Finally, horse racing's Triple Crown has a full face. The Belmont Stakes, the final of the three-race series, has a starting date. The New York Racing Association announced Tuesday that the Grade I Belmont will be run on Saturday, June 20, at Belmont Park
Things, though, are different in this world of the coronavirus pandemic. The Belmont has historically been the longest of the Triple Crown races at 11/2 miles and the last one run. This year, it will be the shortest as well as the first one run. This year's Belmont will be run at 11/8 miles. The race, since 1926, has been run at 11/2 miles.
The Belmont, which will be run for the 152nd time, will start the Triple Crown for the first time in history. The coronavirus pandemic forced the 11/4-mile Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Ky. to be moved from May 2 to Sept. 5. The second leg, the 13/16-mile Preakness Stakes from Pimlico Race Track in Baltimore, has been rescheduled from May 16 to Oct. 5.
In a normal year, the Triple Crown would be spread over five weeks. This year, it will be over 15 weeks.
NYRA also made the expected announcement that spectators will not be allowed inside Belmont Park for the race.
The purse for the race has been changed from $1.5 million to $1 million.
"I just feel fortunate that we are even getting the chance to run in these races," Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert, who has won the last two Triple Crowns (American Pharoah in 2015, Justify in 2018) said by phone from California Tuesday. "It looked pretty gloomy a couple months ago."
Baffert hopes to have two of his 3-year-olds in the Belmont starting gate. He trains the undefeated Nadal (4-for-4) and Charlatan (3-for-3) and Baffert said Tuesday that if both are training well, they will be on the way to New York. He said he also expects to travel east. The last of Baffert's Big Three is another undefeated colt named Authentic (3-for-3). He is scheduled to run in the Santa Anita Derby in California on June 6.
According to the Belmont condition book, the race will be limited to 16 starters. With this being the first Triple Crown race, it is expected this will be a full field.
Also expected in the race is Florida Derby winner Tiz the Law, who is owned by Sackatoga Stable.
Jack Knowlton, the managing partner of Sackatoga, is from Saratoga Springs. He is hopeful that owners will be allowed to attend the Belmont; no decision has been made on that yet.
He knows this Triple Crown will be looked at by many as not being a real Triple Crown because of the order change as well as the longer time between the races and the fact the Belmont is not being run at 11/2 miles.
"If someone wins it, there will always be a huge asterisk because people say you have to win the Triple Crown going a mile and a half," Knowlton said Tuesday. "Some people won't consider it the Belmont, but it's still a million dollar race and we are more than happy to have an opportunity to run it."
Tiz the Law, a New York-bred, is the second horse Knowlton has had on the Triple Crown stage. Funny Cide, another New York-bred, won the 2003 Kentucky Derby and Preakness.
Barclay Tagg, who trained Funny Cide, also trains Tiz the Law.
"We'll be ready for him," Baffert said of Tiz the Law. "My horses are up for something like that. Tiz the Law is a good horse and will be very tough. I am sure racing fans will be looking forward to it."
Knowlton said he expects that Tiz the Law will ship to Belmont from Florida, where he has been all winter, just after June 1. He hopes to get a couple works into his star at Belmont. Tiz the Law has won four of five career starts and is coming off a win in the Florida Derby on March 28.
Having the Belmont at one turn rather than the traditional two may take some getting used to.
"Anyone who has Triple Crown aspirations obviously has to go (to the Belmont) no matter what the distance is," Knowlton said.
NYRA also announced that the spring/summer meet, originally scheduled to begin April 24, will now start on Wednesday, June 3. The 25-day meet will end on Sunday, July 12. The 40-day Saratoga meet is then due to begin on Thursday, July 16. NYRA has yet to announce the Saratoga stakes schedule. Spectators will also not be allowed when the Belmont meet begins.
twilkin@timesunion.com • 518-454-5415 • @tjwilkin
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