The last two races on the journey to become a Triple Crown Winner in Thoroughbred horse racing they occur in the Preakness Stakes and Belmont Stakes.
The Triple Crown series winner must first claim victory in the Kentucky Derby in early May, the Preakness Stakes later that month, and finally the Belmont Stakes in early June.
Read below to learn the history and the differences between these Triple Crown races.
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Belmont Park Race Course in Elmont, New York is the longest and oldest race course in the Triple Crown series. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)
- What is the Belmont Stakes?
- What is the Preakness Stakes?
- What is the difference between Preakness and Belmont?
- How much longer is the Belmont than the Preakness?
- Which horse had the fastest times for the Belmont and the Preakness?
1. What is the Belmont Stakes?
The Belmont Stakes is the ultimate challenge for a Thoroughbred horse to become a Triple Crown winner. It happens every year in June, at Belmont Park in Elmont, New York. The Belmont track features big switchbacks and a long homestretch that has tested the limits of the best horses.
Millions of people from around the world watch the Belmont annually, and some of the most prominent members of American thoroughbred horse racing attend the race. For more than a century, some of the greatest horses have built their legacy on the track, including Secretariat, widely considered the greatest racehorse of all time. Secretariat holds the record for fastest finish at the Belmont.
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Horse racers at Belmont must consider several factors to achieve victory on the track, including maintaining their horses’ stamina while being able to compete against some of the best breeds in the racing world. The Belmont takes place approximately five weeks after the Kentucky Derby and three weeks after the conclusion of the Preakness Stakes.
2. What is the Preakness Stakes?
The Preakness Stakes is held annually on the third Saturday in May at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore. The race, which will take place two weeks after the Kentucky Derby, is the second challenge racehorses must overcome on their way to winning the Triple Crown.
The Preakness Stakes has been held in Baltimore for more than a century. (Patricio Smith/Getty Images)
Founded in 1873, the race is named after the horse Preakness, who won the Dinner Party Stakes in 1870.
The Preakness almost always draws a lot of attention and audience, especially for fans and bettors of the Triple Crown series.
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3. What is the difference between Preakness and Belmont?
Both the Preakness and the Belmont are Triple Crown races, but they do have some differences.
The Preakness takes place on the third Saturday in May, while the Belmont Stakes takes place three weeks later in June. The distance of the two races differs slightly, with Belmont being the longer of the two.
Another difference between the two is how long they have been around. Belmont is the oldest race in the Triple Crown Series, established in 1867, followed by the Preakness in 1873 and the Kentucky Derby in 1875.
The Triple Crown winner must be victorious in the Kentucky Derby, Preakness and Belmont Stakes. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)
The two races take place in different parts of the country. The venue for the Preakness Stakes is Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, while the Belmont Stakes is in Elmont, New York.
The Preakness and Belmont also have some different traditions, such as the songs that are sung. For example, the song «New York, New York» is sung at the Belmont while Preakness attendees sing «Maryland, My Maryland.»
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4. How much longer is the Belmont than the Preakness?
The Preakness Stakes is the second longest track in the Triple Crown Series at 1 3/16 miles long, while Belmont is the longest at 1 ½ miles. By comparison, most other pre-Derby races for young horses are 1 1/8 miles long, making Belmont one of the longest tracks in the country.
The Belmont is commonly considered the most difficult of the Triple Crown races due to the demanding distance. The race has been named the «trial of champions».
5. Which horse had the fastest times for the Belmont and the Preakness?
Secretariat has the fastest time for all three Triple Crown races. (Bettmann File/Getty Images)
Secretariat holds the record for the fastest speed for all three Triple Crown races. To this day, no other horse has been able to beat his record times.
Secretariat finished the Kentucky Derby with a time of 1:59 2/5. He then went on to win the Preakness and set the record in 1:53. Secretariat finished the Triple Crown series in the Belmont, winning by an astonishing 31 lengths.