What You Should Know About the Belmont Stakes 2022

It is that time of the year when the competition in the horse racing industry is heating up. The main reason for the huge spike in the popularity of horse racing during this period is Triple Crown races. These races include, the Kentucky Derby, the Preakness Stakes, and Belmont Stakes.

The Triple Crown achievement can be done by winning all three races. It is considered the most prestigious award that a horse can get in the world.

With the Kentucky Derby already finished with an unexpected result, and the Preakness Stakes on the way. It is time to prepare for the last leg of the championship, which is the Stakes.

You should know about the Belmont Stakes which is often referred to as the “The Test of the Champion”.

The Belmont Stakes History

Most people are surprised to find out that the Belmont Stakes is actually the oldest running race. It is the race of the three classic horse races that make the Triple Crown. The Belmont Stakes dates back to 1867 and it is named after the financier and sportsman August Belmont.

Over its long-running history, the Belmont Stakes has changed in many different ways. The most important one was changing the distance of the track.

Since 1905, however, the Belmont Stakes has started to build a steady tradition of organizing the race near New York City. The racecourse has been set for 1.5 miles, which is the longest and toughest races in the US racing calendar.

The race has also been held in early June and it is the final race of the Triple Crown excitement.

Date, Place, Time, Broadcast for This Year’s Belmont Stakes

This year, the Stakes will start on June 11, 2022. The race will be live on NBC, beginning at 4PM ET.

The Belmont Stakes is held in Belmont Park. This park is one of the biggest thoroughbred horse racing facilities in the northeastern United States. The Belmont Park racecourse is located in Elmont, New York, just east of the New York City limits.

This racecourse first opened its doors on May 4, 1905, by a non-profit New York Racing Association. It has been home for the Belmont Stakes ever since.

Who Will Win the Belmont Stakes 2022?

Since this is the last leg of the Triple Crown races, anything can happen. To start, after competing in the preceding two races, the horses got a lot of fatigue. All three races are held within a month.

This means that the Stakes is one of the hardest races to predict. Because achieving top speed is harder than maintaining the same pace on the longest course in the Triple Crown races.

One thing is for sure if a horse wins the Kentucky Derby and the Preakness Stakes. That horse will have the best chance of winning the Stakes and claiming the Triple Crown champion achievement.

Kentucky Derby was won This year by a late-entry contender – Rich Strike with 80-1 odds. We’ll see how he will perform in the Preakness Stakes.

You can check the odds here: https://www.twinspires.com/belmont-stakes/odds

Interesting Facts about the Belmont Stakes

The Belmont Stakes is also known as the “Run for the Carnations”. Because the winner of each race wears a blanket of 700 white carnations. Even though the flower doesn’t have any meaning behind the race, it symbolizes, luck and goodwill. It is very important when entering the Belmont Stakes.

The Stakes is also one of the toughest races on the planet. It is not surprising since it got the nickname “The Test of the Champion”. Not only that the race longer than other races, but also the dirt surface is deeper and softer. This makes horses sing further in the ground when running exhausting them very quickly.

Since 1921, the Stakes ran counterclockwise, following English racing.

The Secretariat was the fastest horse ever to run on the Stakes in 1973 finishing in 2:24 which is incredible. The Secretariat won that race by a staggering 31 lengths.