This year’s Belmont Stakes is Saturday, June 6th.
For the third consecutive year the final jewel of the Triple Crown will be hosted by Saratoga Race Course in upstate New York.
The race is traditionally run at Belmont Park and is scheduled to return there in 2027 after the renowned racetrack completes its major renovation.
Here are seven furlongs of fun facts about the Belmont Stakes:
1. Longevity: The Belmont Stakes is the oldest of the three Triple Crown races. It was first held in 1867 making this year the 158th edition of the Belmont. This year’s Kentucky Derby was number 152 and the 2026 Preakness marked its 151st anniversary.
2. Biggest Belmont Turnout: A record crowd of 120,139 turned out to watch SMARTY JONES make his bid for the Triple Crown in 2004. The fan favorite was beaten by 36-1 longshot BIRDSTONE.
3. Largest Margin of Victory: A pair of Triple Crown winners owns the two largest winning margins in the Belmont. SECRETARIAT won by 31 lengths in 1973 and COUNT FLEET won by 25 lengths in 1943.
4. Record Time: In 1973 Triple Crown winner SECRETARIAT set a world record for 1.5 miles on dirt when he won the Belmont in 2:24. He was so fast that he also holds the record for the fastest half mile, three-quarters of a mile, one-mile, and 1 ¼-mile fractions in Belmont Stakes history.
5. Woman Jockey: Julie Krone won the 1993 Belmont Stakes to become the first woman to ride a winner in a U.S. Triple Crown race. Krone guided longshot COLONIAL AFFAIR from off the pace to win by 2 ¼ lengths.
6. Woman Trainer: In 2023, 30 years after Krone’s accomplishment, Jena Antonucci became the first woman to train the winner of the Belmont Stakes when ARCANGELO scored by 1 ½ lengths. Antonucci was only the 11th woman to saddle a horse in the Test of the Champion and the first since 2011.
7. Biggest Longshot: SARAVA gave bettors the biggest win payout in the history of the Belmont at odds of 70-1. His 2002 win earned bettors $142.50 for every $2 bet and the $2 exacta with runner-up MEDAGLIA D’ORO paid $2,454. Kentucky Derby and Preakness winner WAR EMBLEM stumbled at the start and finished 8th.
