Misplaced Pages

#604395

59-514: The inaugural running of the event was on 11 June 1958 at Belmont Park as the sixth event on the card that day and was won by the French bred horse, Rafty trained by the US Hall of Fame trainer Hollie Hughes in a time of 2:17 1 ⁄ 5 . The event is named for the area on the lower tip of Manhattan Island , known as Bowling Green . In 1963 the event was moved to Aqueduct Racecourse and

118-518: A 1975 match race. Ruffian broke down during the race and had to be euthanized. She was buried near the finish line in the infield at Belmont Park, her nose pointed towards the finish pole, from 1975 until 2023. The following Graded events were held at Belmont Park in 2022. Grade I 2004 Belmont Stakes The 2004 Belmont Stakes was the 136th running of the Belmont Stakes . The 1 + 1 ⁄ 2 -mile (2,400 m) race, known as

177-473: A circumference of 1 + 3 ⁄ 16 miles (1.9 km) plus 103 feet (31 m). On the Main Track, it is 1,097 feet (334 m) from the top of the stretch to the finish line, and the segment between the wire and the start of the first (clubhouse) turn covers 843 feet (257 m); this latter segment is shorter by approximately 165 feet (50 m) on both of the turf courses, in order to accommodate

236-497: A frenzy. In the final furlong though, Smarty Jones's stride started to falter. Track announcer Tom Durkin realized the pace might catch up with the horse and warned the crowd: “The whip is out on Smarty Jones... It’s been 26 years... Just one furlong away... They’re coming down to the finish... Can Smarty Jones hold on? ... Here comes Birdstone... Birdstone surges past... Birdstone wins the Belmont Stakes... Smarty Jones

295-499: A nearly year-round race track when the New York Racing Association lease for all three of New York State's tracks expired at the end of 2007. Belmont's stands would have been heated, additional barns built for Aqueduct's 400 horses, and the track modified to accommodate winter racing. In addition, video lottery machines would have been introduced. A new entity would have operated Belmont from fall to spring while

354-443: A record attendance of 120,139 was on hand to see if Smarty Jones would be the first Triple Crown winner since 1978. American Pharoah won the 2015 Belmont Stakes on June 6, and became the first Triple Crown winner in 37 years. It was announced before the race that attendance would be capped at 90,000. That year's Kentucky Derby and Preakness both set attendance records, over 170,000 and 130,000 respectively. In addition to

413-445: A record crowd, Smarty Jones was thought to have an excellent chance of completing the series as he was unbeaten and dominant in his earlier races. However, he failed to relax during the early part of the race when pressured by horses who eventually finished well back. Smarty Jones hit the lead with over half a mile to go but did not have enough energy left to withstand a late charge by Birdstone , who won at odds of 36–1. Undefeated in

472-585: A steeplechase course operated by United Hunts until 1927. The last race at the old Belmont Park was run in October 1962. In addition to racing history, Belmont Park made history in another industry native to the Hempstead Plains – aviation . Some 150,000 people were drawn to the track on October 30, 1910, at the climax of a Wright Brothers -staged International Aviation Meet at Belmont Park , which had started eight years earlier. The event came at

531-425: A total attendance capacity of more than 100,000, including a seating capacity of 33,000 and an adjoining backyard being able to accommodate more than 10,000. A long mural by Pierre Bellocq on the second floor of the clubhouse featuring the dominant jockeys, trainers and racing personalities celebrates the track's history. The final day of racing at the second Belmont Park was held on July 9, 2023. Demolition on

590-479: A world record for 1 + 1 ⁄ 2 miles (2.4 km) on dirt, a world record which still stands. The 31-length victory clinched the first Triple Crown in 25 years, dating back to Citation in 1948 . A statue of Secretariat is in the center of the Belmont paddock. Another Belmont Stakes achievement is recognized by the "Woody's Corner" display that was located in the first-floor clubhouse lobby, commemorating

649-524: Is 1 mile (1.6 km) in circumference and abuts the east end of the main track. In March 2009, lights were added to the training track as a safety measure to prevent early morning workouts from occurring in the dark. The racetrack, grandstand, training, and barn facilities are located entirely in the community of Elmont in Nassau County, New York . According to the City of New York's own map portal,

SECTION 10

#1732801345605

708-698: The Belmont Derby , Belmont Oaks , Manhattan Handicap , Just A Game Handicap , Bowling Green Handicap , Man O' War Stakes , Flower Bowl Invitational Stakes and the Joe Hirsch Turf Classic Invitational . Belmont's Fall Championship meet includes New York Showcase Day in late October, with seven stakes races for New York-bred horses. The richest race on that program is the $ 250,000 Empire Classic Handicap . Other memorable performances in Belmont Park history include

767-704: The Long Island Rail Road station on the property, the ramp between the grandstand and the train station, and some of the adjoining parking fields straddle the Queens County line. Belmont Park has direct on- and off-ramps to the Cross Island Parkway , which runs north–south and is just to the west of the park. Belmont Park's physical address is given as 2150 Hempstead Turnpike ( New York State Route 24 ). The Belmont Park property originally totaled some 650 acres (260 ha). After

826-774: The Main Track and nicknamed "Big Sandy" by racing followers, has a circumference of 1 + 1 ⁄ 2 miles (2.4 km), the longest dirt thoroughbred racetrack in North America. Immediately inside of this is the Widener Turf Course (named after the Widener family that has a long and prestigious history in American horse racing) spanning 1 + 5 ⁄ 16 miles (2.1 km) plus 27 feet (8.2 m), which in turn encircles an Inner Turf Course with

885-660: The "test of the champion" and sometimes called the "final jewel" in thoroughbred horse racing 's Triple Crown series, was held on June 5, 2004, three weeks after the Preakness Stakes and five weeks after the Kentucky Derby . For the third year in a row, a horse won the Kentucky Derby and Preakness, only to lose the Belmont Stakes, lengthening the Triple Crown drought to 26 years. In 2004 before

944-427: The 1956 season, the construction of a wider bus road beyond the main course's final turn forced the turn to be shortened. According to the Belmont publication commemorating the track's 1968 reopening, that move cut 96 feet (29 m) off its circumference. The current layout has the entire racing course inside Nassau County. The Belmont Stakes was named after financier and sportsman August Belmont Sr. , who helped fund

1003-399: The 1970s and 1980s, included a dramatic come-from-behind win by Forego in the 1976 installment. Officials of the New York Racing Association made a concerted effort to boost attendance on Belmont Stakes Day after the 1995 installment drew only 37,171. The 2000 and 2001 Belmonts—both run when there was no Triple Crown on the line—drew announced crowds of 67,810 and 73,857. In 2004 ,

1062-552: The 1972 winner Run the Gantlet was the 1971 US Champion Male Turf Horse . In 1973 the event was classified as Grade II and for several years in the late 1980s the event held Grade I status. In winning the Bowling Green Handicap on 17 June 1990 at Belmont Park , the 1989 Canadian champion With Approval set a new World Record of 2:10 1 ⁄ 5 for 1 + 3 ⁄ 8 miles on turf . As of today,

1121-529: The 2024 demolition. The Belmont Stakes races have been run at Belmont Park since 1905, with the exceptions of 1911–12, when gambling was banned in New York State; the 1963–67 editions, held at Aqueduct while the grandstands at Belmont Park were reconstructed; and the 2024 edition, which was held at Saratoga Race Course due to the second reconstruction of Belmont Park. Secretariat 's finishing time in his 1973 Belmont victory (2 minutes, 24 seconds) set

1180-816: The Belmont Stakes, other major races held at Belmont have included the Jockey Club Gold Cup , the Suburban Handicap and the Memorial Day standby—the Metropolitan Handicap , also known as the "Met Mile." An important race for fillies, the Acorn Stakes , which is the first leg of the US Triple Tiara , is raced at the track year. All of the above races are contested on dirt; notable turf (grass) races include

1239-491: The British-bred Silver Knott set a new track record at Saratoga Racetrack for the 1 + 3 ⁄ 8 miles distance winning in 2:11.40 on the inner turf course. Speed record: Margins: Most wins: Most wins by an owner: Most wins by a jockey : Most wins by a trainer : Notes: † Filly or Mare § Ran as part of an entry ‡ In the 2020 running Sadler's Joy was first past

SECTION 20

#1732801345605

1298-747: The Islanders project had won approval to be built. In July 2019, the plan was adopted by the Empire State Development Corporation board, and UBS Arena opened in time for the 2021-22 NHL season . The plan also included a new Elmont station on the LIRR, in addition to the hotel, arena, and retail village. In May 2007, New York Governor Eliot Spitzer considered closing Aqueduct Racetrack located ten miles west of Belmont in Ozone Park, New York , and turning Belmont into

1357-519: The New York Racing Association would continue to operate Saratoga Race Course in the summer. Spitzer was forced to resign amid a prostitution scandal in March 2008 and no further plans for Belmont were developed at that time. In December 2022, the New York Racing Association formally announced its intention to upgrade the facilities at Belmont to make it suitable to host year-round thoroughbred racing and training. Unlike Churchill and Pimlico , neither

1416-565: The Spring meet), and again from mid-September through late October (the Fall meet). The race park's main dirt track has earned the nickname, "the Big Sandy", given its prominent overall dimensions ( 1 + 1 ⁄ 2 miles (2.4 km)) and the deep, sometimes tiring surface. Belmont is also sometimes known as "The Championship Track" because almost every major champion in racing history since

1475-521: The Widener Chute. It was a straightaway of just under 7 furlongs (1.4 km) that cut diagonally through Belmont's training and main tracks, hitting near the quarter-pole of the main track; the course was removed in 1958. Two features of the original Belmont Park remain today. The first is the display of four stone pillars on Hempstead Turnpike , a gift from the mayor and park commissioners of Charleston, South Carolina . The pillars had stood at

1534-469: The beginning of a period from 1910 to 1912 in which racing was outlawed in New York State. Eight years later, Belmont and aviation were reunited when the racetrack served as the northern point of the first U.S. air mail route, between the New York area and Washington, D.C. The following spring, NYRA Chairman James Cox Brady announced that two separate engineering surveys found the grandstand/clubhouse

1593-465: The closure of nearby Aqueduct Racetrack . The 430-acre (170 ha) racing, training and barn complex is located on the western edge of the Nassau County region known as the Hempstead Plains. Just a few miles (kilometers) east on the same plains, the first racing meet in North America was held in 1665, supervised by colonial governor Richard Nicolls. The dirt racecourse, known officially as

1652-463: The distance was increased to 13 furlongs ( 1 + 5 ⁄ 8 miles). The last running of the event at Aqueduct in 1967 is one of the more notable when Poker defeated champions Assagai and his own stablemate, the 1966 US Horse of the Year , Buckpasser who was entering the race with a fifteen race winning streak. The 1970 winner Fort Marcy would later that year be crowned US Horse of the Year and

1711-420: The early 20th century has competed on the racecourse – including all of the Triple Crown winners. Belmont hosted its largest crowd at the 2004 Belmont Stakes , when 120,139 spectators saw Smarty Jones upset by Birdstone in his Triple Crown bid. August Belmont Jr. and William Collins Whitney , along with other investors, built the original Belmont race track, which opened on May 4, 1905. Arthur Underhill

1770-647: The entrance of the Washington Course of the South Carolina Jockey Club in Charleston, which operated from 1792 to 1882. The stone pillars are now found at the clubhouse entrance. Lesser known but more visible are the racing motif iron railings seen partially bordering the walking ring. The railings, used as decoration on the south side of the old Belmont grandstand, were salvaged during the 1963 demolition. The original Belmont Park

1829-480: The first nor second iterations of Belmont Park allowed spectators into the infield. An infield tunnel connecting to the backstretch parking lot has been completed. Beginning in April 2023 construction of a one-mile synthetic racing oval inside the inner turf course had begun. The next phase of reconstruction, scheduled to begin after the 2023 spring and summer meet, includes completion of the synthetic track, widening of

Bowling Green Stakes - Misplaced Pages Continue

1888-608: The five consecutive Belmont Stakes winners trained by Woody Stephens from 1982 to 1986. The racetrack was also the site of Affirmed 's epic stretch duel with Alydar in the 1978 Belmont Stakes , a victory that gave Affirmed the Triple Crown; and Triple Crown winner Seattle Slew 's defeat of Affirmed in the Marlboro Cup in September of that same year. The Marlboro, a key event of the Fall Championship meets in

1947-537: The headquarters of Belmont's Turf and Field Club. The new grandstand was built from 1964 to 1968. The Inner Turf Course was also added during this time period. The Belmont race meetings were moved to Aqueduct Racetrack in South Ozone Park , Queens from 1963 to 1968. The $ 30.7 million grandstand, designed by Arthur Froehlich , was opened May 20, 1968, and was the largest in Thoroughbred racing. It had

2006-576: The horse fresh by giving the colt only one slow workout in the 5 weeks between the Derby and Belmont, while trying to keep the edge off by giving him just enough slower exercise. Another concern was the constant attention from press and other visitors, which disrupted the stable routine. Barclay Tagg , who had been through a similar experience with Funny Cide , later recalled visiting Smarty Jones's barn one night at around midnight. "There were six guards in front of his stall, cutting up and drinking beer, and

2065-563: The horse in the Belmont. "I wasn't about to... ride him in the Belmont if it meant following orders I couldn't live with", he said. Alex Solis picked up the mount. Purge was the third choice in the field after winning the Peter Pan Stakes , while Eddington was the next choice after finishing third in the Preakness. The remaining horses were given little chance, including two entries by trainer Nick Zito . In particular, Birdstone

2124-436: The inner turf course, and construction of a second infield tunnel near the first turn. NYRA released a statement on May 1, 2023, announcing that state funding for the grandstand reconstruction and other projects had been secured by way of a $ 455 million loan. To accommodate construction, NYRA moved the Belmont fall meet to Aqueduct in 2022, 2023, and 2024. The 2024 Belmont Stakes were moved to Saratoga Race Course , due to

2183-399: The inside and Eddington to the outside, Smarty Jones ran the third quarter-mile in 23 seconds while the fourth quarter went in :23 3 ⁄ 5 . Rounding the final turn, the challengers started to drop back as Smarty Jones completed the first 1 + 1 ⁄ 4 miles in a rapid 2:00.52 – a time fast enough to have won all but four Kentucky Derbies. His lead was opening and the crowd was in

2242-597: The land into their own stadiums. The Islanders proposed an 18,000 seat sports arena , 435,000 square feet (40,400 m ) for retail development, a 225-room hotel, and a 10,000 sq ft (930 m ) community center, while NYCFC's pledge included a 26,000 seat soccer ground, 400,000 sq ft (37,000 m ) for retail, a 5.2-acre (2.1 ha) community park, and 2-acre (0.81 ha) soccer complex: both proposals were fully privately funded and included improved parking and LIRR facilities as well. On December 20, 2017, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo announced that

2301-511: The lead-up to the Triple Crown series, Smarty Jones won the Kentucky Derby by 2 + 3 ⁄ 4 lengths, and then won the Preakness Stakes by 11 + 1 ⁄ 2 lengths. As a result, he became the heaviest favorite for the Belmont Stakes since Spectacular Bid and Secretariat in the 1970s. When he returned to his home base at Philadelphia Park after winning the Preakness, some 10,000 fans turned out just to see him gallop in

2360-433: The light was on in his stall", he said. "It's very hard to keep the commotion down." Rock Hard Ten was the second favorite for the Belmont after finishing second in both the Derby and Preakness. His owners had been disappointed in his Preakness performance though, feeling the horse would have done better if he had been closer to the pace. His jockey at the time, Hall of Famer Gary Stevens , disagreed and declined to ride

2419-498: The morning. When he traveled to Belmont Park a week before the race, he was accompanied through Pennsylvania by two motorcycle police officers, while other police cars blocked key intersections and three helicopters circled overhead. The cavalcade drove past a billboard on the Pennsylvania turnpike that read, "Look out New York, Smarty's Coming!" His owners received thousands of letters of encouragement and Smarty Jones merchandise

Bowling Green Stakes - Misplaced Pages Continue

2478-524: The opening of the track in 1905 with the famous dead heat between Sysonby and Race King in the Met Cap . In 1923, Belmont Park was host to an international duel between the American and English champions: Zev , winner of the Kentucky Derby , against Papyrus, winner of The Derby . Zev won by five lengths in front of an estimated crowd of 70,000. Belmont Park was the site of the tragedy-marred victory of Foolish Pleasure over champion filly Ruffian in

2537-527: The post but was disqualified for interference in the straight and was placed fourth. Cross Border was declared the winner. List of American and Canadian Graded races Belmont Park Belmont Park is a thoroughbred horse racetrack in Elmont, New York , just east of New York City limits best known for hosting the Belmont Stakes , the final leg of the American Triple Crown . It

2596-452: The race, and most sources say the racetrack itself was also named for him. The race was first run in 1867 at Jerome Park Racetrack in the Bronx. In 1937, the wrought iron gates that bore an illustration of that first Belmont Stakes were donated to Belmont Park by August Belmont II's sole surviving son, Perry Belmont. The gates were located on the fourth floor of Belmont Park's clubhouse until

2655-675: The record remains unmatched. The 2008 edition was replaced in its summer spot by the Man o' War Stakes . The Man o' War was moved from a fall schedule to improve turf scheduling competition. In 2015 the New York Racing Association moved the Bowling Green to Saratoga. Two mares have won this race, Drumtop in 1971 setting a new course record for the 1 + 1 ⁄ 2 miles distance and Summer Guest in 1973. Drumtop also finished second to Fort Marcy in 1970. In 2024

2714-454: The renovations, and the 2025 Belmont Stakes are planned for Saratoga as well. As of July 2024, the second Belmont Park is completely demolished with reconstruction planned until September 2026. The new grandstand, when finished, would likely result in the track hosting the Breeders' Cup for the first time since 2005. Ultimately, sometime in late 2026, the project will ultimately lead to

2773-626: The second Belmont Park began in March 2024 and was completed in June 2024. In July 2017, New York State officials announced that vacant parking lots behind the Belmont grandstand had been put to tender for two area top-level professional sports teams: the New York Islanders , an NHL ice hockey team; and New York City FC , an MLS soccer team. Both teams were unhappy with their current locations (the Islanders at Barclays Center ; New York City FC at Yankee Stadium ) and proposed to redevelop

2832-470: The tactics used with Rock Hard Ten and Eddington. Many felt that Jerry Bailey in particular on Eddington did not ride to win, as the early move while racing wide sacrificed his horse's chances. "I never saw two riders ride so hard to lose a race in my life", said Roy Chapman, the owner of Smarty Jones, a week after the race. "They just were out for one thing: making sure Smarty didn’t win." Some also criticized Smarty Jones's jockey, Stewart Elliott, for letting

2891-438: The training track, permitting races of up to a mile and a quarter but was shortened because a crossover is now infeasible given the clay base of the Main Track and stone-dust base of the training track. Before the 1990 Breeders' Cup, the outer rail of the Main Track was moved back to widen the middle of the clubhouse turn and soften the angle of the start of the 1 + 1 ⁄ 4 miles (2.0 km) Classic . The training track

2950-631: The two chutes that exist on the Widener Turf Course, from which turf races of 1 mile (1.6 km) and 1 + 1 ⁄ 16 miles (1.7 km) are started; an additional chute exists for races of 1 + 1 ⁄ 16 miles (1.7 km) on the Inner Turf Course. A straightaway chute leads on to the backstretch of the Main Track and permits races on the dirt up to 1 + 1 ⁄ 8 miles (1.8 km) long to be run with one turn. The chute used to extend further back across

3009-465: Was a reasonable 24.33 seconds and the first half-mile went in 48.65 seconds. The pace then started to pick up significantly. Purge dropped back and Eddington moved forward to challenge for the lead while racing five wide. "I knew there was trouble on the backstretch. [Smarty Jones] wasn't settled", said Servis. "That was my concern the whole three weeks, trying to take the edge off. I wasn't able to do it. That's horse racing." Pressured by Rock Hard Ten to

SECTION 50

#1732801345605

3068-409: Was hired as Engineer and Landscape Architect to design and oversee construction of the park. In its first 15 or so years, Belmont Park featured racing clockwise, in the "English fashion"—allowing the upper-class members of the racing association and their guests to have the races finish in front of the clubhouse, just to the west of the grandstand. A "field stand," at what was then the top of the stretch,

3127-524: Was in high demand. "Smarty Fever" led to the largest attendance at Belmont Park in its history: 120,139. There were concerns though. Smarty Jones was sired by a sprinter and his broodmare sire was also a sprinter, making his stamina a question mark. He had faced a grueling prep season without any time off since his first race in November 2003. His dominant performance in the Preakness may have taken too much out of him. His trainer, John Servis, tried to keep

3186-485: Was located east of the grandstand. The original finish line was located at the top of the present-day homestretch. In his 1925 book, "The Big Town", Ring W. Lardner refers to the then-recent directional change when he has a character at Belmont say (speaking of a recent race) "At that time, they run the wrong way of the track, like you would deal cards". A later innovation was created by Joseph E. Widener , who took over track leadership when August Belmont II died in 1924:

3245-507: Was not only unprecedented in its size but also had the then-new innovation of a Long Island Rail Road extension from the Queens Village station, running along the property, tunneling under Hempstead Turnpike , then terminating on the south side of the property. The train terminal was moved to its present location north of the turnpike after the 1956 season. Near the railroad terminal was yet another track—Belmont Park Terminal,

3304-492: Was opened on May 4, 1905, and is one of the best well known racetracks in the United States. The original structure was demolished in 1963, and a second facility opened in 1968. The second structure was demolished in 2023, and a third version of Belmont Park is expected to open in 2026. Operated by the New York Racing Association (NYRA), Belmont Park is typically open for racing from late April through mid-July (known as

3363-426: Was the "most maligned colt on the Derby trail" because of his small size and slight frame – he weighed only about 900 pounds at the time of the Belmont. Despite Birdstone's excellent breeding and respectable eighth-place finish in the Derby, he was a 36-1 long-shot for the Belmont. Smarty Jones got a good start and settled into third place behind Purge and Rock Hard Ten while running four-wide. The opening quarter-mile

3422-489: Was unsafe due to age-induced structural defects and needed to be rebuilt. The book Belmont Park: A Century of Champions noted the comment of NYRA President Edward T. Dickinson: "When you sighted down the stands, you could see some of the beams were twisted. They were in something of an S-shape." The old structure was demolished in 1963, along with the Manice Mansion, the turreted 19th-century homestead that served as

3481-585: Was valiant, but vanquished." – Tom Durkin The crowd was stunned. "We came to see a coronation and instead we got a sporting event. Sometimes that happens", said John Hendrickson, the husband of Birdstone's owner, Marylou Whitney . "I’ve never been in a crowd of 120,000 people where it went from roaring to dead silence." In the winner's circle, Whitney apologized. "I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry that Smarty Jones couldn’t win today," she said. "We would have been happy to run second." The result remains controversial due to

#604395