 6, and became the first
Triple Crown
Triple Crown may refer to:
Sports Horse racing
* Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing
* Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing (United States)
** Triple Crown Trophy
** Triple Crown Productions
* Canadian Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing
* Tri ...
winner in 37 years. It was announced before the race that attendance would be capped at 90,000. That year's
Kentucky Derby and
Preakness Preakness may refer to:
* The Preakness or Preakness Stakes, an American flat thoroughbred horse race held in Baltimore, Maryland
* Preakness (horse), an American thoroughbred racehorse from Preakness Stables
* Preakness, New Jersey, a section of W ...
both set attendance records, over 170,000 and 130,000 respectively.
Early aviation tournaments
Belmont Park also has a history of early aviation shows and tournaments that
dates back to the early 1900s.
Harriet Quimby
Harriet Quimby (May 11, 1875 – July 1, 1912) was an American pioneering aviator, journalist, and film screenwriter.
In 1911, she became the first woman in the United States to receive a pilot certificate, issued to her by the Aero Club of Ame ...
, the first USA woman to obtain a pilot's license, learned of the excitement of flight at the Belmont Park International Aviation Tournament on Long Island, New York in 1910 where she met famed aviator
John Moisant
John Bevins Moisant (April 25, 1868 – December 31, 1910), known as the "King of Aviators," was an American aviator, aeronautical engineer, flight instructor, businessman, and revolutionary. He was the first pilot to conduct passenger flight ...
and his sister.
Other key races at Belmont
In addition to the Belmont Stakes, other major races held at Belmont have included the
Jockey Club Gold Cup
The Jockey Club Gold Cup, established in 1919, is a thoroughbred flat race open to horses of either gender three-years-old and up. It has traditionally been the main event of the fall meeting at Belmont Park, just as the Belmont Stakes is of the s ...
, the
Woodward Stakes
The Woodward Stakes is an American Grade I stakes race and is one of the premier races for older thoroughbred horses in the United States. It is named for prominent racehorse owner William Woodward.
The race was first run in 1954 at Aqueduct Rac ...
, the
Suburban Handicap and the Memorial Day standby—the
Metropolitan Handicap
The Metropolitan Handicap, frequently called the "Met Mile", is an American Grade I Thoroughbred horse race held at Belmont Park in Elmont, New York. Open to horses age three and older, it is contested on dirt over a distance of one mile (8 fu ...
, also known as the "Met Mile." (NYRA moved the Woodward to Saratoga Race Course, in 2006.)
Two important races for fillies, the
Mother Goose Stakes
The Mother Goose Stakes is an American thoroughbred horse race for three-year-old fillies held at Belmont Park in Elmont, New York. Raced on dirt in late June or early July, the race currently offers a purse of $300,000. Inaugurated in 1957 at a m ...
and the
Coaching Club American Oaks
The Coaching Club American Oaks is a race for thoroughbred three-year-old fillies and the second leg of the Triple Tiara of Thoroughbred Racing. Originally run at Belmont Park, the Grade I $500,000 stakes race was moved to Saratoga Race Course in ...
, are also run at Belmont as the first two installments of the New York Racing Association's Triple Tiara series for fillies. The third is the
Alabama Stakes
The Alabama Stakes is an American Thoroughbred horse race open to three-year-old fillies. Inaugurated in 1872, the Grade I race is run over a distance of one and one-quarter miles on the dirt track at Saratoga Race Course. Held in mid August, it cu ...
, run at Saratoga. In years past, the New York Filly Triple Crown consisted of the Mother Goose, CCA Oaks and another Belmont race, the
Acorn Stakes
The Acorn Stakes is an American Grade I race at Belmont Park in Elmont, New York for three-year-old Thoroughbred fillies. It is raced on dirt over a distance of one mile with a current purse of $500,000. It is the first leg of the US Triple Tiar ...
(which is still run at the track).
All of the above races are contested on dirt; notable turf (grass) races include the
Belmont Derby
The Caesars Belmont Derby is an American Grade I stakes race for three-year-old Thoroughbred race horse run over a distance of miles on the turf at Belmont Park in July. The purse for the event is US$1,000,000. The event is the first of three of ...
,
Belmont Oaks
The Belmont Oaks Invitational Stakes is an American Thoroughbred horse race held annually in early July at Belmont Park in Elmont, New York. A Grade I event open to three-year-old fillies, it is raced on turf over a distance of a mile and a quar ...
,
Manhattan Handicap
The Manhattan Handicap is an American Thoroughbred horse race raced annually at Belmont Park in Elmont, New York. It is named for Manhattan, the principal borough of the City of New York. Currently offering a purse of $1,000,000, the Grade I Manh ...
,
Just A Game Handicap,
Bowling Green Handicap
The Bowling Green Stakes is a Grade II American thoroughbred horse race for horses age four years old and older over a distance of miles on the turf held annually in late July at Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, New York.
History
The i ...
,
Man O' War Stakes
The Man o' War Stakes is a Grade I American thoroughbred horse race for horses aged four-years-old and older. It is run over a distance of one and three-eighth miles on turf and is scheduled annually for early May at Belmont Park in Elmont, New Yo ...
,
Flower Bowl Invitational Stakes
The Flower Bowl Stakes is a Grade II American thoroughbred horse race for fillies and mares aged four years old and older over a distance of miles on the turf held annually in early September at Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, New York. ...
and the
Joe Hirsch Turf Classic Invitational.
Belmont's Fall Championship meet includes New York Showcase Day in late October, with seven stakes races for New York-bred horses. The richest race on that program is the $250,000
Empire Classic Handicap.
Graded events
The following Graded events were held at Belmont Park in 2022.
Grade I
*
Acorn Stakes
The Acorn Stakes is an American Grade I race at Belmont Park in Elmont, New York for three-year-old Thoroughbred fillies. It is raced on dirt over a distance of one mile with a current purse of $500,000. It is the first leg of the US Triple Tiar ...
*
Belmont Derby
The Caesars Belmont Derby is an American Grade I stakes race for three-year-old Thoroughbred race horse run over a distance of miles on the turf at Belmont Park in July. The purse for the event is US$1,000,000. The event is the first of three of ...
*
Belmont Oaks
The Belmont Oaks Invitational Stakes is an American Thoroughbred horse race held annually in early July at Belmont Park in Elmont, New York. A Grade I event open to three-year-old fillies, it is raced on turf over a distance of a mile and a quar ...
*
Belmont Stakes
*
Champagne Stakes
*
Frizette Stakes
*
Jaipur Invitational Stakes
*
Joe Hirsch Turf Classic
*
Just a Game Stakes
*
Man o' War Stakes
The Man o' War Stakes is a Grade I American thoroughbred horse race for horses aged four-years-old and older. It is run over a distance of one and three-eighth miles on turf and is scheduled annually for early May at Belmont Park in Elmont, New Yo ...
*
Manhattan Stakes
*
Ogden Phipps Stakes
*
Metropolitan Handicap
The Metropolitan Handicap, frequently called the "Met Mile", is an American Grade I Thoroughbred horse race held at Belmont Park in Elmont, New York. Open to horses age three and older, it is contested on dirt over a distance of one mile (8 fu ...
*
New York Stakes
The New York Stakes is a Grade I American thoroughbred horse race for fillies and mares aged four-years-old and older run over a distance of one and one-quarter miles on the turf scheduled annually in early June at Belmont Park in Elmont, New Yo ...
*
Vosburgh Stakes
The Vosburgh Stakes is an American thoroughbred horse race held annually at Belmont Park in Elmont, New York. Run at the end of September/early October, it is open to horses three-years-old and up of either gender. A Grade II sprint race, it is ...
*
Woodward Stakes
The Woodward Stakes is an American Grade I stakes race and is one of the premier races for older thoroughbred horses in the United States. It is named for prominent racehorse owner William Woodward.
The race was first run in 1954 at Aqueduct Rac ...
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Woody Stephens Stakes
Grade II
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Bed O' Roses Invitational Stakes
The Bed O' Roses Invitational Stakes is a Grade III American Thoroughbred horse race for fillies and Mares four-year-olds and older, over a distance of seven furlongs on the dirt track held annually in early June at Belmont Park in Elmont, New Y ...
*
Beldame Stakes
The Beldame Stakes is an American Thoroughbred horse race for fillies and mares three-years-old and up. Inaugurated in 1939, it was run as a handicap prior to 1960. The race is held annually near the beginning of October at Belmont Park and curr ...
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Belmont Gold Cup Invitational Stakes
*
Brooklyn Invitational Stakes
The Brooklyn Invitational Stakes (formerly known as the Brooklyn Handicap) is an American Thoroughbred horse race run annually in early June at Belmont Park in Elmont, New York, on Long Island. It currently is a Grade II event open to four-year-ol ...
*
Gallant Bloom Handicap
*
Hill Prince Stakes
*
John A. Nerud Stakes
*
Kelso Handicap
The Kelso Stakes is a Grade II American Thoroughbred horse race for three-year-olds and older run over a distance of one mile (8 furlongs) on the dirt held annually in late October at Belmont Park in Elmont, New York. The event offers a purse of ...
*
Knickerbocker Stakes
The Knickerbocker Stakes is an American Graded stakes race, Grade III horse race, race on grass, turf for Thoroughbred horses run each year at Belmont Park in Elmont, New York. The Knickerbocker is open to three-year-olds and up, and set at a dista ...
*
Miss Grillo Stakes
The Miss Grillo Stakes is a Grade II American Thoroughbred horse race for two-year-olds filles over a distance of miles on the turf track scheduled annually in late September at Belmont Park in Elmont, New York. The event currently offers a pur ...
*
Mother Goose Stakes
The Mother Goose Stakes is an American thoroughbred horse race for three-year-old fillies held at Belmont Park in Elmont, New York. Raced on dirt in late June or early July, the race currently offers a purse of $300,000. Inaugurated in 1957 at a m ...
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Ruffian Handicap
*
Sands Point Stakes
*
Sheepshead Bay Stakes
*
Suburban Stakes
The Suburban Stakes is an American Grade II Thoroughbred horse race run annually at Belmont Park in Elmont, New York. Open to horses age three and older, it is now run at the mile distance on dirt for a $700,000 purse.
Named after the City and Su ...
*
True North Stakes
The True North Stakes is a Grade II American Thoroughbred horse race for horses aged four years old and older held over a distance of six and half furlongs on dirt scheduled annually in early June at Belmont Park in Elmont, New York. The event ...
*
Wonder Again Stakes
Grade III
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Athenia Stakes
*
Beaugay Stakes
*
Bold Ruler Handicap
The Bold Ruler Stakes is a Grade III American Thoroughbred horse race for three-years-old and older run over a distance of seven furlongs run annually in late October Belmont Park in Elmont, New York. The event currently offers a purse of $200,0 ...
*
Dwyer Stakes
The Dwyer Stakes is an American Grade III stakes race for three-year-old thoroughbred racehorses held annually at Belmont Park racetrack in Elmont, Long Island, New York. Run in early July, it is open to three-year-old horses and is raced over a ...
*
Fort Marcy Stakes
The Fort Marcy Stakes is a Grade II American Thoroughbred horse race for three-years-old and older run over a distance of miles on the turf annually in early May at Belmont Park, in Elmont, New York. The event currently offers a purse of $150,0 ...
*
Futurity Stakes
*
Intercontinental Stakes
*
Jockey Club Derby
A jockey is someone who rides horses in horse racing or steeplechase racing, primarily as a profession. The word also applies to camel riders in camel racing. The word "jockey" originated from England and was used to describe the individual w ...
*
Jockey Club Oaks
The Jockey Club Oaks Invitational Stakes is an American Grade III stakes race Thoroughbred horse race for three-year-old fillies run over a distance of one and three-eighth miles on the turf held annually in September at Belmont Park, Elmont, New ...
*
Matron Stakes
*
Noble Damsel Handicap
*
Pennine Ridge Stakes
*
Pebbles Stakes
*
Peter Pan Stakes
The Peter Pan Stakes is a Grade III American Thoroughbred horse race for three-year-olds over a distance of miles (nine furlongs) run annually during the second week of May at Belmont Park in Elmont, New York.
History
The race is run in honor o ...
*
Pilgrim Stakes
The Pilgrim Stakes is a Grade II American Thoroughbred horse race for two-year-olds over a distance of miles on the turf track scheduled annually in late September at Belmont Park in Elmont, New York. The event currently offers a purse of $200, ...
*
Poker Stakes
*
Soaring Softly Stakes
The Soaring Softly Stakes is a Graded stakes race, Grade III American Thoroughbred horse race for three years old fillies, over a distance of 7 furlongs on the grass, turf held annually in May at Belmont Park in Elmont, New York. The event current ...
*
Vagrancy Handicap
The Vagrancy Handicap is a Grade III American Thoroughbred horse race for fillies and mares that are three years old and older run over a distance of furlongs on the dirt track held annually in late May or early June at Belmont Park in Elmont, Ne ...
*
Victory Ride Stakes
The Victory Ride Stakes is a Grade III American Thoroughbred horse race for three-year-old fillies run at a distance of furlongs on the dirt held annually in late June or early July at Belmont Park in Elmont, New York.
History
The race is nam ...
*
Waya Stakes
The Waya Stakes is a Grade III American Thoroughbred horse race for fillies and mares, three years old and older run over a distance of miles on the turf held annually in October at Belmont Park in Elmont, New York. The event offers a purse o ...
*
Westchester Stakes
In 2021, the
Woodward Stakes
The Woodward Stakes is an American Grade I stakes race and is one of the premier races for older thoroughbred horses in the United States. It is named for prominent racehorse owner William Woodward.
The race was first run in 1954 at Aqueduct Rac ...
and
Waya Stakes
The Waya Stakes is a Grade III American Thoroughbred horse race for fillies and mares, three years old and older run over a distance of miles on the turf held annually in October at Belmont Park in Elmont, New York. The event offers a purse o ...
were moved to Belmont, while the
Jockey Club Gold Cup
The Jockey Club Gold Cup, established in 1919, is a thoroughbred flat race open to horses of either gender three-years-old and up. It has traditionally been the main event of the fall meeting at Belmont Park, just as the Belmont Stakes is of the s ...
and the
Flower Bowl Stakes were moved to
Saratoga.
Belmont Park today
![Belmont9 1999-05](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/44/Belmont9_1999-05.jpg)
Racing at Belmont Park is conducted in two annual installments, or "meetings". The "spring-summer meeting" usually now begins on the Thursday or Friday of the week before the Kentucky Derby in April and lasts through the first or second Sunday in July, depending on the start of the Saratoga meet that follows (the Saratoga meet was expanded to eight weeks in 2019). The "fall meeting" follows the Saratoga Season, commencing on the Thursday or Friday after
Labor Day and ending on either the last Sunday in October or in some years the first Sunday in November, usually dependent on the dates of the Breeders' Cup. Racing is held at
Saratoga Race Course
Saratoga Race Course is a Thoroughbred horse racing track located on Union Avenue in Saratoga Springs, New York, United States. Opened in 1863, it is often considered to be the oldest major sporting venue of any kind in the country, but is actu ...
, during the time between these two meetings. Prior to 1977, a summer meeting was contested at Aqueduct from mid-June until the Saratoga meet began; its abolition led to the Belmont spring meeting being lengthened to its present duration (and eventual renaming).
The autumn installment is known as the Fall Championship meet, since many of the eventual Eclipse Award title winners have earned key victories in some of the meeting's races, such as the
Jockey Club Gold Cup
The Jockey Club Gold Cup, established in 1919, is a thoroughbred flat race open to horses of either gender three-years-old and up. It has traditionally been the main event of the fall meeting at Belmont Park, just as the Belmont Stakes is of the s ...
. Before the advent of the
Breeders' Cup
The Breeders' Cup World Championships is an annual series of Grade I Thoroughbred horse races, operated by Breeders' Cup Limited, a company formed in 1982. From its inception in 1984 through 2006, it was a single-day event; starting in 2007, ...
series in 1984, the Belmont Fall Championship races themselves helped determine the divisional championships.
Belmont has been home to the day-long Breeders' Cup championship in 1990, 1995, 2001 (the first major sports event to be held after the
September 11 Attacks
The September 11 attacks, commonly known as 9/11, were four coordinated suicide terrorist attacks carried out by al-Qaeda against the United States on Tuesday, September 11, 2001. That morning, nineteen terrorists hijacked four commer ...
in the metropolitan area) and most recently in 2005.
Belmont's backyard is well known as a gathering place for racing fans to see their horses saddled before they hit the track. The center of the paddock is dominated by a white pine that pre-dated the track itself—it turned 180 years old in 2006. A stylized version of the pine has been the centerpiece of Belmont Park's corporate logo since 1968.
![Belmont2 1999-05](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b5/Belmont2_1999-05.jpg)
The paddock area also serves as a picnic area for the increasing numbers of fans who make Belmont Stakes Day—the Saturday that falls within the range of June 5 through June 11—a tourist attraction.
Physical attributes
![Belmont8 1999-05](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e0/Belmont8_1999-05.jpg)
The racing, training and barn complex is located on the western edge of the Nassau County region known as the Hempstead Plains. Just a few miles (kilometers) east on the same plains, the first racing meet in North America was held in 1665, supervised by colonial governor Richard Nicolls.
The dirt racecourse, known officially as the ''Main Track'' and nicknamed "Big Sandy" by racing followers, has a circumference of , the longest dirt thoroughbred racetrack in North America. Immediately inside of this is the ''Widener Turf Course'' (named after the Widener family that has a long and prestigious history in American horse racing) spanning plus , which in turn encircles an ''Inner Turf Course'' with a circumference of plus . On the Main Track, it is from the top of the stretch to the finish line, and the segment between the wire and the start of the first (clubhouse) turn covers ; this latter segment is shorter by approximately on both of the turf courses, in order to accommodate the two
chutes that exist on the Widener Turf Course, from which turf races of and are started; an additional chute exists for races of on the Inner Turf Course.
A straightaway chute leads on to the backstretch of the Main Track and permits races on the dirt up to long to be run with one turn. The chute used to extend further back across the training track, permitting races of up to a mile and a quarter but was shortened because a crossover is now infeasible given the clay base of the Main Track and stone-dust base of the training track. Before the 1990 Breeders' Cup, the outer rail of the Main Track was moved back to widen the middle of the clubhouse turn and soften the angle of the start of the
Classic
A classic is an outstanding example of a particular style; something of lasting worth or with a timeless quality; of the first or highest quality, class, or rank – something that exemplifies its class. The word can be an adjective (a ''c ...
. The training track is in circumference and abuts the east end of the main track. In March 2009, lights were added to the training track as a safety measure to prevent early morning workouts from occurring in the dark.
Geopolitical status
The racetrack, grandstand, training, and barn facilities are located entirely in the community of
Elmont in
Nassau County, New York
Nassau County ( ) is a county in the U.S. state of New York. At the 2020 U.S. census, Nassau County's population is 1,395,774. The county seat is Mineola and the largest town is Hempstead.
Nassau County is situated on western Long Isl ...
. According to the City of New York's own map portal, the
Long Island Rail Road station on the property, the ramp between the grandstand and the train station, and some of the adjoining parking fields straddle the
Queens County line.
Belmont Park has direct on- and off-ramps to the
Cross Island Parkway, which runs north-south and is just to the west of the park. Belmont Park's physical address is given as 2150 Hempstead Turnpike (
New York State Route 24
New York State Route 24 (NY 24) is a east–west state highway on Long Island in the U.S. state of New York. The highway is split into two segments, with the longest and westernmost of the two extending from an interchange with In ...
).
The Belmont Park property originally totaled some . Because the property stretched slightly into Queens, bookmakers in the track's early days — when bookmaking was illegal — could escape arrest from one county's authorities by jumping over the border. It was once even believed that horses rounding the far turn crossed into Queens and then came back to Nassau for the stretch run. After the 1956 season, the construction of a wider bus road beyond the main course's final turn forced the turn to be shortened. According to the Belmont publication commemorating the track's 1968 reopening, that move cut off its circumference. The current layout has the entire racing course inside Nassau County.
In popular culture
Belmont and NYRA TV personalities
Because of Belmont's role in hosting big, nationally televised races on broadcast and cable TV, its track announcers have been among the best known in the sport. Among the famous race callers who've served as Belmont PA announcers are
Fred Capossela,
Dave Johnson,
Chic Anderson,
Marshall Cassidy,
Tom Durkin,
Larry Collmus and currently on a full-time basis,
John Imbriale after Larry Colmus's contract with NYRA was not renewed following the 2019 Belmont Park season (Imbriale had been announcer during the Winter months while Collmus was at Gulfstream Park at that time and even after Collmus ended his time as the Gulfstream track announcer). Imbriale is currently backed up by Anthony Stabile.
Contrary to popular belief, Johnson, not Anderson, was Belmont Park's PA announcer during Secretariat's 1973 romp in the Belmont Stakes (there is no known audio to exist of Johnson's call of that Belmont). It was on TV that Anderson called the 1973 Belmont Stakes aired by
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc., commonly shortened to CBS, the abbreviation of its former legal name Columbia Broadcasting System, is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the CBS Entertainm ...
Television, where he famously described Big Red as "moving like a tremendous machine". Anderson was the TV "voice of horse racing" in the 1970s and the announcer at
Churchill Downs during
Secretariat
Secretariat may refer to:
* Secretariat (administrative office)
* Secretariat (horse)
Secretariat (March 30, 1970 – October 4, 1989), also known as Big Red, was a champion American thoroughbred racehorse who is the ninth winner of the Ame ...
's racing career. Johnson went on to be TV's voice of horse racing in the 1990s.
Anderson would succeed Johnson as announcer at Belmont and the other NYRA tracks in May 1977, serving until his death on March 24, 1979. Anderson was followed by frequent backup voice Marshall Cassidy, who was the lead caller of NYRA races until Durkin replaced him in September 1990.
Sources: New York Racing Association (NYRA), City of New York
*
Paul Corman (1995–1999)
*
John Imbriale (1995–present)--Also the current full-time racecaller at the NYRA tracks
*
Rich McCarthy (1995–1999)
*
Harvey Pack (1995–1999)
*
Jan Rushton (1995–2009)
* Mary Ryan (1995–1999)
*
John Veitch (1995–1999)
*
Mike Watchmaker (1995–1999)
*
Michael Sherack (1997–2000)
*
Kelly Gecewicz (2000–2005)
*
Jason Blewitt (2006–2016) — Blewitt graduated from Long Island University, C. W. Post with a degree in journalism. He had been a regular co-host of ''Talking Horses'', a daily handicapping show at NYRA tracks, since 2006. He has also been a frequent guest on New York City Off Track Betting Corporation's ''Thoroughbred Central.''
* Eric Donovan (2006–present) — Eric Donovan has worked on the NYRA press staff since 1999 and was the full-time oddsmaker for all three New York Racing Association tracks from 2005 - 2017. He was also the co-host of NYRA's daily handicapping show, ''Talking Horses''. Donovan, who frequently substituted in recent years, took over for Don LaPlace, who set the morning line since early 2000.
*
Andy Serling (2008–present) — Andy Serling is an American
television personality
Celebrity is a condition of fame and broad public recognition of a person or group as a result of the attention given to them by mass media. An individual may attain a celebrity status from having great wealth, their participation in sports ...
who works as a television analyst for Belmont Park,
Saratoga Race Course
Saratoga Race Course is a Thoroughbred horse racing track located on Union Avenue in Saratoga Springs, New York, United States. Opened in 1863, it is often considered to be the oldest major sporting venue of any kind in the country, but is actu ...
, and
Aqueduct Racetrack as he also makes appearances on HRTV daily for his handicapping insights. A native of Saratoga Springs, New York, he has been a familiar face and voice around New York tracks since he began following the races while still a child. As an adult, he has become known as a trenchant and highly opinionated analyst. He was the first co-host (with Mike Watchmaker) of the ''Talking Horses'' segment of the NYRA simulcast show, and currently serves as a weekend-stakes commentator on drf.com web-casts. He is also a regular guest and the Monday host of ''
Daily Racing Form
The ''Daily Racing Form'' (DRF) (referred to as the ''Racing Form'' or "Form" and sometimes "telegraph" or "telly") is a tabloid newspaper founded in 1894 in Chicago, Illinois, by Frank Brunell. The paper publishes the past performances of raceh ...
''s handicapping seminars at Siro's during the Saratoga race meeting. Serling has been with NYRA's on-air team since August 2008.
*
Maggie Wolfendale (2010–present)
* Anthony Stabile (2016-Present)
Comedy
Comedian
Robert Klein
Robert Klein (born February 8, 1942) is an American stand-up comedian, singer, and actor. He is known for his appearances on stage and screen. He has released four standup comedy specials: ''A Child of the 50s'' (1973), ''Mind Over Matter'' (197 ...
made Capossella's race calls the subject of one of his routines, captured on his 1974 album ''Mind Over Matter.''
Film
Scenes for the Woody Allen movies ''
Mighty Aphrodite
''Mighty Aphrodite'' is a 1995 American comedy film written, directed by, and co-starring Woody Allen, alongside Mira Sorvino, Helena Bonham Carter, Michael Rapaport, and F. Murray Abraham. The screenplay was vaguely inspired by the story of '' ...
'' (1995) and ''
Melinda and Melinda
''Melinda and Melinda'' is a 2004 American comedy film written and directed by Woody Allen. It premiered at the San Sebastian International Film Festival. The film is set in Manhattan and stars Radha Mitchell as the protagonist Melinda, in two s ...
'' (2004) were shot at Belmont Park, as was a paddock scene for the 1990s remake of the film ''
Gloria'' with
Sharon Stone
Sharon Vonne Stone (born March 10, 1958) is an American actress. Known for primarily playing femme fatales and women of mystery on film and television, she became one of the most popular sex symbols of the 1990s. She is the recipient of various ...
and
George C. Scott
George Campbell Scott (October 18, 1927 – September 22, 1999) was an American actor, director, and producer who had a celebrated career on both stage and screen. With a gruff demeanor and commanding presence, Scott became known for his port ...
.
Scenes for the movie ''
St. Vincent'' (2014) starring
Bill Murray
William James Murray (born September 21, 1950) is an American actor and comedian. He is known for his deadpan delivery. He rose to fame on ''The National Lampoon Radio Hour'' (1973–1974) before becoming a national presence on '' Saturday Nig ...
were shot at Belmont Park.
Music
Belmont has hosted a wide range of top musical acts, including
Billy Joel,
Kenny Rogers
Kenneth Ray Rogers (August 21, 1938 – March 20, 2020) was an American singer, songwriter, and actor. He was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2013. Rogers was particularly popular with country audiences but also charted m ...
,
Natalie Cole
Natalie Maria Cole (February 6, 1950 – December 31, 2015) was an American singer, songwriter, and actress. She was the daughter of American singer and jazz pianist Nat King Cole. She rose to success in the mid-1970s as an R&B singer with the h ...
and
Blondie. Titled the Coca-Cola Sunset Series, these fan-based events were produced by
Richard Flanzer.
Television
A January 1975 episode of the ABC sitcom ''
The Odd Couple Odd Couple may refer to:
Neil Simon play and its adaptations
* ''The Odd Couple'' (play), a 1965 stage play by Neil Simon
** ''The Odd Couple'' (film), a 1968 film based on the play
*** ''The Odd Couple'' (1970 TV series), a 1970–1975 televisi ...
'' — entitled "Felix the Horse Player"—was filmed partly at Belmont Park, though one of the race clips on the show features the shot of an Aqueduct starting gate.
A few years later,
Dick Cavett took the camera crew of his
PBS
The Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) is an American public broadcaster and non-commercial, free-to-air television network based in Arlington, Virginia. PBS is a publicly funded nonprofit organization and the most prominent provider of educat ...
talk show to Belmont for a look at horse racing.
Belmont Park was featured in an episode of ''
Everybody Loves Raymond
''Everybody Loves Raymond'' is an American sitcom television series created by Philip Rosenthal that aired on CBS from September 13, 1996, to May 16, 2005, with a total of 210 episodes spanning nine seasons. It was produced by Where's Lunch an ...
'', in which Frank, Robert, and Ray bet on a horse named "Marie's Mouth".
Belmont Park was featured on the season finale of ''
The Amazing Race 27
''The Amazing Race 27'' is the twenty-seventh season of the American reality television show ''The Amazing Race''. It featured eleven teams of two competing in a race around the world.
The season premiered on CBS September 25, 2015, and the fina ...
''.
Course record breakers
*
Nasomo (foaled 1956)
See also
*
American Triple Crown
In the United States, the Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing, commonly known as the Triple Crown, is a series of horse races for three-year-old Thoroughbreds, consisting of the Kentucky Derby, Preakness Stakes, and Belmont Stakes. The three r ...
*
Graded stakes race
A graded stakes race is a thoroughbred horse race in the United States that meets the criteria of the American Graded Stakes Committee of the Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association (TOBA). A specific grade level (I, II, III or listed) is the ...
*
James Radley
James Radley (1884–1959) was one of the first English aviators, holding Royal Aero Club Aviators Certificate Number 12. As well as carrying out demonstration flights and competitions in aircraft, he also piloted a ballon in a number of ball ...
—English aviator
References
External links
*
Belmont Park Opening Day, 1905Belmont Stakes
{{New York metro area sports venues
Horse racing venues in New York (state)
New York Racing Association
Belmont family
Sports venues in Hempstead, New York
1905 establishments in New York (state)
Sports venues completed in 1905