Belmont Picks

Belmont Park is one of the choicest horse racing destinations in the United States.

The Belmont Park is located Fourteen miles east of New York, arguably the top horse racing market in the world, with thousands of people betting on the races each day whether on the track or in several other off-track betting destinations in the city.

Avid gamblers, wealthy horse owners, and leisure pursuers all gather to experience some of the finest events in North American horse racing, such as the yearly and prestigious Belmont Stakes – the return leg of the American Triple Crown, with the Preakness Stakes and the Kentucky Derby.

Man O’ War, Secretariat and many Thoroughbred champions have all had their fair share of glory and as such as the Belmont Park is referred to as “The Championship Track”.

Adding more than a century’s grandeur to American horse racing, the Belmont race track is also recognized as one of the most supreme racetracks in the country today,

Together with Aqueduct and the Saratoga, Belmont Park is one of three race tracks in the New York and also recognized as one of the premium racetracks in the country recently.

Aqueduct hosts the winter meet and Saratoga hosts the summer meet,

Belmont Park Track History

In 1905 the renowned Belmont Park racetrack was first opened – with over 40,000 racing fans trying to get in before the first post, which caused to the first traffic jam on the Long Island and in 1964, it was rebuilt and modernized. Currently, the Belmont Park can host over 100,000 fans on its main racing days.

Talks emerged in 2007, to move the winter racing to Belmont Park and shut down Aqueduct but thankfully, the idea died down and the racetracks will continue to operate. However, in 2020 the New York Islanders and the NHL hockey will move their stadium next door. This change, probably for the better, may attract some new fans to the race track.

With the expected legalization of Sports betting most likely happening this year, it is expected that Belmont Park will become a major sport betting and horse racing location.

Belmont Park Track Configuration and Bias

Belmont’s main track also known as “Big Sandy” among fans, comprises of 1 and a half miles dirt oval – the longest dirt Thoroughbred track in North America. From the beginning of the homestretch to the end line, the distance measures about 1,097 feet. The section covering the start of the first turn and the wire extends 843 feet.

The main track features a Widener Turf Course with a distance of 27 feet and 1 5/6 miles and used for 1 mile and 1 1⁄16 miles races. The Widener Turf then surrounds an Inner Turf Course- another grass track with sharper turns measuring a circumference of 103 feet and 1 3⁄16 miles and used for the 1 1/16 races.

Thanks to the chutes and their straight away expansions to the ovals, the Belmont Park tracks also features varying race distances. These chutes allow the running of longer distance races with horses going round in one turn. This single turn ensures balance and reduces the chances of a horse being forced outside to run for much longer.

Because of this configuration, Belmont Park doesn’t have a strong track bias.

Belmont Park, like most North American horse racing tracks, tends to somewhat favor the horses who stay close to it throughout or who can take the lead. However, it is possible to catch the leaders in the long stretch. The track is also known to be tiring, therefore many horses with lower stamina are caught in the end.

Note that the fall races and the spring races might run a little differently, due to temperature and weather changes. We recommend that you refer to the recent Belmont Park results to stay up to date with the track bias.

Sprint races on the dirt are mostly won by horses who stay close to the lead and about 30% of those races are won going wire to wire.

Route races of 1 mile and more are more balanced and about 20% of those races are won wire to wire.

In both route races and Sprint, it is better to start from the outside gates.

Interestingly, at Belmont Park, early leaders win the 1 1/16 mile races more often and also being on the inside has been found to be more favorable.

The turf sprints- especially on the inner turf course, mostly favors early speed horses. Over 1/3rd of such races are won wire to wire. It is also favorable to start from the inside post positions.

Belmont Park Racing Season

The Belmont Park runs during the Spring and Fall and includes some of the most anticipated and finest races of the New-York Racing Calendar.

• Belmont Park 2018 Spring meeting
• Belmont Park 2018 Fall meeting

Here is the list of the highest caliber races held yearly at the track:

Grade 1 races:

Belmont Stakes
Metropolitan Handicap
Belmont Derby Invitational
Manhattan Stakes
Belmont Oaks Invitational
Jockey Club Gold Cup
Ogden Phipps
Man o’ War
Acorn
Just a Game Stakes
Joe Hirsch Turf Classic
Champagne
Flower Bowl
Beldame
Frizette

Grade 2 races:

Suburban Handicap

New York
Hill Prince
Sands Point
Belmont Gold Cup Invitational
Brooklyn Invitational
Jaipur Invitational
Woody Stephens
Belmont Sprint Championship
Kelso Handicap
Gallant Bloom Handicap
Ruffian
True North
Mother Goose
Miss Grillo
Sheepshead Bay
Knickerbocker

Grade 3 races:

Peter Pan
Poker
Dwyer
Bed O’ Roses Invitational
Noble Damsel
Pilgrim
Athenia
Bold Ruler
Westchester
Beaugay
Vagrancy Handicap
Pennine Ridge
Intercontinental
Wonder Again
Futurity
Matron
Fort Marcy
Victory Ride

Soaring Softly    

Belmont Park Address

2150 Hempstead Turnpike, Elmont, New York 11003
https://www.nyra.com/belmont/

Belmont Park Best Jockeys and Trainers

Some of the most prolific horse trainers populate a lot of the races at Belmont Park and operate out of New York.

But of course, due to the stature of some of the races and the race track, all the best trainers in the USA regularly send their most successful and reliable trainers over to Belmont Park to compete.

Located in such a city as New York and being such a famous race track, you can be sure to find some of the top American jockeys at Belmont Park.

Year after year, the most famous American and foreign jockeys journey to Belmont Park to participate in the graded stakes race events that happen here.

Top Jockeys