Belmont Stakes

Horse racing is a form of professional gaming and one of the most prestigious ways of spending your leisure time. In North America, horse racing attracts many followers who not only bet and watch it live from the stands but also watch the races on television. There are several popular horse racing events that American keep track of and one of the more popular ones is the Belmont Stakes.

This racing event is held at Belmont Park in Belmont, New York during the month of June. It is classified as a Thoroughbred American Grade 1 horse race. The race runs for 2.4 km (1.5 miles) and is open to all Thoroughbreds that are 3 years of age. The geldings and colts should carry the weight of 57 kg (126 pounds) while fillies should carry 55 kg (126 pounds). This race is the US Triple Crown's final and 3^rd leg. It commences 5 weeks after the Kentucky Derby and in 3 weeks after the Preakness Stakes.

Although the Belmont Stakes only ranks fourth in North America in terms of attendance, it typically surpasses attendance of other races that includes the Breeder's Cup. The amount of Belmont Stakes attendance is only next to the Kentucky Derby, Kentucky Oaks and Preakness Stakes. In 2004, the Belmost Stakes had a massive 21.9 million TV viewers and ranked highest in household viewing rate after the 1977 Seattle Slew win over the Triple Crown.

Short History of Belmont Stakes

The very first Belmont Stakes event was in commenced in Jerome Park Racetrack which is located in the Bronx. The venue was built in 1866 by Leonard Jerome, stock market speculator and August Belmont, Sr. its financer and where the race got its name. The races where held at the Jerome Park up to 1890 then transferred to  Morris Park Racecourse. The races were held there until May of 1905 when it was transferred to the newly opened Belmont Park which is a 430 acre race track located in Elmont, New York, Long Island. It can be found outside New York City in the borough of Queens.

The races were cancelled during 1911 to 1912 following the closure of Belmont Racetract due to an anti-gambling legislation passed by the New York state.

In 1880, the first US post parade ws held at 14^th Belmont. Prior to 1921, the races were run in a clockwise tradition following the English race. Ever since the race was run by Americans, the direction took a counter-clockwise turn. Winners of the Belmont Stakes were honored with the August Belmont Trophy, which is among the most prestigious awards of the country.

What Makes Belmont Stakes so Distinct

Aside from having the 3^rd highest honor in the Triple Crown races, being the last race to be run, it earned the recognition of being the “Test of the Champion”.

In 1931 it was established that the order of the Triple Crown races were the Kentucky Derby first, then the Preakness Stakes and lastly, Belmont Stakes. The Belmont Stakes races are typically held during the 1^st Saturday after or on  June 5. Kentucky Derbies start on 1^st Saturdays of May while the Preakness Stakes begin 2 weeks later. Three weeks after the Preakness Stakes is when the Belmont Stakes begin.

Being the last race to be run and its distinctive one lap length around the immense Belmont race track, most of the 3 year old horses have difficulty maintaining their speed and stamina being unaccustomed and lacking experience in running the long distance. The Belmont races need strategic timing and positioning of the horse in order to win the critical lead.