SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. — As the weekend of June 8 draws closer, the Capital Region gets more and more caught up in “Belmont Fever.” But for those of us who are not enthusiasts of horse racing, or even sports in general, it begs the question — what’s the big deal?
To answer, The Saratogian presents an introduction to the Belmont Stakes: What is it, why is it so important to Saratoga Springs, and is it worth the hype?
To begin at the beginning, there’s some basic facts to cover.
The Belmont Stakes are run (under normal circumstances) at Belmont Park in Long Island in early June. The Belmont Stakes are named after August Belmont, a turn-of-the-century financier and horse racing enthusiast. The Park opened in 1905, built by a syndicate headed by August Belmont II and former Secretary of the Navy William C. Whitney.
Their goal was to construct the most elaborate racetrack in America, modeled after the greatest courses in Europe. It was a project “by, of, and for the American aristocracy,” catering to the nation’s wealthiest with amenities of posh luxury. Belmont Park’s first post time, 2:30 pm on May 4 1905, is believed to have caused Long Island’s first ever traffic jam.
Since then, horse racing has become a spectator sport more accessible to the public, no longer reserved for the wealthy but still a status symbol to those with deep pockets.
So why is the Belmont Stakes so important?
Primarily because of its prestige. It’s been at the heart of horse racing from the beginning. Belmont Park quickly became known as the best racetrack in the country, a proving ground for the best horses in the sport. The race itself became part of the “Triple Crown of Horse Racing” sometime in the 1930s, alongside the Kentucky Derby and the Preakness Stakes.
Together, they are the three most famous horse races in the sport, with very large purses and a great deal of fame for the winners.
The Belmont Stakes is the final “jewel” of the Triple Crown, and widely accepted as the hardest. It’s a mile and a half long, the longest of the Triple Crown races. The three-year-old thoroughbreds that race in the Triple Crown have fully matured by the time the Belmont Stakes are run, adding to the level of their physical challenge.
It’s often called the “Test of the Champion,” because by that point only the best of the best horses in the industry are competing, making it the hardest to win. It’s also the oldest Triple Crown race, and the fourth overall oldest race in the country (Saratoga’s famous Travers Stakes is the third oldest). This year’s winner will take a prize of $1.2 million, out of the highest-ever total purse of $2 million (up from last year’s $1.5 million).
To take the Triple Crown by winning all three races is no easy feat. Only 13 horses have ever been able to claim this accomplishment. The most recent were Justify in 2018, American Pharaoh in 2015, and Affirmed in 1978. Secretariat, perhaps the most famous Triple Crown winner because of the books and movies covering his historic breaking of a 25-year Triple Crown drought, took the win in 1973, becoming the first Triple Crown champion since 1948.
For some context, let’s look at another, perhaps more widely known “triple crown.”
In the American entertainment industry, the “Triple Crown of Acting” is defined as winning a Tony, an Emmy, and an Academy Award. Just like the horse racing Triple Crown, it’s very hard to do and a very prestigious accomplishment (only 24 actors have managed this so far, and there are long lists of “two out of three ain’t bad”).
Now imagine if an announcement was made that the theater district of New York City has to undergo some major construction work, and as a result all the Broadway theaters have to be closed during the weekend that the Tony Awards would normally be held. To prevent interruption to the annual ceremony, this year the Tony Awards are going to be held at SPAC.
That’s why this is so important to Saratoga Springs. The Belmont Stakes are going to be run at the Saratoga Race Course this year and next year, while Belmont Park undergoes some major renovations.
So, for the first time in the city’s history, Saratoga Springs is going to host one of the most famous horse races of all time. Due to the difference in racetracks, these two Belmont Stakes will be run at a mile and a quarter instead of a mile and a half. However, the change in distance will make the famous race no less prestigious or difficult.
At the local level, the Belmont Stakes is going to have a noticeable impact on Saratoga Springs and its surrounding areas. It’s an extra weekend of high-stakes racing that will bring a lot of people – and a lot of revenue – into the city. The Belmont Stakes is part of a four-day Festival featuring 23 races with some of the highest winner’s purses ever seen.
Area businesses are already planning for the increase in customers that will undoubtedly come from the Festival.
