credit: Bob Jagendorf
Thoroughbred horse racing is a beloved tradition that is enjoyed in a variety of forms, most notably flat racing and jump racing. Traditionally a hobby for the very wealthy or for syndicates and clubs dedicated to the sport, horse racing involves the breeding,
training, and actual racing of the horse around the track, and within these three steps a lot of micromanagement and decision-making is involved. One of the most notable and prestigious of such races is the Belmont Stakes, a Grade I stakes race (the grade of a race is determined by purse requirements, the duration of time that the race has been run, the presence of drug testing by a governmental authority, and the restrictions that are applied). As the third race of the Triple Crown, the Belmont Stakes attracts horses and riders from all over the world to compete.
Horse racing, as a sport in the purest technical definition of the term, has been around since prehistory, when the first horses were domesticated by tribesmen in Central Asia many thousands of years ago. It would have been an ideal way to practice riding the horse for life-sustaining purposes like hunting and travel, as well as to foster a competitive spirit within and between tribes. As far as a modern sport where organization and wagers are involved, horse racing dates back to medieval times. Equestrianism was an important part of a nobleman’s duties since riding a horse was an important part of transportation and war. After the Crusades, the speedy Arab horses that the knights brought back from the Middle East were put to the test in two-horse races, where the two participants would privately wager money on who would be victorious.
Horse racing as a popular venue for gambling began in Britain in the beginning of the 1700s, when the concept of several horses racing while those watching the race placed bets became popular. Racecourses began to pop up all over the country, offering bigger purses in order to draw the most competitive horses, thus earning more of a profit because of more spectators placing larger bets. This development in horse racing made it very profitable for people to own and breed horses, since they could then be sold to budding trainers who would prepare them to be raced. As the sport rapidly expanded, the need for a central authority to determine rules and regulations for racetracks came about. This need culminated in the Jockey Club, which is still the British center of authority when it comes to professional horse racing, and has been for over 250 years.
credit: Travis Isaacs
The sport successfully made the transition to America, where it is the second largest sport as far as viewer turnout is involved, second only to baseball. Just before the turn of the 20th century, industrialization and an industrial economy allowed for increased gambling on horse races, and thus an extreme growth in horse racing itself: there were over three hundred tracks in the country in 1890. By 1908, though, a sudden upsurge of people opposed to gambling resulted in the banning of bookmaking which took a severe toll on horse racing, reducing the amount of operating horse racing tracks down to twenty five. A change in the type of gambling that occurred at the racetracks, though, led many states to slowly legalize the betting in return for a cut of the money that was placed in the form of wagers. Over the rest of the century, fueled by the popularity of great horses who accomplished stunning feats like winning the Triple Crown and other such events, the sport of horse racing became an indelible national pastime.
Since 1905, the Belmont Stakes have been held at Belmont Park, a major horse-racing facility located on Long Island. Known for its stunning, elegant landscaping, huge trees, and dramatic lakes in the infield, Belmont Park is a suitably beautiful location for the prestigious Belmont Stakes. It is unsure whether the racetrack is named after August Belmont, the sportsman responsible for funding the race, or his son, August Belmont II, an important member of the Westchester Racing Association. Today’s Belmont Park is actually the product of a renovation effort that started in 1963, due to the structural instability of the clubhouse. The “new” Belmont Park grandstand opened in 1968, costing $30 million. It is the largest of its kind in thoroughbred racing, able to seat nearly 33,000 people, while 100,000 total are able to attend. Together with the racing, training, and barn complex, Belmont Park covers 430 acres and features a track of 1.5 miles in circumference, the largest dirt track in the entire world. It is a grand testament to the sport of horse racing and is much of the reason why the sport has such an enormous viewer turnout.
credit: JaeYong, BAE
Many traditions surround the Belmont Stakes and horse racing in general. The winning horse is draped with a blanket of white carnations upon the celebrations of victory. Due to this practice, the Belmont Stakes is also referred to as “The Run of the White Carnations”. The Belmont Stakes race is the third leg of the Triple Crown, which is the greatest accomplishment of a thoroughbred racehorse. It involves a three-year-old thoroughbred racehorse winning the Kentucky Derby, the Preakness Stakes, and the Belmont Stakes, and it has become increasingly rare since horses are trained to specialize in certain distances rather than in the versatility required to accomplish such a feat. Belmont Stakes is known as a Triple Crown race because of this, and winning it brings a great deal of prestige for the horse and the jockey. During the post parade, which is when the horses in the race leave the paddock and go towards the starting gate, it was tradition up until 1996 for everyone to sing “Sidewalks of New York”. Today, the song is Theme from New York, New York, mirroring the post parades songs that are sung at the other Triple Crown races that pay homage to the state in which the race is held. Before 1921, the Belmont Stakes race was run in a clockwise direction, which follows in the tradition of English thoroughbred horse racing, but now it is run in the American counter-clockwise fashion.
Because of the length of the race, the Belmont Stakes is called “The Test of Champions” and that is what it truly has become. It is the deciding factor, in the event that a horse has won both the Kentucky Derby and the Preakness Stakes, in the accomplishment of the Triple Crown. The grounds in which the Belmont Stakes is held are stunning, a true testament to the grand stature of thoroughbred horse racing as a modern sport and as a relic of history. All of the drama of horse racing, with the adrenaline rush that comes with a close finish, especially one upon which you have placed a bet, is present at the Belmont Stakes. For the aforementioned reasons and several more, the Belmont Stakes is one of the most important races in the entire world, where horses and jockeys have the chance to become world-renowned champions of the sport, their name to be remembered for all time by thoroughbred horse racing enthusiasts.
Photo credit: Flickr
