A Look Ahead At The 151st Belmont Stakes

The final element set to conclude the stress induced yet exhilarating triple crown saga kicks tomorrow afternoon at Belmont Park, N.Y. This race’s predecessors featured multiple eyebrow–raising components such as a rogue horse finishing without his jockey and a victory withdrawn due to a controversial interference disqualification, both of which only added to the growing hype each race draws. With all the dust cleared from an unusual yet entertaining first two races, large shoes to fill now appear before the 151st Belmont.

During the Belmont’s extensive history, only eight times has the favorite trotted across the finish line first, posting a lowly 5% win percentage. This year’s favorite, Tuesday Tacitus, looks to improve that disappointing number, highlighting the group with 9-5 odds. War of Will poises to race closely behind him with 2–1 odds following his victory at the Preakness Stakes two weeks ago. War of Will in fact stands alone as the only Preakness participant running at the Belmont this year. Although the two remain likely to emerge as pack leaders as the race enters its final turn, experts at the famously reliable SportsLine.com like Everfast at 12–1 odds while others surrounding the spectacle endorse Intrepid Heart at 10–1 odds.

These horses will look to conquer the triple crown’s longest track, measuring out as a one and a half mile loop. Although record breaking performances often emerge with little warning, the track record set by Secretariat remains the course’s fastest mark at 2:24, and with no participants this year illustrating the speed which the legendary race horse exhilarated audiences with during his 1973 triple crown run, his record now appears poised to remain intact for a remarkable 46th year. The course’s final 200 yards highlights multiple features establishing the Belmont as the toughest race, as leaders during the final leg frequently crumple and give way to those behind them as jockeys often mistakenly believe the race to be over, despite important real estate still between them and the finish line.

Often also standing as a somewhat of a celebration of New York, Frank Sinatra’s New York, New York blares throughout the park each year concluding the race, and therefore, triple crown series. The race will begin at 6:45 p.m. ETS , airing on NBC with tickets still available as well.