Belmont Park is a major
thoroughbredThe Thoroughbred is a horse breed best known for its use in horse racing. Although the word thoroughbred is sometimes used to refer to any breed of purebred horse, it technically refers only to the Thoroughbred breed...
horse-racing facility located in
ElmontElmont is an unincorporated census-designated place located in the northwest corner of the Town of Hempstead in Nassau County, New York, along its border with the borough of Queens in New York City...
in the Town of Hempstead in
Nassau County, New YorkNassau County is a suburban county on Long Island, east of New York City in the U.S. state of New York, within the New York Metropolitan Area. As of the 2010 census, the population was 1,339,532...
, on
Long IslandLong Island is an island located in the southeast part of the U.S. state of New York, just east of Manhattan. Stretching northeast into the Atlantic Ocean, Long Island contains four counties, two of which are boroughs of New York City , and two of which are mainly suburban...
adjoining
New York CityNew York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
. It first opened on May 4, 1905. It is typically open for racing throughout May, June and into late July, and again from late September through late October.
It is world famous as the home of the
Belmont StakesThe Belmont Stakes is an American Grade I stakes Thoroughbred horse race held every June at Belmont Park in Elmont, New York. It is a 1.5-mile horse race, open to three year old Thoroughbreds. Colts and geldings carry a weight of 126 pounds ; fillies carry 121 pounds...
, known as the "Test of the Champion", the third leg of the
Triple CrownIn the United States, the "Triple Crown" is usually the Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing, a series of three Thoroughbred horse races for three-year-old horses run in May and early June of each year consisting of the Kentucky Derby, Preakness Stakes, and Belmont Stakes.While Daily Racing Form...
.
History
Belmont is known as "The Championship Track" because almost every major champion in racing history since the early 20th century has competed on the racecourse — including each of the 11 Triple Crown winners. Along with
Saratoga Race CourseSaratoga Race Course is a Thoroughbred horse racing track in Saratoga Springs, New York, United States. It opened on August 3, 1863, and is the oldest organized sporting venue of any kind in the United States. It is typically open for racing from late July through early September.-History:John...
,
Keeneland Race CourseKeeneland is a Thoroughbred horse racing facility and sales complex in Lexington, Kentucky, USA. Operated by the Keeneland Association, Inc., it is also known for its reference library on the sport, which contains more than 10,000 volumes, an extensive videocassette collection, and a substantial...
in Lexington,
Churchill DownsChurchill Downs, located in Central Avenue in south Louisville, Kentucky, United States, is a Thoroughbred racetrack most famous for hosting the Kentucky Derby annually. It officially opened in 1875, and held the first Kentucky Derby and the first Kentucky Oaks in the same year. Churchill Downs...
in Louisville, and
Del MarDel Mar Racetrack is an American Thoroughbred horse racing track at the Del Mar Fairgrounds in the seaside city of Del Mar, California, 20 miles north of San Diego. Operated by the Del Mar Thoroughbred Club, it is known for the slogan: "Where The Turf Meets The Surf." It was built by a partnership...
and
Santa AnitaSanta Anita Park is a thoroughbred racetrack in Arcadia, California, United States. It offers some of the prominent racing events in the United States during the winter and in spring. With its backdrop of the purple San Gabriel Mountains, it is considered by many as the world's most beautiful race...
racecourses in California, Belmont is considered one of the elite racetracks in the sport.
The largest crowd was in 2004 when 120,139 witnessed the Belmont Stakes as
Smarty JonesSmarty Jones is a thoroughbred race horse, and winner of the 2004 Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes. He finished second in the Belmont Stakes that took place on June 5th, 2004....
was seeking the Triple Crown but was upset by
BirdstoneBirdstone is an American Thoroughbred racehorse best known for winning the 2004 Belmont Stakes and is gaining notoriety as a fantastic sire....
.
Belmont Park is operated by the non-profit
New York Racing AssociationThe New York Racing Association, Inc. is the not-for-profit corporation that operates the three largest thoroughbred horse-racing tracks in the state of New York. It runs Aqueduct Racetrack in South Ozone Park, Queens, Belmont Park in Elmont, Long Island , and Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga...
, as are
AqueductAqueduct Racetrack is a thoroughbred horse-racing facility and racino in Ozone Park, Queens, New York. Its racing meets usually are from late October/early November through April.-History:...
and
Saratoga Race CourseSaratoga Race Course is a Thoroughbred horse racing track in Saratoga Springs, New York, United States. It opened on August 3, 1863, and is the oldest organized sporting venue of any kind in the United States. It is typically open for racing from late July through early September.-History:John...
. The group was formed in 1955 as the Greater New York Association to assume the assets of the individual associations that ran Belmont,
AqueductAqueduct Racetrack is a thoroughbred horse-racing facility and racino in Ozone Park, Queens, New York. Its racing meets usually are from late October/early November through April.-History:...
,
Saratoga Race CourseSaratoga Race Course is a Thoroughbred horse racing track in Saratoga Springs, New York, United States. It opened on August 3, 1863, and is the oldest organized sporting venue of any kind in the United States. It is typically open for racing from late July through early September.-History:John...
, and the now-defunct
Jamaica RacetrackJamaica Race Course was an American thoroughbred horse racing facility operated by the Metropolitan Jockey Club in Jamaica, New York. The track opened on April 27, 1903, a day which featured the inaugural running of the Excelsior Handicap. Eugene D. Wood, one of the founders and largest...
(the Rochdale Village housing development now occupies the site of Jamaica).
Expansion plans
In May 2007, reports surfaced suggesting that then New York Governor
Eliot SpitzerEliot Laurence Spitzer is an American lawyer, former Democratic Party politician, and political commentator. He was the co-host of In the Arena, a talk-show and punditry forum broadcast on CNN until CNN cancelled his show in July of 2011...
was considering closing
Aqueduct RacetrackAqueduct Racetrack is a thoroughbred horse-racing facility and racino in Ozone Park, Queens, New York. Its racing meets usually are from late October/early November through April.-History:...
, which is four miles west of Belmont in Ozone Park, New York, and turning Belmont into a nearly year 'round race track when the New York Racing Association lease for all three of New York State's tracks expired at the end of 2007.
According to the plans being discussed, Belmont's stands would be heated, additional barns built for Aqueduct's 400 horses, and the track modified to accommodate winter racing. In addition, video lottery machines would be introduced. A new entity would operate Belmont from fall to spring while the New York Racing Association would operate
Saratoga Race CourseSaratoga Race Course is a Thoroughbred horse racing track in Saratoga Springs, New York, United States. It opened on August 3, 1863, and is the oldest organized sporting venue of any kind in the United States. It is typically open for racing from late July through early September.-History:John...
in the summer.
Any plans the former governor might have had for the track alignment likely left office with him when he was forced to resign amid
a prostitution scandalThe Eliot Spitzer prostitution scandal began on March 10, 2008, when The New York Times reported that Democratic New York Governor Eliot Spitzer had patronized a prostitution service called Emperors Club VIP...
in March 2008.
Belmont: The Family and The Stakes
The Belmont Stakes was named after financier and sportsman August Belmont, Sr., who helped fund the race, and most sources say the racetrack itself was also named for him. Other sources say Belmont Park was named in honor of his son —
August Belmont IIAugust Belmont, Jr. was an American financier, the builder of New York's Belmont Park racetrack, and a major owner/breeder of thoroughbred racehorses.-Early life:...
, a key member of the Westchester Racing Association, which established the racecourse.
The race was first run in 1867 at
Jerome Park RacetrackJerome Park Racetrack was an American thoroughbred horse racing facility.-History:It opened in 1866 in the northwest part of Fordham, Westchester County , New York....
in the Bronx. In 1937, the wrought iron gates that bore an illustration of that first Belmont Stakes were donated to the track by August Belmont II's sole surviving son, Perry Belmont. The gates are now on the fourth floor of Belmont Park's clubhouse.
The Belmont Stakes races have been run at Belmont Park since 1905, with the exceptions of 1911-12, when racing was outlawed in New York State; and the 1963-67 editions, held at
AqueductAqueduct Racetrack is a thoroughbred horse-racing facility and racino in Ozone Park, Queens, New York. Its racing meets usually are from late October/early November through April.-History:...
while the grandstands at Belmont Park were reconstructed. The first post parade in the
United StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
was at the 14th Belmont, in 1880.
Secretariat's finishing time in his 1973 Belmont victory (2 minutes, 24 seconds) set a world record for 1+1/2 mi on dirt, a world record which still stands. The 31-length victory clinched the first Triple Crown in 25 years, dating back to
CitationCitation was the eighth American Triple Crown winner, and one of three major North American Thoroughbreds to win at least 16 consecutive races in major stakes race competition...
in 1948. A statue of Secretariat is in the center of the Belmont paddock.
Another Belmont Stakes achievement is recognized by the "Woody's Corner" display in the first-floor clubhouse lobby, commemorating the five consecutive Belmont Stakes winners trained by the legendary
Woody StephensWoody Stephens was an American Thoroughbred horse racing Hall of Fame trainer.Born Woodford Cefis Stephens in Stanton, Kentucky, his younger brother William Ward Stephens also became a successful trainer. Woody Stephens first started in racing as a jockey at age 16 but within a few years switched...
from 1982-86.
Other memorable performances in Belmont Park history include the opening of the track in 1905 with the famous
dead heatTo tie or draw is to finish a competition with identical or inconclusive results. The word "tie" is usually used in North America for sports such as American football. "Draw" is usually used in the United Kingdom, Ireland and the Commonwealth of Nations and it is usually used for sports such as...
between
SysonbySysonby was an American Thoroughbred racehorse. He won every start easily, except one, at distances from one mile to two and a quarter miles...
and Race King in the
Met CapThe Metropolitan Handicap, frequently called the "Met Mile," is an American Grade I Thoroughbred horse race held annually during the last week of May at Belmont Park in Elmont, New York. Open to horses age three and older, it is contested on dirt over a distance of one mile .The Met Mile was first...
. In 1923, Belmont Park was host to an international duel between the
AmericanThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and
EnglishEngland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
champions:
ZevZev was an American thoroughbred horse racing champion.-Background:A brown colt, Zev was sired by The Finn out of the mare Miss Kearney . Bred by the famous horseman John E. Madden, Zev was owned by the Rancocas Stable of Harry F...
, winner of the
Kentucky DerbyThe Kentucky Derby is a Grade I stakes race for three-year-old Thoroughbred horses, held annually in Louisville, Kentucky, United States on the first Saturday in May, capping the two-week-long Kentucky Derby Festival. The race is one and a quarter mile at Churchill Downs. Colts and geldings carry...
, against Papyrus, winner of the
Epsom DerbyThe Derby Stakes, popularly known as The Derby, internationally as the Epsom Derby, and under its present sponsor as the Investec Derby, is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain open to three-year-old thoroughbred colts and fillies...
. Zev won by five lengths in front of the biggest crowd for a match race in a hundred years.
Belmont Park was the site of the tragedy-marred victory of
Foolish PleasureFoolish Pleasure is an American bay thoroughbred race horse who was born in Williston, Florida. He was one of the top three three-year-old colts of his time....
over champion filly
RuffianRuffian was an American champion thoroughbred racehorse. Ruffian is considered by many to be the greatest female racehorse in history. Ruffian is among the greatest U.S. racehorses of all time. Her story was told in 2007 film Ruffian.- Career :An almost coal black filly of 16 and a half hands,...
in a 1975 match race. Ruffian broke down during the race and had to be euthanized; she is buried near the finish line in the infield at Belmont Park, her nose pointed towards the finish pole.
The racetrack was also the site of
AffirmedAffirmed was an American Thoroughbred racehorse who was the eleventh and most recent winner of the United States Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing...
's epic stretch duel with
AlydarAlydar was a chestnut colt and an American thoroughbred race horse who was most famous for finishing a close second to Affirmed in all three races of the Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing, a feat not achieved before or repeated since.-Racing career:Trained by John M...
in the 1978 Belmont Stakes, a victory that gave Affirmed the Triple Crown; and Triple Crown winner
Seattle SlewSeattle Slew was an American Thoroughbred race horse who won the United States Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing in 1977, the tenth of eleven horses to accomplish the feat. He remains the only horse to win the Triple Crown while undefeated. In the Blood-Horse magazine List of the Top 100 U.S...
's defeat of Affirmed in the
Marlboro CupThe Marlboro Cup Invitational Handicap was a Thoroughbred horse race first run in September 1973 at Belmont Park in Elmont, New York. A Grade 1 race for horses 3 years old and up, it was raced over a distance of 1 1/8 miles on a dirt track....
in September of that same year. The Marlboro, a key event of the Fall Championship meets in the 1970s and 1980s, included a dramatic come-from-behind win by
ForegoForego was an American Thoroughbred racehorse that won eight Eclipse Awards including Horse of the Year, Champion Handicap Horse and Champion Sprinter....
in the 1976 installment.
Other key races at Belmont
In addition to the Belmont Stakes, other major races held at Belmont have included the
Jockey Club Gold CupThe Jockey Club Gold Cup, established in 1919, is a prestigious thoroughbred flat race open to horses of either gender three-years-old and up. It is typically the main event of the fall meeting at Belmont Park, just as the Belmont Stakes is of the spring meeting and the Travers Stakes is of the...
, the
Woodward StakesThe Woodward Stakes is an American Grade I stakes race and is one of the premier races for older thoroughbred horses in the United States. Named for prominent racehorse owner, George Nicholas Woodward, it is run at 1⅛ miles on the dirt for a purse of $750,000.The Woodward was run as a handicap in...
, the
Suburban HandicapThe Suburban Handicap is an American Grade II Thoroughbred horse race run annually at Belmont Park in Elmont, New York. Open to horses age three and older, it is run at the classic one-and-one-quarter mile distance on dirt for a $400,000 purse....
and the Memorial Day standby — the
Metropolitan HandicapThe Metropolitan Handicap, frequently called the "Met Mile," is an American Grade I Thoroughbred horse race held annually during the last week of May at Belmont Park in Elmont, New York. Open to horses age three and older, it is contested on dirt over a distance of one mile .The Met Mile was first...
, also known as the "Met Mile." (NYRA moved the Woodward to
Saratoga Race CourseSaratoga Race Course is a Thoroughbred horse racing track in Saratoga Springs, New York, United States. It opened on August 3, 1863, and is the oldest organized sporting venue of any kind in the United States. It is typically open for racing from late July through early September.-History:John...
, in 2006.)
Two important races for fillies, the
Mother Goose StakesThe Mother Goose Stakes is an American thoroughbred horse race for three-year-old fillies held at Belmont Park in Elmont, New York. Raced on dirt, the Grade I race offers a purse of $250,000. Inaugurated in 1957 at a mile and a sixteenth, it was lengthened to a mile and an eighth in 1959...
and the
Coaching Club American OaksThe Coaching Club American Oaks is a race for thoroughbred three-year old fillies and the second leg of the Triple Tiara of Thoroughbred Racing. Originally run at Belmont Park, the Grade I $250,000 stakes race was moved to Saratoga Race Course in 2010....
, are also run at Belmont as the first two installments of the New York Racing Association's Triple Tiara series for fillies. The third is the
Alabama StakesThe Alabama Stakes is an American Thoroughbred horse race open to three-year-old fillies. Inaugurated in 1872, the Grade I race is run over a distance of one and one-quarter miles on the dirt track at Saratoga Race Course. Held in mid August, it currently offers a purse of $500,000...
, run at Saratoga. In years past, the New York Filly Triple Crown consisted of the Mother Goose, CCA Oaks and another Belmont race, the
Acorn StakesThe Acorn Stakes is an American Grade I race at Belmont Park in Elmont, New York for three-year-old Thoroughbred fillies. It is raced on dirt over a distance of one mile with a current purse of $250,000. It is the first leg of the US Triple Tiara and is followed by the Coaching Club American Oaks...
(which is still run at the track).
All of the above races are contested on dirt; notable turf (grass) races include the
Bowling Green HandicapThe Bowling Green Handicap is an American Thoroughbred horse race run annualkly at Belmont Park in Elmont, New York. Raced on turf, the Grade II event is open to three-year-olds and up who are willing to race the one and three-eighths miles distance...
,
Man O' War StakesThe Man o' War Stakes is a Thoroughbred horse race at Belmont Park in Elmont, New York. Now Raced in July, it is a Grade I event offering a purse of $500,000 and is open to horses three-years-old and up. Run at one and three-eighths mile on the grass, the race sometimes attracts top European horses...
,
Flower Bowl Invitational StakesThe Flower Bowl Invitational Stakes is an American Grade I race for thoroughbred fillies and mares run in early October at Belmont Park in Elmont, New York...
and the
Joe Hirsch Turf Classic InvitationalThe Joe Hirsch Turf Classic Invitational is an American Grade I stakes race on turf established in 1977 for Thoroughbred racehorses three years old and up. Currently held at Belmont Park, New York at the end of September, it is named in honor of Joe Hirsch, the award-winning racing columnist and...
.
Belmont's Fall Championship meet includes New York Showcase Day in late October, with seven stakes races for New York-bred horses. The richest race on that program is the $250,000
Empire Classic HandicapThe Empire Classic Handicap is a Thoroughbred horse race restricted to New York breds run at Belmont Park in Elmont, New York. Set at a distance of one and one eighth miles on the dirt, this ungraded stakes race is open to three-year-olds and up, and offers a purse of $250,000.Inaugurated in 1976...
.
Old Belmont Park
August Belmont, Jr.August Belmont, Jr. was an American financier, the builder of New York's Belmont Park racetrack, and a major owner/breeder of thoroughbred racehorses.-Early life:...
and William Collins Whitney along with other investors built the original Belmont race track which opened on May 4, 1905. In its first 15 or so years, Belmont Park featured racing clockwise, in the "English fashion" — allowing the upper-class members of the racing association and their guests to have the races finish in front of the clubhouse, just to the west of the grandstand. (A "field stand," at what was then the top of the stretch, was located east of the grandstand). The original finish line was located at the top of the present-day homestretch.
The old clubhouse was torn down in the 1950s, along with the Manice Mansion — the turreted 19th-century homestead that served as the headquarters of Belmont's Turf and Field Club.
A later innovation was created by
Joseph E. WidenerJoseph Early Widener was a wealthy American art collector who was a founding benefactor of the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C...
, who took over track leadership when August Belmont II died in 1924: the Widener Course. It was a straightaway of just under 7 furlongs (1,408.2 m) that cut diagonally through Belmont’s training and main tracks, hitting near the quarter-pole of the main track. The course was removed in 1958.
There are presently two features of Old Belmont Park remaining today. First is the display of four stone pillars on Hempstead Turnpike, a gift from the Mayor and Park Commissioners of the City of
Charleston, S.C.Charleston is the second largest city in the U.S. state of South Carolina. It was made the county seat of Charleston County in 1901 when Charleston County was founded. The city's original name was Charles Towne in 1670, and it moved to its present location from a location on the west bank of the...
The pillars had stood at the entrance of the Washington Course of the South Carolina Jockey Club in Charleston, S.C., which operated from 1792 to 1882. The stone pillars are now found at the clubhouse entrance. Lesser known-but more visible-are the racing motif iron railings seen partially bordering the walking ring. The railings, used as decoration on the south side of the old Belmont grandstand, were salvaged during the 1963 demolition.
The original Belmont Park was not only unprecedented in its size, but also had the then-new innovation of a
Long Island Rail RoadThe Long Island Rail Road or LIRR is a commuter rail system serving the length of Long Island, New York. It is the busiest commuter railroad in North America, serving about 81.5 million passengers each year. Established in 1834 and having operated continuously since then, it is the oldest US...
extension from the
Queens VillageQueens Village is a station on the Main Line of the Long Island Rail Road, located between 218th Street and Springfield Boulevard in Queens Village, Queens, New York City. It has two side platforms along the four-track line, and only serves Hempstead Branch trains. The two-story station house is...
station, running along the property, tunneling under Hempstead Turnpike, then terminating on the south side of the property. The
train terminalBelmont Park is a seasonal-use Long Island Rail Road station on the grounds of the Belmont Park racetrack in Elmont, New York. The station is open and train service is operated only during the racing seasons of Belmont Park. The station is a terminus of a spur line that lies south of and between...
was moved to its present location north of the turnpike after the 1956 season.
Near the railroad terminal was yet
another track—Belmont Park Terminal, a steeplechase course operated by United Hunts until 1927.
In addition to racing history, Belmont Park made history in another industry native to the Hempstead Plains—aviation. Some 150,000 people were drawn to the track on Oct. 30, 1910 at the climax of the a Wright Brothers-staged international aerial tournament, which had started eight years earlier. The event came at the beginning of a period (1910, 1911 and 1912) in which racing was outlawed in New York State.
Eight years later, Belmont and aviation were reunited when the racetrack served as the northern point of the first U.S. air mail route, between the New York area and Washington, D.C.
Today, two displays in the clubhouse of the current Belmont Park commemorate the history of the racetrack: a long mural by
Pierre BellocqPierre Camille Lucien Hilaire Jean Bellocq is a French-American artist and horse racing cartoonist known as "Peb". As a small boy, his family moved to Maisons-Laffitte where his father worked at the local race track...
featuring the dominant jockeys, trainers and racing personalities of the track's history; and a series of paintings of Old Belmont Park that were featured at a nearby restaurant before the eatery closed.
TV personalities
- Paul Corman (1995-1999)
- Rich McCarthy (1995-1999)
- Harvey Pack (1995-1999)
- Mary Ryan (1995–1999)
- John Veitch
John Veitch , Scottish poet, philosopher, and historian, son of a Peninsular War veteran, was born at Peebles, and educated at Edinburgh University....
(1995-1999)
- Mike Watchmaker (1995-1999)
- John Imbriale (1995-Present)
- Jan Rushton (1995-2009)
- Michael Sherack (1997-2000)
- Kelly Gecewicz (2000-2005)
- Jason Blewitt (2006-present)
- Eric Donovan (2006-present)
- Andy Serling (2008-present)
- Maggie Wolfendale (2010-Present)
Jason Blewitt:
Jason Blewitt graduated from Long Island University, C. W. Post with a degree in journalism. He currently works for the New York Racing Association Inc. as a member of the communications/ media relations department. Blewitt is a regular co host of "Talking Horses" a daily handicapping show at NYRA tracks and has been since 2006. He has also been a frequent guest on New York City Off Track Betting Corporation's "Thoroughbred Central."*
http://www.roadtotheroses.com/G=74/meet_the_pros/pro_template.phtml?pro=pro_jason_blewitt In May 2008, joined NYRA's Paddock Show and has been doing it since.
Eric Donovan:
Eric Donovan is the full-time oddsmaker for all three New York Racing Association tracks since January 2005. Donovan, who frequently substituted in recent years, took over for Don LaPlace, who set the morning line since early 2000.*
http://www.bloodhorse.com/horse-racing/articles/26066/eric-donovan-debuts-as-nyra-linemaker
Donovan has worked on the NYRA press staff since 1999.
He is also the co-host of NYRA's daily handicapping show, Talkin' Horses, and realizes there will be differences between setting a line and selecting winners since 2006.
Donovan is also co-hosting Inside Racing, NYRA's weekly racing review show which airs every Monday night on MSG Plus formerly known as Fox Sports New York.
Andy Serling:
Andy Serling is an
AmericanThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
television personality who works as a television analyst for Belmont Park,
Saratoga Race CourseSaratoga Race Course is a Thoroughbred horse racing track in Saratoga Springs, New York, United States. It opened on August 3, 1863, and is the oldest organized sporting venue of any kind in the United States. It is typically open for racing from late July through early September.-History:John...
and
Aqueduct RacetrackAqueduct Racetrack is a thoroughbred horse-racing facility and racino in Ozone Park, Queens, New York. Its racing meets usually are from late October/early November through April.-History:...
as he also makes appearances on HRTV daily for his handicapping insights.
Andy Serling, a native of Saratoga Springs, New York, has been a familiar face and voice around New York tracks since he began following the races while still a child. As an adult, he has become known as a trenchant and highly opinionated analyst. He was the first co-host (with MikeWatchmaker) of the “Talkin’ Horses” segment of the NYRA simulcast show, and currently serves as a weekend-stakes commentator on drf.com web-casts. He is also a regular guest and the Monday host of
Daily Racing FormThe Daily Racing Form is a tabloid newspaper founded in 1894 in Chicago, Illinois by Frank Brunell. The paper publishes the past performances of race horses as a statistical service for bettors on horse racing in the United States....
’s handicapping seminars at Siro’s during the Saratoga race meeting.
He has been with NYRA's on-air team since August 2008 and has been making HRTV appearances since June 2009.
Belmont Park today
The last race at the old Belmont Park was run in October 1962. The following spring, NYRA Chairman James Cox Brady announced that two separate engineering surveys found the grandstand/clubhouse was unsafe due to age-induced structural defects and needed to be rebuilt. The book
Belmont Park: A Century of Champions, noted the comment of NYRA President Edward T. Dickinson: "When you sighted down the stands, you could see some of the beams were twisted. They were in something of an S-shape."
The old structure was demolished in 1963, with the new grandstand being built 1964-1968 (the Inner Turf Course was also added during this time). The Belmont race meetings were moved to
Aqueduct RacetrackAqueduct Racetrack is a thoroughbred horse-racing facility and racino in Ozone Park, Queens, New York. Its racing meets usually are from late October/early November through April.-History:...
in
South Ozone ParkOzone Park is a working class neighborhood located in the southwestern section of the New York City borough of Queens bordering Woodhaven, Richmond Hill, South Ozone Park, Howard Beach, and City Line, Brooklyn....
,
QueensQueens is the easternmost of the five boroughs of New York City. The largest borough in area and the second-largest in population, it is coextensive with Queens County, an administrative division of New York state, in the United States....
, during that time.
The new $30.7 million Belmont Park grandstand, designed by
Arthur FroehlichArthur Froehlich , of the firm Arthur Froehlich & Associates, was an architect from Beverly Hills, California, known for his mid-century supermarkets and racetracks.Buildings credited to Arthur Froehlich & Associates:...
, was opened May 20, 1968 and is the largest in Thoroughbred racing. It has a total attendance capacity of more than 100,000, with the adjoining backyard being able to accommodate more than 10,000. The seating portion totals nearly 33,000. (Ironically, the smaller, more cramped Churchill Downs grandstand has more seats than Belmont, 51,000.) Unlike Churchill and
PimlicoPimlico Race Course is a horse racetrack in Baltimore, Maryland, most famous for hosting the Preakness Stakes. Its name is derived from the 1660s when English settlers named the area where the facility currently stands in honor of Olde Ben Pimlico's Tavern in London...
, Belmont does
not allow paying spectators to picnic in the infield.
Racing at Belmont Park is conducted in two annual installments, or "meetings": The "spring-summer meeting," which usually begins on the second Wednesday in May and lasts through the fourth Sunday in July, followed by a "fall meeting" commencing on the Friday after
Labor DayLabor Day is a United States federal holiday observed on the first Monday in September that celebrates the economic and social contributions of workers.-History:...
and ending the fourth Sunday in October. Racing is held at
Saratoga Race CourseSaratoga Race Course is a Thoroughbred horse racing track in Saratoga Springs, New York, United States. It opened on August 3, 1863, and is the oldest organized sporting venue of any kind in the United States. It is typically open for racing from late July through early September.-History:John...
, during the time between these two meetings. Prior to 1977 a summer meeting was contested at Aqueduct from mid-June until the Saratoga meet began; its abolition led to the Belmont spring meeting being lengthened to its present duration (and eventual renaming).
The autumn installment is known as the Fall Championship meet, since many of the eventual Eclipse Award title winners have earned key victories in some of the meeting's races, such as the
Jockey Club Gold CupThe Jockey Club Gold Cup, established in 1919, is a prestigious thoroughbred flat race open to horses of either gender three-years-old and up. It is typically the main event of the fall meeting at Belmont Park, just as the Belmont Stakes is of the spring meeting and the Travers Stakes is of the...
. Before the advent of the
Breeders' CupThe Breeders' Cup World Championships is an annual series of Thoroughbred horse races, most but not all Grade I, operated by Breeders' Cup Limited, a company formed in 1982. From its inception in 1984 through 2006, it was a single-day event; starting in 2007, it expanded to two days. The location...
series in the mid-1980s, the Belmont Fall Championship races themselves helped determine the divisional championships.
Belmont has been home to the daylong Breeders' Cup championship in 1990, 1995, 2001 (the first major sports event to be held after the September 11 Attacks in the metropolitan area) and most recently in 2005.
Belmont's backyard is well-known as a gathering place for racing fans to see their horses saddled before they hit the track. The center of the paddock is dominated by a white pine that predated the track itself—it turned 180 years old in 2006. A stylized version of the pine has been the centerpiece of Belmont Park's corporate logo since 1968.
The paddock area also serves as a picnic area for the increasing numbers of fans who make Belmont Stakes Day — the Saturday that falls within the range of June 5 through June 11 — a tourist attraction.
Officials of the New York Racing Association made a concerted effort to boost attendance on Belmont Stakes Day after the 1995 installment drew only 37,171. In 1997, NYRA and local officials put together the Long Island Belmont Stakes Festival—featuring parades, food fests and other events in surrounding communities to promote the big race.
The effort succeeded in creating a buzz around the Belmont Stakes apart from the chance of seeing a Triple Crown. The 2000 and 2001 Belmonts—both run when there was no Triple Crown on the line—drew announced crowds of 67,810 and 73,857. The Belmont Stakes Festival continues to be held in communities near the track, such as Floral Park and Garden City. In 2004, a record attendance of 120,139 was on hand to see if
Smarty JonesSmarty Jones is a thoroughbred race horse, and winner of the 2004 Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes. He finished second in the Belmont Stakes that took place on June 5th, 2004....
would be the first Triple Crown winner since 1978.
Belmont Park and Long Island
The racetrack, grandstand, training and barn facilities are located entirely in the community of
ElmontElmont is an unincorporated census-designated place located in the northwest corner of the Town of Hempstead in Nassau County, New York, along its border with the borough of Queens in New York City...
in
Nassau County, New YorkNassau County is a suburban county on Long Island, east of New York City in the U.S. state of New York, within the New York Metropolitan Area. As of the 2010 census, the population was 1,339,532...
. According to the City of New York's own map portal, the
Long Island Rail Road stationBelmont Park is a seasonal-use Long Island Rail Road station on the grounds of the Belmont Park racetrack in Elmont, New York. The station is open and train service is operated only during the racing seasons of Belmont Park. The station is a terminus of a spur line that lies south of and between...
on the property, the ramp between the grandstand and the train station, and some of the adjoining parking fields straddle the
Queens CountyQueens is the easternmost of the five boroughs of New York City. The largest borough in area and the second-largest in population, it is coextensive with Queens County, an administrative division of New York state, in the United States....
line.
Belmont Park has direct on- and off-ramps to the
Cross Island ParkwayCross Island Parkway, also known as the 100th Infantry Division Parkway, is a parkway within New York State. The parkway is a part of the Belt Parkway system that runs along the perimeter of the borough of Queens in New York City...
, which runs north-south and is just to the west of the park. Belmont Park's physical address is given as 2150 Hempstead Turnpike (
New York State Route 24New York State Route 24 is an east–west state highway on Long Island in New York in the United States. The route is split into two segments, with the longest and westernmost of the two extending from Interstate 295 and NY 25 in the Queens Village section of the New York City...
).
The Belmont Park property originally totaled some 650 acres (2.6 km²). Because the property stretched slightly into Queens, bookmakers in the track's early days—when bookmaking was illegal—could escape arrest from one county's authorities by jumping over the border. It was once even believed that horses rounding the far turn crossed into Queens and then came back to Nassau for the stretch run.
After the 1956 season, the construction of a wider bus road beyond the main course's final turn forced the turn to be shortened. According to the Belmont publication commemorating the track's 1968 reopening, that move cut 96 feet (29.3 m) off its circumference. The current layout has the entire racing course inside Nassau County.
Belmont Park being located in Elmont is a coincidence. The western Nassau County hamlet is not named for the track's founding family. Residents decided to change the area's name from Foster's Meadow to Elmont in 1882, 23 years before Belmont's inaugural. Probably since Elmont was a new, relatively unknown community, the Opening Day program in 1905 carries the legend "Queens, Long Island" — for
Queens VillageQueens Village is mostly a residential neighborhood in the eastern part of the New York City borough of Queens.The Queens Village Post Office serves the ZIP codes of 11427 , 11428 , and 11429...
, the established community closest to the property. Nassau County, in which virtually all the Belmont property is located, had been established just six years earlier.
Belmont Park and popular culture
A January 1975 episode of the ABC sitcom
The Odd CoupleThe Odd Couple is a television situation comedy broadcast from September 24, 1970 to July 4, 1975 on ABC. It starred Tony Randall as Felix Unger and Jack Klugman as Oscar Madison. It was based upon the play of the same name, which was written by Neil Simon.Felix and Oscar are two divorced men....
— entitled "Felix the Horse Player" — was filmed partly at Belmont Park, though one of the race clips on the show features the shot of an Aqueduct starting gate.
A few years later,
Dick CavettRichard Alva "Dick" Cavett is a former American television talk show host known for his conversational style and in-depth discussion of issues...
took the camera crew of his
PBSThe Public Broadcasting Service is an American non-profit public broadcasting television network with 354 member TV stations in the United States which hold collective ownership. Its headquarters is in Arlington, Virginia....
talk show to Belmont for a look at horse racing.
Belmont has hosted a wide range of top musical acts including Billy Joel, Kenny Rogers, Natalie Cole and Blondie. Titled the Coca Cola Sunset Series, these fan based events were produced by music impressario, Richard Flanzer.
Scenes for the Woody Allen movies
Mighty AphroditeMighty Aphrodite is a 1995 romantic comedy film written and directed by Woody Allen. The screenplay was inspired by the mythological tale of Pygmalion....
and
Melinda and MelindaMelinda and Melinda is a 2004 film written and directed by Woody Allen. It was premiered at the San Sebastian International Film Festival. The film is set in Manhattan and stars Radha Mitchell as the protagonist Melinda, in two storylines; one comic, one tragic...
were shot at Belmont Park, as was a paddock scene for the 1990s remake of the film
Gloria with Sharon Stone and George C. Scott.
Belmont Park was featured in an episode of "
Everybody Loves RaymondEverybody Loves Raymond is an American television sitcom that originally ran on CBS from September 13, 1996, to May 16, 2005. Many of the situations from the show are based on the real-life experiences of lead actor Ray Romano, creator/producer Phil Rosenthal and the show's writing staff...
", where Frank, Robert and Ray bet on a horse named "Marie's Mouth".
Because of Belmont's role hosting big, nationally-televised races on broadcast and cable TV, its track announcers have been among the best known in the sport. Among the famous race callers who've served as Belmont PA announcers are Fred Capossela,
Dave JohnsonDave Johnson is an American announcer and sportscaster, best known for his work in horse racing with ABC and NBC Sports and at various race tracks in New York and New Jersey...
,
Chic AndersonCharles David Anderson was an American sportscaster and public address announcer specializing in Thoroughbred horse racing...
,
Marshall CassidyMarshall Cassidy is an American Thoroughbred racing official based in New York State, and a former public address announcer and sportscaster...
and present voice
Tom DurkinTom Durkin is an American sportscaster and public address announcer specializing in Thoroughbred horse racing. He was the race caller for NBC Sports from 1984 through 2010....
.
Comedian
Robert KleinRobert Klein is an American stand-up comedian, singer and actor.-Early life:Klein was born in the Bronx, the son of Frieda and Benjamin Klein, and was raised in a "prototypical 1950s Bronx Jewish" environment. After graduating from DeWitt Clinton High School, Klein planned to study medicine...
made Capossella's race calls the subject of one of his routines, captured on his 1974 album
Mind Over Matter.
Contrary to popular belief, Johnson—not Anderson—was Belmont Park's
PA announcer during Secretariat's 1973 romp in the Belmont Stakes. It was on
TV that Anderson called the '73 Belmont Stakes aired by
CBSCBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
Television, where he famously described Big Red as "moving like a tremendous machine". Anderson was the TV "voice of horse racing" in the 1970s and the announcer at Churchill Downs during Secretariat's racing career. Johnson went on to be TV's voice of horse racing in the 1990s.
Anderson would succeed Johnson as announcer at Belmont and the other NYRA tracks in May 1977, serving until his death on March 24, 1979. Anderson was followed by frequent backup voice Marshall Cassidy, who was the lead caller of NYRA races until Durkin replaced him in September 1990.
Sources: New York Racing Association (NYRA), City of New York
Physical Attributes
The 430 acres (174 ha) racing, training and barn complex is located on the western edge of the Nassau County region known as the Hempstead Plains. Just a few miles (kilometers) east on the same plains, the first racing meet in North America was held in 1665, supervised by colonial governor Richard Nicolls.
The dirt racecourse — known officially as the
Main Track and nicknamed "Big Sandy" by racing followers — has a circumference of 1+1/2 mi, the longest dirt thoroughbred racetrack in North America. Immediately inside of this is the
Widener Turf Course (named after the Widener family that has a long and prestigious history in American horse racing) spanning 1+5/16 mi plus 27 feet (8.2 m), which in turn encircles an
Inner Turf Course with a circumference of 1+3/16 mi plus 103 feet (31.4 m). On the Main Track, it is 1097 feet (334.4 m) from the top of the stretch to the finish line, and the segment between the wire and the start of the first (clubhouse) turn covers 843 feet (256.9 m); this latter segment is shorter by approximately 165 feet (50.3 m) on both of the turf courses, in order to accommodate the two
chutesIn horse racing, the term chute refers to an extended path increasing the length of a straight portion of a racecourse, particularly an oval-shaped one, allowing races of a specified distance to start at a location other than on one of the turns....
that exist on the Widener Turf Course, from which turf races of 1 miles (1.6 km) and 1+1/16 mi are started; an additional chute exists for races of 1+1/16 mi on the Inner Turf Course.
A straightaway chute leads on to the backstretch of the Main Track and permits races on the dirt up to 1+1/8 mi miles long to be run with one turn. The chute used to extend further back across the training track but was shortened because a crossover is now infeasible given the clay base of the Main Track and stone-dust base of the training track. Before the 1990 Breeders' Cup, the outer rail of the Main Track was moved back to widen the middle of the clubhouse turn and soften the angle of the start of the 1+1/4 mi
ClassicThe Breeders' Cup Classic is a Grade I Weight for Age thoroughbred horse race for 3 year olds and older run at a distance of 1¼ miles on dirt. It is held annually at a different racetrack as part of the Breeders' Cup World Championships...
. The training track is 1 miles (1.6 km) in circumference and abuts the east end of the main track. In March 2009, lights were added to the training track as a safety measure to prevent early morning workouts from occurring in the dark.
By comparison, the King Abdul Aziz racetrack in
RiyadhRiyadh is the capital and largest city of Saudi Arabia. It is also the capital of Riyadh Province, and belongs to the historical regions of Najd and Al-Yamama. It is situated in the center of the Arabian Peninsula on a large plateau, and is home to 5,254,560 people, and the urban center of a...
,
Saudi ArabiaThe Kingdom of Saudi Arabia , commonly known in British English as Saudi Arabia and in Arabic as as-Sa‘ūdiyyah , is the largest state in Western Asia by land area, constituting the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula, and the second-largest in the Arab World...
, has a main track with a length of 1+1/4 mi (as does
Colonial DownsColonial Downs is a racetrack for Thoroughbred flat racing and Standardbred harness racing located in New Kent County, Virginia adjacent to Interstate 64, halfway between Richmond, Virginia and Williamsburg, Virginia.-History and information:...
in
VirginiaThe Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
), while the main track at
AqueductAqueduct Racetrack is a thoroughbred horse-racing facility and racino in Ozone Park, Queens, New York. Its racing meets usually are from late October/early November through April.-History:...
is 1+1/8 mi long. (Other
grass courses in Europe have been longer, and most English racecourses are larger. Saudi Arabian racing once featured a course in old Riyadh from 9 to 12 mi (14.5 to 19.3 km) in length.) San Isidro Hippodrome in
Buenos AiresBuenos Aires is the capital and largest city of Argentina, and the second-largest metropolitan area in South America, after São Paulo. It is located on the western shore of the estuary of the Río de la Plata, on the southeastern coast of the South American continent...
,
ArgentinaArgentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
has a 1+7/8 mi grass track and an inner dirt track measuring around 1+5/8 mi.
See also
To connect to races running at Belmont Park that have wikipedia articles, see "Belmont Park" in category section at bottom of page.
- New York Racing Association
The New York Racing Association, Inc. is the not-for-profit corporation that operates the three largest thoroughbred horse-racing tracks in the state of New York. It runs Aqueduct Racetrack in South Ozone Park, Queens, Belmont Park in Elmont, Long Island , and Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga...
- Aqueduct Racetrack
Aqueduct Racetrack is a thoroughbred horse-racing facility and racino in Ozone Park, Queens, New York. Its racing meets usually are from late October/early November through April.-History:...
- Saratoga Race Course
Saratoga Race Course is a Thoroughbred horse racing track in Saratoga Springs, New York, United States. It opened on August 3, 1863, and is the oldest organized sporting venue of any kind in the United States. It is typically open for racing from late July through early September.-History:John...
External links