As the oldest of the three triple crown races, the Belmont stakes presented by NYRA BETS saw a rather awful share of its, with most of them almost a third of the race’s 156-year history. During the post-World War II era, 20 horses entered the Belmont stakes with a victory in the Kentucky Derby and a victory in the Preakness Stakes, but refused to make an immortal bid (another one in 2012 when Belmont was injured by injury). Also, all eight high-priced Belmont Stakes winners have come since 1961. Five times, these two statistical nuggets occurred in the same race.
157th The Belmont Stakes took place on June 7th at the Saratoga Race Course for the second consecutive year, and Belmont Park continues its major renovation project. Let’s take a look back at the 10 most memorable confusions of the race.
1958: Cavan defeated injured Tim Tam
Tim Tam was expected to enter Belmont in 1958 with a six-race streak and carry the devil red and blue silk from the prestigious Calmette Farm to the third triple crown. The son of legendary Tom Fool, Tim Tam had made brave accusations from the pace to get a allowance at Keeneland before winning two of Florida’s big play races, the Young and Florida Derby Fountains, as well as the Derby Trials at Churchill Down. He then earned length to Preakness and was sent as an outrageous 0.15-1 favorite at 90.th Belmont.
The Irish bag, who won the Peter Pan Stakes, moved for a lead towards Belmont’s far turn, and Tim Tam joined in, but the 4.90-1 shot went into the home stretch and won six lengths. After a clear and stubborn second, Tim Tam was found to have broken sesame bones in his ankle after the race. Fortunately, while his racing career was over, Tim Tam became a successful bull at Calumet over the years, dying at 27 in 1982.
1961: The shock of Sharrack has returned
The next Belmont upset on our list tells a similar story. Carryback is a working class hero for horses, facing 21 incredible 21 races from a modest beginning, winning four of the seven starts in 1961 before winning four of the Kentucky Derby starts for co-owner, breeder and trainer Jack Price (see Carryback’s Keiler Johnson’s ABR feature for more information on his backstory). He gave fans a thrill for most of his victory, weaving in to get away from pace and over traffic and get up in time, that form is true in his first two triple crown races, he closed 18 lengths for the Kentucky Derby to win by three-quarters of a length, then charged from 15 lengths to win Preakness at the same margin. The son of Saggy, an obscure stallion that bred in Florida, faced eight opponents, including 65.05-1 Longshot Sherrack, a Belmont favorite and a Bluegrass Stakes winner who finished fifth in both Derby and Preakness.
With former President Dwight Eisenhower and former First Lady Mummy Eisenhiour attending Belmont Park, Carrieback settled down enough from the Globemaster’s pace, with Charlack in second place and living in his name and running style. The winners of Derby and Preakness never received a patent. Charlac and Braurio Baeza went ahead of the Globemaster, winning by 2¾ length and became the winners of the Belmont Stakes, the highest priced Belmont Stakes in history.
Carryback came out of Belmont with an ankle injury and was given a much needed break at the price. He returned with victory in August 1961 and continued racing until fall 1963, winning key races such as the Met Mile and Whitney Handicap. A truly durable champion, he retired with 21 wins in 61 starts, 11 seconds and 11 in 11, and died in 1983.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lmjl_kufxey
1971: Pass catcher End Canonero II’s amazing run
That’s what Canonero II was A story about horse racing in the spring of 1971. Breeding in Kentucky, but based in Venezuela, he started twice in the US as a two-year-old without success, and seven times south of the border before returning to the US for the Kentucky Derby. Considered an afterthought in the Derby and included in the 6-horse mutual field bet with 8.70-1 odds, Canonero II took 3¾ lengths and shocked the observers. He backed it up two weeks later with a track record score of 1½ length at Preakness, and by then the connection of the horse Venezuela had captivated the press and public with their confidence and Joy de Vivre. Despite reports surfaced that Canonero II training was suspended due to skin rashes and mild foot problems, excitement was strengthened during the three weeks leading up to Belmont.
Before the then record-breaking Belmont crowd of 82,694, Canonero II took an early lead and held it through the backstretch, but began to receive pressure to enter a far-off turn, and the pass-catcher spins past him from the third, spurring clearance at the top of the stretch. A 34.50-1 outsider, Colt finished second in a stakes race at Garden State Park in New Jersey just five days ago and was returned to Belmont by trainer Ed Yowell. With Walter Blum rising, Pass Catcher held back a slow challenge from Diep Closer Jim French, winning three-quarters of a length of 34.50-1, with 7-10 favorite Canonero II in fourth place.
Cover page for Sports illustration included Reading “Canonero shouldn’t run,” the race summary quoted the vet who followed Belmont, saying that Colt’s training interruption actually hit his ability to conquer the “Champion Test.” Canonero II was purchased for $1.5 million in Belmont by Robert Kleberg’s King Ranch and stayed in the US, but he never regained the form of Derby and Preakness, winning just one five-length victory over 1972 Derby and Belmont winner Revalidge. Read more about him with Bob Ehardt’s ABR feature.
1979: Coastal victory as “bid” was rejected
The 1979 Belmont is entitled to be upset despite the winning coast, carrying the winner’s 4.40-1 odds. why? Due to the quality of the finisher in 3rd place: one of the best ever in the sport. The epic bid has already been voted for the 1978 2-year-old male champion, winning his first five starts in three as the Open Head to the Kentucky Derby. On the first Saturday of May, he dominated Churchill’s field under 19-year-old rider Ron Franklin, winning by 2¾ length. He followed with the 5½ length fuss of Preakness, at which point the veteran reporter and Railbird had at least admitted that trainer Bad Delp’s grand bid had not been completely taken away from advertising as “the biggest horse to see the bridle.”
Sended as a 3-10 favorite at 111th Belmont, the epic bid sat second until the first turn, with Franklin urging him to the lead midway through the backstretch. The pace was already quick, and Franklin didn’t breathe into the epic bid when the horse was in front of him. This is a decision criticized by Delp’s son (a fellow teenager) and subsequent horse racing scribes. Nevertheless, Colt appeared to be commanding the race, and as he began to shorten his strides, he appeared to be on his way to give the public three straight triple crowns until he passed the quarter pole.
A lightly competitive, well-proclaimed colt, won the Peter Pan Stakes and Belmont nominated, Cort Lar, was stalking fourth, well-stalked, but at the top of the stretch, he gathered on the rails and moved past the epic bid, approaching 16 poles. The epic bid was still working hard, but Coastal finished with a win of 3¼ and he was caught in second place in the finish of the Preakness Ranner-Up Golden Act. The day after the race, Delp told the press that an epic bid had stepped into the safety pin on Belmont morning, but the accident didn’t appear to have hurt him at all. Or whether Franklin’s ride did anything with his Belmont efforts is a topic still being debated today by those who bet on bids to make history.
Later on Bill Shoemaker, the epic bid won three of his final four starts in 1979 (losing to the 1978 Triple Crown winner, three quarters of the length was affirmed by the Jockey Club’s Gold Cup). He then went undefeated in 1980 with nine starts, finishing one of the most accomplished seasons in horse racing history with a walkover in the Woodward Stakes. The epic bid retired as the best money winner of North America of all time. Wallet revenues were nearly $2.8 million, with 30 starts, 26 wins, 2 seconds and one very important third record. For more information about the 1982 Hall of Fame inductees of Bob Ehardt’s ABR profile, see more.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eqgnehxj2y
1980: The Real Risks of Tempence Hill Upstages
Build up to 112th The Belmont Stakes have focused on bidding for real risks to become the first filly to win a race since 1905. Leroy Jolley trainees already scored an upset victory in the Kentucky Derby, then placed second in the Codex trained as a young upstart called D. Wayne Lucas. Meanwhile, Tempence Hill was shipped under the radar, missing out on the Kentucky Derby and Preakness. Owned by John Ed Anthony’s Robley Stability and trained by Joseph Canty, Colt won the Arkansas Derby (a modest achievement at the time), but was not nominated for the Kentucky Derby, 6 for 0 from Oak Lawn Park.
Despite Tempens Hill, which suffered three consecutive losses in New York and Pennsylvania, Anthony paid late fees to nominate Colt for Belmont, where he was ignored by the betting masses with an odds of 53.40-1. Racing on a muddy track, Tempens Hill evaluated the backstretch up to six times, and rose to competing orderly as the field went into distant turns. The real risk is equally there, and the pair engaged leader Rockhill in early stretches for a will battle that retreated Tempence Hill Edge in two lengths, at the game’s real risk (Codex finished seventh).
Temperence Hill has proven to be no wonder of the race that won Travers Stakes, Jockey Club Gold Cup and Super Derby. The real risk returned to the race against her own sex, closing her career with three more wins in five starts heading to the Hall of Fame spots in 1986.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gjwqyuj1-9m
1999: Lemon Dropkid’s Confusion, Charismatic Scars
Triple Crown appeared on the line for the third year in 131.st Following a nearby mistake in 1997, a real quiet mistake in 1998, owned by Robert and Bivari Leices, D. The charismatic stakes trained by Wayne Lucas, earned a 31.30-1 upset in the Kentucky Derby in early 1999 and continued to gain praise. By the time Belmont rolled, he was no longer overlooked and set off as an 8-5 favorite, with the runner-up menifesto for Derby and Preakness getting his second choice of 2.60-1 and a future Hall of Fame-like Silver Brett Day also at 5.10-1.
Meanwhile, Lemon Drop Kid was a 29.75-1 long shot based on his mediocre 3-year-old campaign. He won a Grade 1 future stake at Belmont Park as a two-year-old for owner Jeanne Vance and trainer Scotty Schulhofer, but in 1999 he joined Belmont was 4-1. However, he finished a mean third in the Peter Pan Stakes, the last Belmont Prep, when he was racing on a late, muddy track. Schulhofer placed him in Belmont Park and moved him two weeks later with a 1½-mile classic.
Jockey Chris Antley sent her charisma to get through the backstretch from the Silver Bullet Day pace. And charisma attracted her on a far turn as the Lemon Drop Kid revolved from the midpack below Jose Santos. Lemon Drop Kid’s momentum took him to the lead with his midstretch and vision and poetry, a 54.75-1 shot. Lemon Drop Kid and Vision and Poetry fought at the finish line, where Lemon Drop Kid won with his head, causing an Exacta of $1,537.
After all, charisma was raised in the finish at Antley in a move believed to have saved his life, suffered from a fracture of a chondria in the midstretch. Like Tim Tam 41 years ago, an unfortunate injury at Belmont led to a happy ending. As charisma retired and lived there for another 18 years, he died in 2017 at the former Friends Retirement Farm in Georgetown, Kentucky (read more in Bob Ehardt’s ABR profile). Meanwhile, Lemon Drop Kid won the Travers later that summer, and had an even better year when he won the Whitney Handicap, Woodward Stakes, Brooklyn Handicap and Suburban Handicap in 2000. He was chosen as the older man of the champion that year, and later became a successful bull.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kj0q4f1vv0m
2002: Saraba illuminates the tote board, and the war emblem stumbles
134th The Belmont stakes ended with a 70.25-1 winner, yet another triple crown bid was shattered. War Emblem ran wild in the Kentucky Derby, winning three-quarters of Preakness by flashing Elite Speed from the start and showing enough stamina to hang slow. After Prince Ahmed bin Salman of Thoroughbred Corporation moved Colt to Bafat’s barn, he was 2-2 with trainer Bob Bafat. There was little suspense about Buffato and Jockey Victor Espinoza’s Belmont strategy. Sports illustration included.
The opposite happened. The War Emblem approached his knee shortly after the gate opened, and Espinoza had to plunge into the competition with a 1.25-1 favorite. War Emblem took over Pacesetter Medaglia D’Oro to bid a lead that went into a far turn, but was unable to take over.
For much of the spring, Saraba was the third fiddle in the trainer Kenmak Peak’s barn behind the winners of the Florida Derby and Bluegrass Stakes (and the Kentucky Derby Posttime favourite) Harlan’s Holiday and injured Louisiana Derby winners. McPeek decided to join Sarava after winning Sir Barton Stakes at Pimlico with the Preakness Undercard, and under Edgar Prado, the long shot moved between horses entering the stretch and dueled until the final with the Medalia D’oro. His $142.50 $2 stake sets the Belmont Stakes record that remains. Saraba never won again, but War Emblem won one more time with the remaining three starts. Wire-to-wire score at Haskell Invitational. The Saraba and Waugh’s coat of arms have retired to an old friend in Georgetown, Kentucky. War Emblem passed away there in 2020, and Sarabah passed away in 2023.
2004: Birdstone silences record crowds
The 2004 Belmont Stakes may not have set the “bigest upset” Palim Tuell Records – see previous entries – but it holds undoubtedly the best status as the most heartbreaking finish among modern horse racing fans. That June, expectations for the Belmont stakes were at levels not seen since the sport’s heyday in the 1970s. Even the fan-favorite Triple Crown bids of the 1990s were not even the Triple Crown bids of Sunday 1989 and rivalry between the easy players. And it was all Smarty Jones’ fault. Pennsylvania products attracted the attention of national sports audiences after being undefeated through eight starts. He was the proverb “little man” horse, owned by the elderly Roy and Pat Chapman, trained by John Selvis and riding by Journeyman Stewart Elliott. However, his talent was imposing, and he towered over the Belmont field, including Birdstone, a well-bred colt owned by Saratoga icon Marie Lowe Whitney, and nevertheless disappointed with the truck, entering Belmont from the 8th place Delby finish and coming to Belmont from 15¼ length of the Smart Jones.
So Smarty Jones was sent as a 0.35-1 favorite at 9 horse Belmont Field, with Birdstone 36-1. Before a still-recorded crowd of 120,139 people who wanted to witness history, Smarty Jones broke nicely from the outside post, but remained away from Elliott’s early lead until the field hit a backstretch. Like Ron Franklin’s ride in the epic bid 25 years ago, horse racing players and fans are still debating whether Elliott moved too quickly with Smart Jones. He took over after a half-mile marker and despite pressure he continued well through long backstretches, allowing Elliot to run his colt freely in the middle of a distant turn, and the clever one opened up on the field.
When Smart Jones entered the home stretch, he had only one chance to catch him. Birdstone was the second-highest under Edgar Prado. For some fleeting moments, Smart Jones is tired, but there may be enough left to stop his first challenge since 1978 and become the first triple crown winner. However, in the final advance, Smart gave up on his lead, and many hopeless cheers suddenly stopped. Birdstone won the length and was disappointed that Zito, Prado and Whitney softened their post-race remarks with offers of comfort to a sleek legion of fans. He never raced again, but 21 years later, Smart Jones remains undoubtedly the 21 most popular North American racehorsesst The Century, and the pivotal player of Belmont, no one will ever forget that. Read about him in Tom Pedulla’s ABR profile and take a closer look at the Triple Crown bids with memories of Servis, Elliott and Sportswriter Dick Jerardi in this feature of Mike Curry.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4gaetic_9bo
2008: Big brown whims from “Tarawire”
Though they haven’t reached the level of Smarty Jones, the 2008 triple crown, Hopeful Big Brown, produced positive fans support that enters Belmont with an unbeaten 5-0 record and an open-length victory in the Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes. Headed by Mike Earvalon’s IEAH stable and owned by the group trained by the loomingly controversial Rick Duttrow, Big Brown established himself as the best of his age group and was a 3-10 favorite in Belmont. For one thing, his pedigree is highly questionable in taxing the 1½-mile “Champion Test.” Secondly, Big Brown developed a quarter crack after Preakness, which interrupted training. And finally, Dutrow told reporters in mid-May that Colt had questioned whether the drugs had bolstered its first half of the spring, as Colt was a legal steroid at the time but not received monthly injections.
Whatever the cause, Big Brown was a near-equal non-factor for Belmont, breaking irregularly from the railroad post, fighting an attempt by jockey Kent DeSolme to control him on the backstretch from the first turn. Meanwhile, the unknown Datara, the longest shot at Belmont Field with 9 horses at 38.70-1, arrived at the lead under Alan Garcia and was not challenged. By the time Datara rolled into the stretch midway through the cork Dennis to a 5¼-long victory, Desolmue had pulled up the Big Brown and invited him out of the truck.
Da Tara beat Nick Ziet for his second Belmont four years after Birdstone was upset by Smart Jones. But the emotional tenors in the Belmont Grandstand, while clearly different this time, were annoying and even Shaden Fluid, replacing grief. Big Brown earned a measure of redemption by acquiring the final two starts of his career, including Haskell Invitational, but trainer Dutrow was suspended by the New York State Games Commission for 10 years due to numerous drug violations (he returned to training in 2023, successfully succeeding from Bat, and won the Longines Breeders ‘Cup Crassic with White Abarrio).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fo0hhntyim8
2014: Tournamentists prove that “Chromy” has contracted
Ten years after Birdstone ruined Smart Jones’ bids in the glory of the Triple Crown, another brave colt from a modest origin has come to captivate fans across the country. California Chrome is a California product by the obscure stallion Lucky Pitt, and his owners Perry Martin and Steve Cobain purchased his Dam Love the Chase for just $8,000. His trainer, Septure Genarian Art Sherman, was highly respected on the Golden Stay Racing Circuit, but most were not common names. California Chrome first became prominent in Santa Anita Park’s derby preparations at Derby Espinoza in Santa Anita Park, and recorded prestigious victory in May at the Kentucky Derby and Preakness.
Racing followers got a 146 whirlwind of excitementth Belmont, California Chrome was sent off as a 0.85-1 favorite against a quality field. Among the challengers were the 9/20-1 tonariist, a colt owned by Robert Evans and trained by Christophe Clement. In the Belmont stakes, California’s Chrome stumbled from the gate, but quickly recovered to steal the pace at the fourth spot, one of the tournamentists’ spots. Both Colts had a good trip chasing the 28-1 long shot pace setter commissioner through Belmont’s long backstretch, and they continued to compete throughout the far turns, setting a thrilling finale.
California Chrome’s cheers from the 102,199 fans in attendance (the third-largest in history) were deafening, but he didn’t accelerate with the stretch as he had in his six straight wins that entered Belmont. Meanwhile, the tonarist had enough stamina to overtake the Game Commissioner and earn the head under Joel Rosario. The Tonalist victory was frustrated with NBC’s Kenny Rice about the tax nature of the Triple Crown’s five-week schedule by Steve Cobain’s post-race sour grapes, but after all, California Chrome failed to maintain the classic acquisition form for the third straight race. He certainly bouncing off, winning races like the Dubai World Cup and Pacific Classic over the next two and a half years, and honing his qualifications as a 2023 Hall of Fame enrollment (read about him in Tom Pedra’s ABR profile). Tonalist won the prestigious Jockey Club Gold Cup in both 2014 and 2015, earning a bigger victory.
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