When was the first belmont stakes

However, the length of the race has varied greatly throughout history. Operations were moved over to Aqueduct from during renovations at Belmont Park, but the race has been held in Elmont ever since the updates were completed.

Since , the race has been run at a mile and half-length. It was worth the wait, however — this was the year Secretariat won by 31 lengths in Two more Triple Crowns followed that decade, to Seattle Slew and Affirmed , but it would prove elusive for another 37 years, when American Pharoah ended the drought in In between times, however, there were some dramatic races.

Belmont was also quite involved in horse racing, and his imprint is even intertwined within the history of the Kentucky Derby. The oldest of America's three Triple Crown races, the Belmont Stakes was first run on June 19, , at the Jerome Park race course, an oddly shaped, English-style track that required its runners to negotiate three turns instead of two because of a dip in the middle of the backstretch.

The race has been run every since, with the exception of and , and the Belmont has established itself as the ultimate test of championship stamina in this country. The official drink of the Belmont Stakes was formerly the White Carnation, but was later changed to the Belmont Breeze. In In the drink was again altered to the Belmont Jewel. Secretariat is the track king of Belmont Park. His record of Risen Star, a son of Secretariat, would also win the Belmont Stakes in and posted the second-fastest time in the history of the race up until that point.

Gary Stevens has three wins, making him the most successful amongst active jockeys. Three fillies have won the Belmont Stakes.