Editing Belmont Stakes (section)

=== 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Crown bids followed: in 2008, [[Big Brown (horse)|Big Brown]] lost to [[Da' Tara]]; in 2012, [[I'll Have Another]] was withdrawn due to injury; and in 2014, [[California Chrome]] was beaten by [[Tonalist]].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>