Editing Belmont Stakes (section)

== History ==

=== 1867–1929: early years ===
[[File:August Belmont Trophy.png|thumb|right|160px|[[August Belmont Trophy]], presented annually to the winning owner since 1926.]]
The first Belmont Stakes was held at [[Jerome Park Racetrack]] in [[the Bronx]], built in 1866 by stock market speculator [[Leonard Jerome]] (1817–1891) and financed by [[August Belmont Sr.]] (1816–1890), for whom the race was named. The first race in 1867 saw the [[filly]] [[Ruthless (horse)|Ruthless]] win, while the following year was won by [[General Duke (horse)|General Duke]].<ref name=PastWinners /> The first post parade in the [[United States]] was at the 14th Belmont, in 1880. The race continued to be held at Jerome Park until 1890, when it was moved to the nearby facility, [[Morris Park Racecourse]].<ref name="Belmont Stakes Records">{{cite web |url=http://www.belmontstakes.com/history/records.aspx |title=Belmont Stakes Records & Traditions |publisher=New York Racing Association |access-date=2011-11-04}}</ref> The 1895 race was almost not held because of new laws that banned bookmaking in New York: it was eventually rescheduled for November 2.<ref name="Sowers">{{cite book|last1=Sowers|first1=Richard|title=The Kentucky Derby, Preakness and Belmont Stakes : a comprehensive history|date=2014|publisher=McFarland & Company, Inc., Publishers|location=Jefferson, North Carolina|isbn=978-0-7864-7698-5}}<!--|access-date=6 June 2016--></ref> The race remained at Morris Park Racecourse until the May 1905 opening of the new [[Belmont Park]], {{convert|430|acre|km2|adj=on}} racetrack in Elmont, New York, on [[Long Island]], just outside the New York City borough of [[Queens]].<ref name="Belmont Stakes Records" /> When anti-gambling legislation was passed in New York State, Belmont Racetrack was closed, and the race was cancelled in 1911 and 1912.<ref>{{cite web|title=Horse Racing's Triple Crown: 10 Fast Facts – History in the Headlines|url=http://www.history.com/news/horse-racings-triple-crown-10-fast-facts|website=history.com|access-date=May 30, 2016}}</ref>  

The first winner of the [[United States Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing|Triple Crown]] was [[Sir Barton]], in 1919, before the series was recognized as such.<ref>{{cite web|title=History Challenge: The first Triple Crown winner, Sir Barton|url=http://www.drf.com/news/history-challenge-first-triple-crown-winner-sir-barton|website=Daily Racing Form|access-date=May 30, 2016}}</ref> In 1920, the Belmont was won by the great [[Man o' War]], who won by 20 lengths, setting a new stakes and American record, while under a stout pull.<ref>{{cite web|title=Chart of the 1920 Belmont Stakes|url=http://www.belmontstakes.com/UserFiles/file/1920.pdf|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120310140606/http://www.belmontstakes.com/UserFiles/file/1920.pdf|url-status=dead|archive-date=March 10, 2012|website=Belmont Stakes|access-date=May 30, 2016}}</ref>

Starting in 1926, the winner of the Belmont Stakes has been presented with [[August Belmont Trophy]]. The owner may keep the trophy for one year, and also receives a silver miniature for permanent use.<ref name="Belmont Stakes Records" />

=== 1930–2000: evolution of the Triple Crown series ===
{{Main|Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing (United States)}}

The term Triple Crown was first used when [[Gallant Fox]] won the three races in 1930, but the term did not enter widespread use until 1935 when his son [[Omaha (horse)|Omaha]] repeated the feat. Sir Barton was then honored retroactively.<ref>{{cite web|title=10 things to know about the Triple Crown|url=http://www.courier-journal.com/story/sports/horses/triple/2014/06/06/things-know-triple-crown/10103343/|website=The Courier-Journal|access-date=May 30, 2016}}</ref> Since 1931, the order of Triple Crown races has been the Kentucky Derby first, followed by the Preakness Stakes, and then the Belmont Stakes. Prior to 1931, the Preakness was run before the Derby eleven times. On May 12, 1917, and again on May 13, 1922, the Preakness and the Derby were run on the same day. On eleven occasions, the Belmont Stakes was run before the Preakness Stakes.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.turfnsport.com/triplecrown/preakness-stakes.php |title=Preakness Stakes |publisher=Turfnsport.com |access-date=2010-10-07 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110429021800/http://www.turfnsport.com/triplecrown/preakness-stakes.php |archive-date=2011-04-29}}</ref> The date of each event is now set by the [[Kentucky Derby]], which is always held on the first Saturday in May. The [[Preakness Stakes]] is currently held two weeks later; and the Belmont Stakes is held three weeks after the Preakness (five weeks after the Derby). The earliest possible date for the Derby is May 1, and the latest is May 7; the earliest possible date for the Belmont is thus June 5, and the latest is June 11.<ref>{{cite web|title=Triple Crown Races|url=http://www.triplecrownraces.com/|website=Triple Crown Racing|access-date=May 30, 2016}}</ref> In 2020, due to the cancellation of the original dates due to the [[COVID-19 pandemic]], the order changed with the Belmont first on June 20, the Kentucky Derby on September 5 and the Preakness on October 3—all with no spectators—before the Triple Crown races resumed their normal schedule in 2021.

[[File:Assault conformation image.jpeg|thumb|Assault, winner of the 1946 Triple Crown]]
In 1937, War Admiral became the fourth Triple Crown winner after winning the Belmont in a new track record time of 2:28 3/5.<ref>{{cite web|title=Chart of the 1937 Belmont|url=http://www.belmontstakes.com/UserFiles/file/1937.pdf|website=Belmont Stakes|access-date=May 30, 2016|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160629175508/http://www.belmontstakes.com/UserFiles/file/1937.pdf|archive-date=June 29, 2016}}</ref> In the 1940s, four Triple Crown winners followed: [[Whirlaway]] in 1941, [[Count Fleet]] in 1943, [[Assault (horse)|Assault]] in 1946 and [[Citation (horse)|Citation]] in 1948. Count Fleet won the race by a then-record margin of twenty-five lengths.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Nusca|first1=Andrew|title=Here are the 12 winners of the Triple Crown|url=http://fortune.com/2015/06/06/triple-crown-winners/|website=Fortune|access-date=30 May 2016|date=7 June 2015}}</ref> He also set a stakes record of 2:28 1/5, a record tied by Citation. In 1957, the stakes record was smashed when [[Gallant Man]] ran the Belmont in 2:26 3/5 in a year when the Triple Crown series was split three ways.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Livingston|first1=Barbara|title=Bygone Belmont winners|url=http://www.drf.com/blogs/bygone-belmont-winners|website=Daily Racing Form}}</ref>

The Belmont Stakes race was held at [[Aqueduct Racetrack]] from 1963 to 1967, while the track at Belmont was restored and renovated.

The largest crowd of the 20th century was in 1971 with over 80,000 people, supplemented by the city's [[Latinos|Latino]] community, there to cheer on their new hero, [[Cañonero II]], the [[Venezuela]]n colt who had won the [[Kentucky Derby]] and [[Preakness Stakes]] and was poised to win the U.S. [[Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing (United States)|Triple Crown]]. However, due to a foot infection that had bothered the horse for several days, Cañonero II failed to win the Triple Crown when he struggled across the finish line in 4th place behind [[Pass Catcher]], ridden by [[Walter Blum]]. Despite this loss, Cañonero II was named the winner of the first [[Eclipse Award for Outstanding Three-Year-Old Male Horse]].<ref>{{cite web|last1=Hammonds|first1=Evan|title=First Time By: Inaugural Eclipse Awards|url=http://www.bloodhorse.com/horse-racing/articles/206444/first-time-by-inaugural-eclipse-awards|website=BloodHorse.com}}</ref>

On June 9, 1973, [[Secretariat (horse)|Secretariat]] won the Belmont Stakes by thirty-one lengths in a record time of 2:24, becoming a Triple Crown champion, ending a 25-year gap between [[Citation (horse)|Citation]], the Belmont and Triple Crown winner in 1948. Secretariat's record still stands as the fastest running of the Belmont Stakes and an American record for {{frac|1|1|2}} miles on the dirt.<ref>{{cite web|title=Statistics – North American Records|url=http://www.equibase.com/about/northamericanrecords.cfm|website=Equibase|access-date=4 June 2016}}</ref> In 1977, [[Seattle Slew]] became the first horse to win the Triple Crown while undefeated. Affirmed was the last winner of the Triple Crown in the 20th century, taking the Belmont Stakes in 2:26 4/5 on June 10, 1978. Ridden by eighteen-year-old Steve Cauthen, Affirmed defeated rival Alydar with Jorge Velásquez in the saddle. At the time the race was the third-slowest start and the third-fastest finish with the quarter in 25, the half in 50, 3/4 in 1:14, the mile in 1:37 2/5.<ref>{{cite web|title=Fastest Belmonts|url=http://www.belmontstakes.com/history/fastest-belmonts.aspx|website=www.belmontstakes.com|access-date=May 30, 2016}}</ref>

In 1988, Secretariat's son [[Risen Star]] won the Belmont in 2:26 2/5, then the second-fastest time in the history of the race. The next year, [[Easy Goer]] lowered the mark for second-fastest time to 2:26. Easy Goer also holds a [[Beyer Speed Figure]] of 122 for the race, the best of any Triple Crown race since these ratings were first published in 1987.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A31625-2004May16.html |newspaper=The Washington Post |first=Andrew |last=Beyer |title=On the Fast Track To History |date=May 17, 2004}}</ref>

=== 2001–present: recent years ===
[[File:Belmont crowd.jpg|thumb|The crowd packs the facility when a Triple Crown is on the line]]
For three years in a row, horses came to the Belmont Stakes with a Triple Crown on the line only to fail. In 2002, Belmont Park hosted what was then the largest crowd in its history when 103,222 saw [[War Emblem]] lose to longshot Sarava after stumbling at the start. In 2003, 101,864 watched [[Funny Cide]] finish third behind [[Empire Maker]]. In 2004, the attendance record was shattered when 120,139 people saw [[Smarty Jones]] upset by [[Birdstone]].<ref>{{cite web|title=Belmont Stakes Attendance|url=http://www.belmont-stakes.info/attendance|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150526004541/http://www.belmont-stakes.info/attendance|url-status=dead|archive-date=May 26, 2015|website=www.belmont-stakes.info|access-date=May 30, 2016}}</ref>

In 2007, [[Rags to Riches (horse)|Rags to Riches]] became the first filly to win the race since Tanya in 1905. Three more failed Triple Crown bids followed: in 2008, [[Big Brown (horse)|Big Brown]] lost to [[Da' Tara]]; in 2012, [[I'll Have Another]] was withdrawn due to injury; and in 2014, [[California Chrome]] was beaten by [[Tonalist]]. This fueled debate about whether the series needed to be changed, for example by lengthening the period between races.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Mihoces|first1=Gary|title=California Chrome fails to win Belmont, Triple Crown|url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/horseracing/2015/05/12/california-chrome-triple-crown-belmont-stakes/10162269/|website=USA Today|access-date=May 29, 2016}}</ref>

[[American Pharoah]] won the 2015 race, becoming the 12th horse in history to win the Triple Crown and the first in 37 years. The crowd that year was limited for the first time, to 90,000.<ref name="triplecrown">{{cite web|title=American Pharoah wins the Triple Crown|date=6 June 2015 |url=https://sports.yahoo.com/news/american-pharoah-wins-the-triple-crown-190615384.html|publisher=Yahoo! Sports|access-date=May 26, 2016}}</ref> His time of 2:26.65 was the sixth-fastest in Belmont Stakes history, and the second-fastest time for a Triple Crown winner.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Petrella|first1=Steve|title=American Pharoah posts sixth-best winning time in Belmont Stakes history|url=http://www.sportingnews.com/other-sports/news/american-pharoah-triple-crown-belmont-fastest-times-records-leaders-secretariat-2015/y6g4ngf2ctq61ct74lwxfumtb|website=Sporting News|access-date=4 June 2016|date=7 June 2015}}</ref> In 2018, Justify became the 13th Triple Crown winner and only the second horse to do so while undefeated.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Britton |first1=Bianca |title=Undefeated Triple Crown winner Justify retires from racing |url=https://www.cnn.com/2018/07/26/sport/justify-triple-crown-winner-retires/index.html |publisher=CNN |date=26 July 2018 |access-date=19 August 2018}}</ref>

[[Justify (horse)|Justify]] won the [[2018 Belmont Stakes|150th]] Belmont Stakes in 2018 to become the 13th Triple Crown champion.

The 152nd running of the Belmont Stakes took place without in-person fans on June 20, 2020,<ref>{{Cite web|title=Belmont Stakes to be held June 20 – without fans|url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/belmont-stakes-june-20-no-fans-152nd-running/|website=www.cbsnews.com-US|date=19 May 2020 |access-date=2020-05-20}}</ref> delayed from June 6 as a result of the [[COVID-19]] pandemic. Leading to the announcement, [[New York Racing Association|NYRA]] considered various dates after evaluating the spring-summer meeting at Belmont Park and after the other three majors set their respective dates: the Kentucky Derby moving to September 5, the Preakness Stakes moving to October 3, and the Breeders' Cup Classic slated for November 7. Governor [[Andrew Cuomo]] of New York announced on May 16 that horse racing tracks statewide, including Belmont Park, would be permitted to resume races without in-person fans on June 1.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Amid Ongoing COVID-19 Pandemic, Governor Cuomo Announces Horse Racing Tracks Statewide and Watkins Glen International Racetrack Will be Allowed to Open Without Fans as of June 1st|url=https://www.governor.ny.gov/news/amid-ongoing-covid-19-pandemic-governor-cuomo-announces-horse-racing-tracks-statewide-and|date=2020-05-16|publisher=Governor Andrew M. Cuomo|access-date=2020-05-16}}</ref> The 2020 contest also marked the first time in history that the Belmont Stakes served as the Triple Crown's opening leg, with its running length shortened accordingly to {{convert|1+1/8|mi|furlong|0}},<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|last=Whyno|first=Stephen|date=2020-05-19|title=Belmont set for June 20 without fans, leads off Triple Crown|url=https://apnews.com/54f9e577222d60fe7bce33280925125b|access-date=2020-06-17|website=AP NEWS|agency=[[Associated Press]]}}</ref> its shortest distance since 1894.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Inabinett|first=Mark|title=Belmont Stakes 2020: Morning line favors Tiz the Law|website=www.al.com|date=June 17, 2020|url=https://www.al.com/sports/2020/06/belmont-stakes-2020-morning-line-favors-tiz-the-law.html|access-date=June 20, 2020}}</ref>

The [[2022 Belmont Stakes|154th]] running of the Belmont Stakes was held on Saturday, June 11, 2022. Mo Donegal won with a time of 2:28.28. Principal owner was Jerry Crawford. Mo Donegal was trained by Todd Pletcher and ridden by Irad Ortiz Jr.

====Temporary move to Saratoga====
On December 6, 2023, [[Governor of New York|New York State Governor]] [[Kathy Hochul]] announced that the [[2024 Belmont Stakes]] would be held on Saturday, June 8 at [[Saratoga Race Course]] because of ongoing construction and renovations at Belmont Park.<ref name="wp061223">{{cite news |last=Bonesteel |first=Matt |date=6 December 2023 |title=Belmont Stakes moving to Saratoga in 2024 amid track reconstruction |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2023/12/06/belmont-stakes-moving-to-saratoga/ |access-date=6 December 2023 |newspaper=The Washington Post}}</ref> The purse of the race will be increased to US$2 million and, pending approval of the [[Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association|American Graded Stakes Committee]], it will be run at a shorter distance of {{convert|1+1/4|mi}} instead of the usual {{convert|1+1/2|mi}} due to the smaller size of the Saratoga dirt track.<ref name=wp061223/><ref name="gov2024stakes">{{cite press release |date=6 December 2023 |title=Governor Hochul Welcomes the 2024 Belmont Stakes to the Saratoga Race Course |url=https://www.governor.ny.gov/news/governor-hochul-welcomes-2024-belmont-stakes-saratoga-race-course |location=Albany, NY |publisher=Office of New York Governor Kathy Hochul |access-date=6 December 2023}}</ref>

In March 2024 the [[New York Racing Association]] announced that the 2025 Belmont Stakes would also be moved to Saratoga, pending regulatory approval.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://spectrumlocalnews.com/nys/central-ny/news/2024/03/20/nyra-seeks-to-hold-2025-belmont-stakes-at-saratoga-race-course-|title=NYRA seeks to hold 2025 Belmont Stakes at Saratoga Race Course|date=20 March 2024|publisher=Spectrum News Albany/Capital Region|access-date=9 April 2024}}</ref>