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New York, Belmont Park Racecorse |
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Just like anything in New York, Belmont Park has to
be bigger.
After the pageantry of the Kentucky Derby and magic
of the Preakness Stakes, the Triple Crown shifts to
Elmont, N.Y., for its final leg. There, the Belmont
Stakes challenges horses in a much different way on
"The Championship Park," just outside New York City.
The 1 1/2-mile course is a full quarter-mile longer
than the first two races, thus it has often proved
too challenging for champions seeking to sweep the
three legs. Of the 26 horses that came to New York's
course seeking Triple Crown infamy, 15 were denied
at Belmont. A record 85,818 packed the Elmont track
last year looking to witness history, but Charismatic
became the third horse in three years to be defeated
in its quest for the Triple Crown.
While Charismatic was a close third, Belmont's most
memorable race was also its most lopsided. In 1973,
Secretariat cruised to the winner's circle as a Triple
Crown champion with a 31-length victory in a still-standing
course record 2:24. Belmont Park opened its doors
on May 4, 1905 when it took over as host of the oldest
of the three Triple Crown races. The Stakes' inaugural
run was in 1867 at Jerome Park Racecourse. On a heavy
track, Ruthless won the four-horse race in 3 minutes,
4 seconds.
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