When it comes to horse racing, there are few events that compare to The Belmont Stakes. But if you’re not familiar with The Belmont or the history behind it—here’s everything you need to know about this American classic!
There’s a lot more to The Belmont than the annual horse race, including fashion and food!
The Belmont Stakes is more than just a horse race. It’s an event, tradition and spectacle all rolled into one. For two weeks leading up to The Belmont Stakes, you’ll see New Yorkers sporting their best hats and fascinators.
Afterwards, fans will head over to The Paddock at Aqueduct for post-race celebrations or watch it on TV while eating food like barbecue chicken pizza or buffalo chicken wings. Whatever you choose—and whatever you wear—you’re sure to have a great time celebrating with everyone else who makes this annual tradition one of New York City’s most exciting events!
The oldest horse race in America
The Belmont Stakes is the oldest horse race in America. The first Belmont Stakes was run in 1867 at Jerome Park, a track that no longer exists.
The last leg of the Triple Crown, this race has been held at three different locations over its history: Morris Park Racecourse (1867), Jerome Park Racetrack (1869–1927), Aqueduct Racetrack (1928–1963), and Belmont Park since 1964.
It’s named after August Belmont
The Belmont Stakes is named after August Belmont, who was a German-born financier and politician that founded the New York Association for Improving the condition of the poor. In 1868, he became president of the Jerome Park Racetrack in Queens, New York City.
Belmont was also one of the major figures in creating the New York City Board of Health in 1866 along with other prominent philanthropists such as Peter Cooper and George Opdyke. Additionally, he served as president of The Society for Improving Conditions Among Children (SICC) which worked alongside SICC for Aid to Dependent Children (SICCADD).
Secretariat holds the record with 2.24 minutes!
The champion racehorse Secretariat holds one record that will likely never be broken: He ran 2 minutes 24 seconds flat for his entire 1973 Belmont win! Achieving such speed requires incredible strength and stamina that only a few horses possess; however, we hope you now have a better understanding of what makes these amazing animals so special!
Prepare for an experience of a lifetime if you attend The Belmont Stakes!
The Belmont Stakes is a great experience for any horse racing fan. But there are many things to keep in mind when attending the event.
- Be prepared to be there for several hours, especially if you want to see the race itself and not just the lead-up activities like post parade and other events beforehand. Plan accordingly!
- Be prepared for a crowd: it’s one of the biggest days of horse racing’s year, so expect a big turnout!
- Also be prepared to pay: parking is expensive, food/drinks can get pricey quickly (especially if you’re looking for something other than hot dogs), and even if you buy tickets early enough that they’re cheaper than what they’ll likely sell out at later on…you still have transportation costs associated with getting yourself over there! So while attending The Belmont Stakes might sound like fun—and it definitely will be—it’s important not only knowing what your budget may look like after attending but also what exactly goes into putting together such an event each year so we can better understand why certain things cost so much money.
