Belmont Stakes: The Third Jewel of America's Triple Crown

Belmont Park is the proud home of the third jewel of the Triple Crown - the Belmont Stakes. This prestigious event is held five weeks after the Kentucky Derby.

First run on June 19, 1867, the Belmont Stakes is the oldest of the three Triple Crown events. The Belmont Stakes predates the second jewel, the Preakness Stakes, by six years and is older than the first jewel, the Kentucky Derby, by eight. The Belmont Stakes is also the fourth oldest race in North America, after the Phoenix Breeders Cup, the Queen’s Plate in Canada and the Travers Stakes.

The Belmont Stakes was named after August Belmont, a financier who made a name and fortune for himself in New York politics and society, as well as horse racing.

The Belmont Stakes has been run at various distances. Here is a breakdown of the distances over the years:

Recent Belmont Stakes Winners

The First Belmont Stakes

The first running of the Belmont Stakes was held on a Thursday at Jerome Park. It was a mile and five furlongs race and the conditions included an entry fee of $200, with half forfeit, and $1,500 added.

There were four competitors in the first running: Ruthless, DeCourcey, Rivoli and Monday. It was won by Ruthless in 3:05. He was owned by Francis Morris and ridden by jockey Gilpatrick.

Belmont Stakes Facts

The Trophy
The Belmont Stakes trophy is a solid silver bowl that was originally made by Tiffany’s. With the cover, the bowl is 18 inches high, 15 inches wide and 14 inches at the base.

The bowl is supported by the three horses representing the three foundation thoroughbreds - Eclipse, Herod and Matchem.
Each year, the winning owner of the Belmont Stakes receives a replica of the permanent trophy. A smaller version is presented to the winning trainer and jockey, while mementos are provided to the exercise rider and groom.

The Traditional Flower
The traditional flower of the Belmont Stakes is the white carnation. After the race, the winner of the Belmont Stakes is given the blanket of white carnations. The blanket requires approximately 350 carnations, glued to green velveteen spread and weighs between 30 and 40 pounds.

The Official Drink
The Belmont Breeze is the official drink of the Belmont Stakes. The profile of the Belmont Breeze comes from the colonial recipe: one of sour, two of sweet, three of strong and four of weak. The ingredients are:

• 1 1/2 ounces of a good American blended whiskey
• 3/4 ounces Harveys Bristol Cream Sherry
• 1/2 ounce of fresh lemon juice
• 1 ounce of simple syrup
• (1 ounce of sweet and sour mix may be substituted for the lemon juice and simple syrup)
• 1 1/2 ounces fresh orange juice
• 1 1/2 ounces cranberry juice
• 1 ounce 7-Up
• 1 ounce Club Soda

Shake first six ingredients with ice, then top with 7-Up and club soda. Garnish with mint sprig and lemon wedge.

Belmont Stakes Trivia

The Fastest
Secretariat set a world-record that still stands for the mile and a half distance on a dirt track at 2:24. He had finished a mile and a quarter at 1:59, faster than his own Derby record of 1:59 2/5.

The First Race Run Counter-Clockwise
The 1921 Belmont Stakes was the first race to be run in the counter-clockwise custom of American racing. Previous Belmont Stakes were run clockwise in accordance with the English custom.

The Highest-Priced Winner
The highest-priced Belmont Stakes winner was Sarava ($142.50) in 2002.

The Largest Field
The largest field for the Belmont Stakes was 15 in 1983. The second largest field was 14 in 1996 and 1875.

The Widest Margin of Victory
Secretariat won the 1973 Belmont Stakes by 31 lengths.

The Largest Attendance
The largest attendance ever for the Belmont Stakes was achieved in 2002 when a record 103,222 attended the event.

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