2009 Belmont Stakes at Belmont Race Course

Triple Crown horse Racing
The Belmont Stakes is the last leg of the run for the Triple Crown, horse racing's greatest honor. To win the Triple Crown, a horse must first win the Kentucky Derby, then the Preakness Stakes, and then the Belmont Stakes.

Belmont Stakes History:
 

The oldest of America's Triple Crown races, the Belmont has established itself as the ultimate test of championship stamina in the US. with the exception of 1911 and 1912, The 1926 Belmont was run at 1-1/2 miles and was won by Crusader, a son of the legendary Man o' War, in a time of 2:32-1/5.

The race has been run at that distance ever since. Its 1-1/2-mile distance now has become a rarity in American dirt races.

The Belmont Stakes was first run on June 19, 1867, at the Jerome Park race course, an oddly shaped, English-style track that required its runners to negotiate three turns instead of two because of a dip in the middle of the backstretch. A filly, Ruthless, won the first Belmont's $1,850 winners purse, outlasting DeCourcey by a head. The Belmont was even longer in its early days, contested at 1-5/8 miles through 1873. From the years between 1890 through 1926, the race dropped down to distances varying between 1-1/8 and 1-3/8 miles.

Possible 2009 Belmont Stakes Contenders and Post Positions

Belmont Stakes Past Winners

Da'Tara came in first place to make Triple Crown history; Denis of Cork took second place and Anak Nakal came in third. Big Brown became the first Triple Crown hopeful to finish last. Since Affirmed won the Triple Crown in 1978, 10 horses have tried to capture the title and all 10 had failed.
In 2007, the winner was Rags to Riches led by Jockey John Velazquez. On a minimum $2 bet, Rags to Riches paid out $10.60 for a win, $4.40 for place and $3.20 for show..

Year	Winner	Jockey	Trainer	Owner	Time
2006	Jazil	Fernando Jara	Kiaran McLaughlin	Shadwell Farm	2:27.81
2005	Afleet Alex	Jeremy Rose	Tim Ritchey	Cash is King LLC	2:28.75
2004	Birdstone	Edgar Prado	Nick Zito	Marylou Whitney Stables	2:27.50
2003	Empire Maker	Jerry Bailey	Robert J. Frankel	Juddmonte Farms	2:28.26
2002	Sarava	Edgar Prado	Ken McPeek	New Phoenix Stable	2:29.71
2001	Point Given	Gary Stevens	Bob Baffert	The Thoroughbred Corp.	2:26.80
2000	Commendable	Pat Day	D. Wayne Lukas	Robert & Beverly Lewis	2:31.20
1999	Lemon Drop Kid	Jose Santos	Scotty Schulhofer	Jeanne G. Vance	2:27.80
1998	Victory Gallop	Gary Stevens	Elliott Walden	Prestonwood Farm	2:29.00
1997	Touch Gold	Chris McCarron	David Hofmans	Frank Stronach	2:28.80
1996	Editor's Note	Rene R. Douglas	D. Wayne Lukas	Overbrook Farm	2:28.80
1995	Thunder Gulch	Gary Stevens	D. Wayne Lukas†	Michael Tabor	2:32.00
1994	Tabasco Cat	Pat Day	D. Wayne Lukas	D. Reynolds & Overbrook	2:26.80
1993	Colonial Affair	Julie Krone	Scotty Schulhofer	Centennial Farms	2:29.80
1992	A.P. Indy	Eddie Delahoussaye	Neil Drysdale	Tomonori Tsurumaki	2:26.00
1991	Hansel	Jerry Bailey	Frank Brothers	Lazy Lane Farm	2:28.00
1990	Go And Go	Michael Kinane	Dermot Weld	Moyglare Stud Farm	2:27.20
1989	Easy Goer	Pat Day	Shug McGaughey	Ogden Phipps	2:26.00
1988	Risen Star	Eddie Delahoussaye	Louie Roussel III	Louie Roussel III	2:26.40
1987	Bet Twice	Craig Perret	Jimmy Croll	Blanche P. Levy	2:28.20
1986	Danzig Connection	Chris McCarron	Woody Stephens	Henryk de Kwiatkowski	2:29.80
1985	Creme Fraiche	Eddie Maple	Woody Stephens	Brushwood Stables	2:27.00
1984	Swale	Laffit Pincay, Jr.	Woody Stephens	Claiborne Farm	2:27.20
1983	Caveat	Laffit Pincay, Jr.	Woody Stephens	August Belmont IV	2:27.80
1982	Conquistador Cielo	Laffit Pincay, Jr.	Woody Stephens	Henryk de Kwiatkowski	2:28.20
1981	Summing	George Martens	Luis Barerra	Charles T. Wilson, Jr.	2:29.00
1980	Temperance Hill	Eddie Maple	Joseph Cantey	Loblolly Stable	2:29.80