Belmont Stakes

The Belmont Stakes is the third leg in horse racing's Triple Crown. It is typically contested the first week in June, five weeks after the Kentucky Derby and three weeks after the Preakness Stakes. This grueling mile and 1/2 race has been the downfall of 18 horses that came into the race after winning the Kentucky Derby and the Preakness. Twenty-nine horses have had a shot at the Triple Crown but only eleven succeeded. The last time there was a Triple Crown winner was in 1978 when Affirmed crossed the finish line.

The 2010 running of the Belmont Stakes is scheduled for June 5, 2010.

In 2009, Summer Bird, an 11-1 underdog won the race, followed by Dunkirk. Calvin Borel and Mine That Bird, the 2009 Kentucky Derby winner, came in third.

The Belmont Stakes was named after the first president of the American Jockey Club, August Belmont. Belmont Stakes was inaugurated at Jerome Park and was later moved to Belmont Park. The first race, held in 1867, took place on a Thursday. Even though the Belmont Stakes is the oldest of the three races, the length of the race and the location changed a number of times until it was decided to be 1 1/2 miles at Belmont Park. From 1867-1889, Belmont Stakes was run at Jerome Park . The distance of the race was a mile and five furlongs from 1867-1873. Then the race was held at Morris Park from 1890 until 1904. From 1963 until 1967 the race was moved to Aqueduct. In 1890-92, 1895, 1904-05 the race was a mile and a quarter; In 1893-94 a mile and a furlong; from 1896 until 1903 and from 1906 -1925, the race was mile and three furlongs. In 1907-08, no time was recorded, and the race did not even happen in 1911 and 1912.

Running the races counter-clockwise was the norm in the United States beginning during American Revolutionary times in the late 1700's. The first Belmont run counter-clockwise was not until 1921. Prior to that, the horses ran in the English tradition of clockwise.http://www.belmontstakes.com/history/historicalarticles.aspx

The white carnation is the official flower of the Belmont Stakes, with the winning horse being draped in a 40-pound blanket of over 700 white carnations after the race.Official Site: The Carnation Blanket

• 2010: DrosselmeyerOfficial Site: Belmont Stakes Winners
• 2009: Summer BirdOfficial Site: Belmont Stakes Winners
• 2008: Da' TaraOfficial Site: Belmont Stakes Winners
• 2007: Rags to RichesOfficial Site: Belmont Stakes Winners
• 2006: JazilOfficial Site: Belmont Stakes Winners
• 2005: Afleet AlexOfficial Site: Belmont Stakes Winners
• 2004: BirdstoneOfficial Site: Belmont Stakes Winners
• 2003: Empire MakerOfficial Site: Belmont Stakes Winners
• 2002: SrarvaOfficial Site: Belmont Stakes Winners
• 2001: Point GivenOfficial Site: Belmont Stakes Winners
• 2000: CommendableOfficial Site: Belmont Stakes Winners
• 1999: Lemon Drop KidOfficial Site: Belmont Stakes Winners