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The first Belmont Stakes was held at Jerome Park in the Bronx , built in 1866 by stock market speculator Leonard Jerome (1817-1891) and financed by August Belmont, Sr. (1816-1890) for whom the race was named. The race continued to be held at Jerome Park until 1890 when it was moved to Morris Park, a nearby racetrack in the Bronx. The race remained there until the May 1905 opening of the new Belmont Park , 430 acre (1.7 km²) racetrack in Elmont, New York. Anti-betting legislation was passed in New York State, closing Belmont and canceling the race for two years between 1911 and 1912. The first post parade in the United States was at the 14th Belmont, in 1880. Until 1921, the race was run in the clockwise tradition of English racing. Since 1926, a silver bowl, made by Louis Comfort Tiffany and donated by the Belmont family, has been given to the winning owner. Atop the bowl's cover is a silver figure of Fenian , winner of the third running of the Belmont Stakes in 1869. Because of its length (one lap around the enormous Belmont main track), and because it is the final race of the Triple Crown, it is called the "Test of the Champion". Most three-year-olds are unaccustomed to the distance, and lack the ability to maintain a winning speed for so long. In a long race such as the Belmont, positioning of the horse and the timing of the move to chase for the lead can be critical. The race distance has varied: from 1867 until 1873, it was 1 5/8 miles (2.6 km). In 1874 the distance was reduced to 1 1/2 miles (2.4 km), and from 1890 to 1892, and in 1895, the distance was 1 1/4 miles (2 km). From 1896 until 1925, the distance was increased to the original 1 5/8 miles (2.6 km). In 1926, the race distance was set at the present 1 1/2 miles (2.4 km). Due to the reconstruction of Belmont from 1963-1967 the race would be held at Aqueduct Racetrack . Trainers with most wins:
Jockeys with most wins:
On June 5 , 1993 thoroughbred racing's all-time leading female jockey, Julie Krone , became the first woman to win a Triple Crown race when she rode to victory in the Belmont Stakes aboard Colonial Affair . Secretariat 's 1973 Belmont victory set a record not only for the race, but for the mile and a half (2.4 km) on dirt, that still stands. At 31 lengths, his margin of victory is not only the race record, but the largest in the history of American Grade 1 Stakes races. BROADCASTING HISTORY: CBS Sports 1960-1985 ABC Sports 1986-2000 NBC Sports 2001-2005 ABC Sports / ESPN 2006- PAST WINNERS: A † designates a Triple Crown Winner. Note: D. Wayne Lukas swept the 1995 Triple Crown with two different horses. EXTERNAL LINKS |
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