The Belmont Stakes the Third Race in the Triple Crown
The 2015 running of the Belmont Stakes was the 147th edition of this race. The race is run over a distance of 2400 metres, and is known as the “final jewel” in Thoroughbred horse racing’s Triple Crown series. The Belmont Stakes is an American Grade 1 Stakes horse race held in June every year at Belmont Park in New York. This race is open to three year olds Thoroughbreds.
Colts and geldings carry a weight of 57 kilograms, and fillies carry 55 kilograms. It is the third and final leg of the Triple Crown, and was run on 6 June this year, three weeks after the Preakness Stakes and five weeks after the Kentucky Derby. The 1973 winner, the horse Secretariat, who won the Triple Crown too, holds the track and world record for that distance on a dirt racecourse. Prize money for the Belmont Stakes is now 1,500,000 dollars.
The Belmont Stakes, first run in 1867, is the oldest of the Triple Crown events, and one of the oldest Stakes races in America. It was also at the Belmont Stakes race that the first post parade in the United States was held. Belmont Park is more than a century old, and considered the heart of American racing. It is situated west of New York City, and remains a track without peer in America.
Belmont Park was modelled on Sandown Park in England, and when completed it was the biggest, most elegant racecourse Americans had ever seen. The principal course is a sweeping twelve furlong oval, and remains the largest dirt recourse in the world.
Old Traditions of the Belmont Stakes
The Belmont Stakes has also retained some original traditions, among them the flower blanket made to drape over the winner. It is comprised of about seven hundred white carnations, which are said to represent love and luck, and the flowers are glued on to seven yards of green velvet, and takes about five hours to make. The Trophy given to the winner of the Belmont Stakes is a silver bowl and cover made by Tiffany.
A model of the 1869 winner Fenian is on top of the cover. The winning owner may keep the trophy for a year, until the next Belmont Stakes winner is crowned. The winning owner and jockey also receive a silver miniature of the Cup.
The New York Racing Association, which runs Belmont Park, announced that attendance for the 2015 Belmont Stakes would be limited to 90,000, but the tickets were all sold out the day before the race. Many of the big horse races are global sporting events, and television coverage extends to every country of the world. A huge number of people who watch these eminent races have placed a bet on the outcome, and watch with great excitement.
Stakes Races Usually Have the Largest Purses
There are different kinds of horse races, like maiden races, handicap races and Stakes races. The Stakes races are run by the better horses, and generally have the biggest purses. Betting on these races is now very often done online, as this is the easiest and most convenient method of placing a bet. Another reason for online betting in Australia becoming so successful, is the fact that reputable sports books are now safe and secure, and offer excellent customer service.
Some of the sports books also offer valuable tips and data on the form of the horses, which will help the punter to choose the potential winner.
